LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho on Friday asked England manager Gareth Southgate to name the club managers who pressure players not to represent the national team and also explain why Raheem Sterling was withdrawn from the national squad this week.

Player fatigue has become a major issue due to the tight fixture schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Southgate had said some players were keen to play for their country but found themselves in a "difficult situation" with their clubs.

There was a perception of Tottenham Hotspur under Mauricio Pochettino that they lacked the self-belief to win silverware and there was plenty of evidence to support that view.

Two near misses in the Premier League title race, FA Cup semifinal losses and then, when glory beckoned, a rather timid Champions League final defeat by Liverpool.

LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has called on Wales to be cautious with Gareth Bale while he is on international duty, saying he fears the work the forward has done to get back to full fitness could be destroyed.

Bale started for Tottenham in their 3-1 win away to Ludgogorets in the Europa League on Thursday and looked as sharp as he has done since re-joining the club on loan from Real Madrid in September.

Tottenham, third in the Premier League, travel to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, before the international break.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho believes there could be only one reason why long-term rival Arsene Wenger missed out on mentioning him in his new book.

"Because he never beat me," Mourinho told reporters on Friday.

Wenger's autobiography — "My Life in Red and White" — looks back over his 22 years in charge of Arsenal between 1996-2018 but there was no mention of his touchline duels with Mourinho, whose Chelsea side dethroned the Frenchman's Invincibles in 2004-05.

Tottenham Hotspur's Jose Mourinho delivered a sharp riposte to critics of his "defensive" style on Sunday, saying after their 6-1 Premier League win over Manchester United that they would have scored 10 if only they had a more attacking coach.

Tottenham gave Manchester United a historic beatdown on Sunday, winning 6-1 at Old Trafford after scoring four goals in an opening 37-minute barrage that also saw Anthony Martial sent off.

And things started so brightly for the Red Devils after Davinson Sánchez hacked down Martial in the area, leading to a Bruno Fernandes penalty with only two minutes on the clock.

Enter Harry Maguire.

An urgent trip to the bathroom for Tottenham's Eric Dier led to the surreal sight of the defender running off the pitch during Tuesday's League Cup match against Chelsea — with coach Jose Mourinho chasing down the tunnel after him.

Spurs were trailing 1-0 with 15 minutes to go when Dier raced off the pitch and darted towards the dressing room, quickly followed by a furious Mourinho whose side were briefly down to 10 men in their fourth round home clash.

Tottenham manager José Mourinho believes their packed fixture schedule will force them to prioritize the more lucrative Europa League over the League Cup in a bid to avoid further injuries in the squad.

Spurs host Chelsea on Tuesday in the League Cup fourth round, two days before Maccabi Haifa's visit to north London for a Europa League playoff match. Mourinho said the English Football League "made the decision" for him and he had no option but to rotate the squad for the London derby.