Phil Thompson is wary of the Jose Mourinho factor this weekend, as Liverpool travel to Tottenham.
The Reds are looking to keep up their remarkable form this season, seeing them record 58 points from a possible 60 in the Premier League.
While Spurs may been stuttering under Mourinho, keeping just one clean sheet since he arrived in November, he loves spoiling a Liverpool party.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Thompson admitted the Portuguese will be a threat up against Liverpool on Saturday evening:
Jose loves nothing better than to upset Liverpool fans. This will be another opportunity for him.
I think it’s one of those big things that deep down, he would really have loved to have managed Liverpool, so when it comes down to it he wants to beat us, and do his utmost to put one over on us.
That’ll give him another opportunity this weekend. What will he do? How will he set up? Has he got the players to defend deep? Has he got the players to attack?
This is a Spurs side who are expected to win games playing a certain way, but sometimes Jose would rather sit back and hit on the counter-attack, and have a low block.
Read Liverpool Verdict
In my opinion, the weekend trip to north London is one of Liverpool’s biggest remaining tests this season.
Spurs’ recent form doesn’t suggest that – they have won just once in their last five matches – but I believe Mourinho ups his game when he faces the Reds.
As Thompson alluded to, there is a fire that burns inside him when he takes on Liverpool because he reportedly wanted the job back in the 2000s, and didn’t get it.
On paper, I feel as if the Reds should win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but this will be a big challenge for them.
I don’t think Mourinho is the manager he once was, but there would be something horribly predictable about him ending Liverpool’s unbeaten run.
His Chelsea side inflicted a painful defeat on the Reds back in 2014 and he has enjoyed numerous other productive days at the office against them, including the 2005 League Cup final.
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