Tottenham can ‘save the season’ with Carabao Cup glory over Manchester City, insists captain Hugo Lloris… as goalkeeper admits there have been ‘many ups and downs’ from turbulent campaign which saw Jose Mourinho sacked
- Hugo Lloris says winning the cup would help players’ confidence for next season
- The Spurs skipper believes they can seal a European spot in the Premier League
- Tottenham are bidding to win their first piece of silverware since 2008
- Ryan Mason hails Pep Guardiola as ‘one of the best managers in the world’
Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris says his side can still save their season by winning the Carabao Cup on Sunday.
Spurs, who sacked manager Jose Mourinho earlier this week, take on Manchester City at Wembley trying to land their first trophy since 2008.
Winning silverware would go some way to making up for what has been a poor season, with a Premier League title challenge wilting into a race to get into the top four and an embarrassing Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb.
Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris insists winning the Carabao Cup would rescue their season
Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho on Monday after a disappointing league and European campaign
But if Spurs can finally get over the line in a showpiece event, following a League Cup final defeat in 2015 and the Champions League final loss in 2019, Lloris says they will have repaired some of the damage.
‘There is still a chance of a European place next season in the league. Before that, we need to win all the games,’ the France captain said.
‘Then, a trophy is always welcome, especially after many years without a trophy at the club.
‘It will not change the feeling of the season because we had so many ups and downs, but we can save the season, yes, of course.
Ryan Mason has been appointed as Tottenham’s head-coach until the end of the season
‘We can save the season and obviously to finish in a good way will help the confidence of the players of the club next season.’
Spurs hope the appointment of Ryan Mason, a 29-year-old former midfielder, can help galvanise the club in pursuit of their ambitions before the end of the season.
Mason, who has only been coaching for two years, has been thrown in at the deep end and will come up against Pep Guardiola and one of the best teams in Europe.
But Mason believes his side should not be discounted, even if Harry Kane is ruled out with an injury.
‘He’s a great manager, he’s one of the best in the world, there’s no doubting that,’ he said. ‘He’s been at City for a while now, so he’s got that as well.
Mason will go head to head with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the Carabao Cup final
‘They’ve got a lot of familiar faces within their set-up, they know how they play. But we’re Tottenham and I’m sure they’ll be thinking of us as well.
‘This is about Tottenham, this is about the football club, this is about the group of players, our fans, everyone.
‘This isn’t about me, my ego, me going up against Pep. This is Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City.
‘I’m sure we’ll be doing all we can to get the better of them and likewise they’ll be doing the same for us.
‘But it’s a cup final, we’ve seen over the years, one-off games, anything can happen. We’ll go there believing, with confidence, that hopefully it will go our way Sunday.