da bet7： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da pinup bet： Jose Mourinho has apologised to Eric Dier for substituting him in the first-half of Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-2 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League, per The Guardian.
What’s the word?
Spurs fell 2-0 behind before the 20th minute in north London in a game they needed to win to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.
Dier was substituted on 29 minutes and replaced by Christian Eriksen as the north Londoners looked to find a way back into the game.
Dele Alli scored on the stroke of half-time and a brace from Harry Kane, along with a fine Serge Aurier strike, sealed an exceptional comeback win.
And Mourinho took the time to apologise to the England international after full-time.
He said: “The most difficult moment of the game for me was not when Olympiacos scored the first or second goal but when I made the change in the first-half.
“Hurt the player but hurt myself. It’s important the player understands and I was lucky that my choice was a very intelligent boy who has a good understanding of what the team is. It was not about his performance.
“We were losing 2-0 in a very difficult moment and one positional midfield player was more than enough. I apologise to Eric, in spite of the fact he knows I did it for the team and not with the intention to hurt him.”
Ruthless
Mourinho has a ruthless edge that Spurs needed on Tuesday evening.
They were appalling in the first half-hour of the game, allowing the Greek giants to control the game and create important chances.
However, the Portuguese transformed his side’s attacking play with the change, bringing in Eriksen, who had a genuine influence on the game.
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He provided the assist for Kane’s second goal with a brilliant free-kick and registered a total of three key passes, per WhoScored.
Dier, of course, is not an attacking player and this was a necessary change to make.
One has to wonder whether ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino would have been so fierce, but Mourinho’s ruthlessness won Spurs the game.
Meanwhile, Mourinho has appeared to hint that one man’s future has been decided.