WE’RE NO ONE-MAN TEAM, SAYS MASON

RYAN MASON insists Tottenham Hotspur are not ‘the Harry Kane team’ — as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once branded the club.

Kane did not train with his teammates yesterday ahead of tomorrow’s Carabao Cup final, with Spurs looking to win their first trophy since 2008.

Yet Mason is confident Tottenham can pose problems for City, regardless of whether Kane (below) does or does not start tomorrow.

‘If I think of Barcelona with (Lionel) Messi, think of Real Madrid with (Cristiano) Ronaldo, guys who are posting crazy numbers and creating big moments in big games, I think it’s normal your mind thinks they’re the most important players,’ said Mason. ‘But we’re a team, a squad, a group of players where whoever is out on that football pitch needs to come together, fight for each other and compete to get a positive result.

‘Of course, if you have one of the best No 9s in the world, getting on the end of things and creating moments, people will talk but, no, it’s a combined effort of everyone involved.’

It has been a whirlwind week for Mason, who took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho on Tuesday and in the middle of the Super League storm. The 29-year-old said he did not get a wink of sleep in the first three days. ‘Your energy goes into preparing the team — what do the players need? What does the team need?’ he explained. ‘You need to watch games, watch moments, there’s so much. I’ll be honest, the first three days I didn’t sleep at all. I want this to go well for the football club. ‘Last night I had a good night’s sleep. I fell asleep in my son’s bed at half seven and I woke up at 5.30am in the morning. The body obviously needed it. I feel energised again and I feel good.’ Mason has certainly lifted the atmosphere around the club but captain Hugo Lloris admits even victory at Wembley will not wash away the taste of disappointment this season. ‘It will not change the feeling of the season because we had so many ups and downs,’ said the World Cup winner. ‘But we can save the season and finish in a good way. ‘There is still a chance of a European place next season in the League. ‘A trophy is always welcome, especially after many years without one.’