Toby Alderweireld accuses Tottenham team-mate of spreading negativity about Jose Mourinho

Toby Alderweireld

Toby Alderweireld has hinted that an unhappy team-mate could be behind dressing-room leaks at Tottenham.

Reports earlier this week suggested that the Spurs squad was already losing faith in Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino as the club's manager in November, but recent results have been largely disappointing.

Tottenham beat Norwich on Wednesday following a run of four Premier League games without a win.

But Alderweireld has dismissed the stories and suggested that one of his colleagues could have been responsible for them appearing in the press.

"For me, it's nothing like that," he said of reports that the Tottenham squad were unhappy with Mourinho's training methods. "If it was like this, I wouldn't sign a new deal. Now, for me, it's all positive.

"I think we've been so consistent for the last four or five years, so it's a little bit human to drop a little bit.

Not that you want to drop. But sometimes it doesn't go your way and we have to find a way to get back to our level.

"On the other hand, I think we are [joint] fifth now so we're not doing so bad. It's the next step that this club has taken whereby if you are fifth everyone is not happy, so that's positive as well.

"Let me say so again: no negativity. I don't know where that’s come from. Maybe there's a player that’s not happy and maybe he wants to say something?

"It's all possible, but from 99% I'm telling you we're happy with the group.

"I can say with my hand on my heart there's no negativity. We have an unbelievable group. I think we have such nice guys. Maybe we are too nice! You know? That's maybe the problem. Everyone is very happy with the manager, the way we train.

"It's a very busy period, everyone is an international as well. From from the beginning of July and until now it's like game, game, game, game.

"We can't complain about training because there's no time to train! You're only playing games. I don't know where this has come from. I know everybody's happy with where we're going.

"Of course, we're not happy with all the performances, but it's not easy. I think [Norwich] is a massive win. Not maybe a beautiful performance, but three points. And that was the most important thing."

Spurs return to action with an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Southampton on Saturday.

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).