Jose Mourinho: I was rude to an idiot, says Tottenham manager after booking

Jose Mourinho admitted he was "rude, but rude to an idiot" after he was booked for a confrontation with Southampton goalkeeping coach Andrew Sparks.

Mourinho received a yellow card from referee Mike Dean following the second-half altercation, with the Tottenham head coach annoyed about a perceived delay and time taken to substitute match-winner Danny Ings for Michael Obafemi in the 76th minute.

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Asked about the incident after the game, Mourinho said: "I think the yellow card is fair because I was rude, but I was rude to an idiot. And for some reason, I was rude, but I was and because I was I deserve the yellow card."

Mourinho also hit out at VAR after a number of decisions were reviewed, including a potential penalty as Dele Alli clashed with Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and Harry Kane's goal ruled out for offside, in an incident where the striker injured his hamstring.

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"For me the referees are not the referees," he said. "I think the VAR should change their name because Video Assistant Referee is not true.

"It should be VR - Video Referee - because they are the referees. It is strange. You see the refs on the pitch and they are not the refs, they are the assistants.

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"The other guys in the office are the ones who make the big decisions of the game. In relation to the offsides, we had Harry Kane's goal against Brighton disallowed for offside by I don't know what margin.

"Then Norwich had one ruled out against us. I don't know what half an inch that was. Then today, this one I confess I haven't watched yet.

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"What I know is Dele Alli penalty was a penalty and the VAR didn't interfere. He then interfered in a penalty that from 75 yards away I knew was not a penalty.

"It was the Harry Kane shot with the rebound when McCarthy comes with Dele from 75 yards away I knew it wasn't a penalty. But they let the VAR analyse it to try to make us blind about the penalty that was a penalty.

"Sometimes it goes in our favour like at Norwich and sometimes against us. But the direction it is taking us in is really really wrong."

Ndombele, Kane injured

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Once again, Tanguy Ndombele was a subject of discussion for Mourinho, with the midfielder substituted in the first half after picking up another injury.

It comes after Mourinho said Ndombele did not want to play on Boxing Day before praising him as "phenomenal" in Tottenham's 2-2 draw with Norwich.

"He is always injured," Mourinho said. "He is injured, he is not injured; he plays one match, the next week he is injured, he plays another match. We are full of hopes and this is since the beginning of the season.

"Of course it is a concern, you think you have a player, you think the player is in an evolution process, he plays very well against Norwich, you think today he is ready for it and he is not ready for it.

"I cannot say much more than that because it is a situation that comes from the beginning of the season."

More worrying was a hamstring injury to Kane in the second half, with Mourinho saying: "Harry Kane plays every minute, he plays all the time. It might be big, it might be small. For sure he will be out.

"It is negative...hamstring is always negative. Is it a tear, is it a small thing, is it a contraction? At this moment I cannot say."

Analysis: 'Tottenham not improving but should try to sign Ings'

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Soccer Saturday pundit Paul Merson:

"Have they improved under Mourinho? Not at all. They were poor today. It looked like a team that didn't know what they were doing. If something was going to happen, they were going to fall over it. It was poor. I don't see them getting into the top four the way they are playing.

"Kane's injury could be four to six weeks. It's worrying times for Tottenham. Southampton were the better team. I didn't know what Tottenham were doing.

"If l were Tottenham, l would be going for Danny Ings in this transfer window. He's a proper footballer and his goal was outstanding. He ticks all the boxes for Tottenham. He has an all-round game. I would get him because you know that (Christian) Eriksen is going to go."

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