Mendes: I know how to stop Man Utd ... again

"The match in Porto was a terrific game. I remember us starting well, but they scored first. We felt a little bit down, but then we started to play really well and scored twice ourselves.

"This allowed us to approach the second game with a lot more confidence. I didn't play because I was injured, but it was a fantastic night, especially with Costinho scoring in the last minute.

"Mourinho had a plan how to beat them. United have some fantastic players and he told us that we had to watch their offensive players, people like Paul Scholes, Louis Saha and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"The priority was to stop them. If you want to progress in the Champions League, you need to keep clean sheets, you have to defend very well and it will be the same for us tonight. Against teams like Manchester United, who have fantastic strikers, you have to concentrate 100 per cent."

Since winning the Champions League, the Porto side has been dismantled. While star player Deco was sold to Barcelona, defenders Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho followed Mourinho to Chelsea.

Mendes, meanwhile, was signed by Spurs in a deal which saw Helder Postiga returned to sender, but has no regrets at being separated from the rest of the capital's Porto clique.

He said: "I am happy here. Spurs are a great team, they are one of the most charismatic clubs in England. It was a big step for me to come over here and it's been going well."

Yet not everything has worked out for the Guimaraes-born player. He started the season as Jacques Santini's first-choice in central midfield but was forced onto the right or out of the starting line-up altogether when Martin Jol took over in November.

With Michael Brown injured on Saturday, Mendes moved back into his preferred central midfield role - and was rewarded with a goal in the 5-2 win over Everton.

He said: "I must do what the manager wants. I'm not happy being played on the right, but if he says I should play there then I will.

"It's not my position. I would rather play in the middle. It's no secret, I have played there all my career.

"But there is nothing I can do about it. He has his ideas, I have my ideas. Even if we don't agree, I have to be professional. If he wants me to play in goal, I will play in goal, it's as simple as that."

Wherever he plays, Mendes is already more of a success at White Hart Lane than the £8m flop he replaced.

Postiga struggled in a poor side last season, but showed his potential by scoring for Portugal against England in Euro 2004. Mendes believes Spurs should have been more patient.

He said: "Postiga is a very technical player and, in England, it was difficult for him to adapt. I also think he wasn't really given enough time. He only played a few games.

"It was no surprise in Portugal when he was signed for so much money because he had a terrific season during the UEFA Cup win in 2003. He scored a lot of goals.

"When he came here he just wasn't given a proper chance. If he had stayed another season, he would have been more confident and used to the English game. I think he would have done much better. He scored the goal against England last summer which I think was a bit of revenge."

Mendes will continue in central midfield tonight alongside Michael Carrick but there are injury doubts over strikers Fredi Kanoute and Jermain Defoe.