Portuguese newspaper A Bola interviewed Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Moura on Wednesday, who’s featured in a two-page story.
Now with the local media giving a huge attention to José Mourinho’s first weeks at the London side, the big subject has obviously been the Special One.
A Bola mentioned José Mourinho tried to sign Lucas Moura first for Real Madrid and then for Manchester United, and asked the player about how does it feel to finally work with him now.
“All of this made me excited to welcome him to Tottenham”, Lucas Moura told A Bola. “Confidence grows when you know your new manager has wanted to rely on your football before. This has increased the expectation and anxiety of working with him, and of course being able to return that trust. I’m very excited. Now I have to prove in my day to day practice and games that he really was right to want to count on me.”
Regarding what Moura can do differently than he used to with Mauricio Pochettino, the Brazilian has shown how happy he is to be back on the wing.
“The start of work with Mourinho has been very positive, a manager of his caliber brings a great confidence to the whole team. He’s a professional who needs no further comment. This of course moves the motivation of all players. I’m very pleased with the confidence he has particularly given me.
“I played as a starter in the first two games, then in the third I played in 20 minutes, and that was a little different from what I was playing. I feel good in the position I’m playing now, a position I like a lot. I’m not only confident, but I’m optimistic about this new Tottenham moment, and this new moment of mine too. I hope to repay the trust that José Mourinho has placed in me.”
After the match against West Ham, Mourinho said Lucas knows the confidence he has in him, and the player talked a little about it.
“I followed this interview, I was very happy with his words. Everyone knows that trust in football is critical. It’s been very positive this beginning of work with Mourinho, I’m very comfortable. He gives us the freedom to talk, is always talking to the group, often even individually. All these attitudes are eventually reflected on the pitch.”
Regarding the work under the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and José Mourinho, Lucas claims it’s not easier or harder. It’s just different.
“Every player wants to work with managers that bring that confidence, who have a winning resumé … Every player wants to work with the best. It’s not easy or difficult, the important thing is to know that your manager is a winner and that we can trust him, because he was champion where he went. This is also an added motivation. If we do what he asks, the chances of achieving our goals are very high, they are greater.”
Finally asked if Tottenham can finally win titles under José Mourinho, Lucas Moura said: “I really believe that, very much. We need to continue the work that has been done over the last five years, and now with the special touch of a manager who knows the way of titles like no one else. It has everything for it to happen. We have structure, we have a squad, we have a manager… we have everything. The expectation is very high.”
