Garth Crooks can’t believe Mourinho didn’t sign Jesse Lingard, thinks Spurs ‘desperately’ need him

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Tottenham Hotspur lost yet again on Sunday afternoon, as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat against West Ham United.

Jose Mourinho finds himself under pressure at Spurs, and his situation wasn’t helped by an early goal for West Ham as Michail Antonio opened the scoring from close range.

Jesse Lingard added a second after the break, and whilst Lucas Moura headed Spurs back into the game, they couldn’t find a leveller.

Now, pundit Garth Crooks has hailed the performance of Lingard, who bagged his third goal for the Hammers since arriving on loan from Manchester United in January.

Lingard looks fresh and sharp at West Ham, turning in impressive displays for David Moyes having also won a penalty against Sheffield United last week.

Crooks has told BBC Sport that he thinks Lingard is ‘having a ball’ with West Ham, but he thinks it’s Tottenham who ‘desperately needed’ Lingard, not West Ham.

Crooks finds it strange that, of two ex-United managers to sign Lingard, it was David Moyes and not Mourinho who swooped, adding that Lingard is playing ‘out of his skin’ for the Hammers.

“The Manchester United loanee is having a ball in East London,” said Crooks. “David Moyes and Jose Mourinho are former managers of Manchester United and both know exactly what Lingard can do.”

“I find it particularly interesting that it is Moyes who has given Lingard a chance to rejuvenate his career, when it was Spurs who desperately needed him. Lingard is playing out of his skin,” he added.

ESPN did report in January that Tottenham wanted to sign Lingard, so maybe Mourinho saw this coming – but he instead finds himself under added pressure after Lingard’s strike on Sunday.