Jose Mourinho’s inconsistent Tottenham face Liverpool
After things went sour at Manchester United, Jose Mourinho is ready to prove he is special once again. But without the money to buy the best players, will he be able to take Tottenham to the next level?
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What will Tottenham become under Jose Mourinho? Gone are the natural vibes and positive energy flow of Mauricio Pochettino, supplanted by the singular control mechanism that is Jose v3.0.
The consensus is that Poch had taken the club as far as he could. The failed Champions League final was the leap that could have realised a new era. Instead, Spurs fell short and the inadequacy of their long-term strategy was revealed.
Poch’s Spurs were brilliant, creative and thrilling but the squad had reached its use-by date. Winning the Champions League would have brought an injection of arrogance; instead, defeat burst the bubble.
So, after seasons on the ascension, Mourinho descended on Tottenham at their moment of crisis. Alongside Miguel Arteta at Arsenal, it shapes as one of the most fascinating narratives in the Premier League. A big club hires a wildly successful super coach – and somehow the mood is already souring.
This is a chance for both club and manager to redefine themselves.
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Tottenham’s rise to Champions League finalists was justly deserved for the club’s progress under Pochettino but Spurs are not part of the elite. Their last trophy was the League Cup in 2008. Poch made them upwardly mobile – but Mourinho could elevate them to the next level.
From the raw energy of Porto and his first stint at Chelsea, to the Godhead of Inter Milan and Real Madrid to the long, dark nights of the soul back at Chelsea and then Manchester United, Mourinho’s challenge at Tottenham could be his toughest yet.
As usual, his profile and expectations are high but the resources at his disposal are less than at any time since his first arrival in the Premier League in 2004.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is the anti-Abramovich and there will be no gift-wrapped superstars for Mourinho this time. No $140m for Romelu Lukaku or $170m for Paul Pogba in north London.
The servicing of debts for the grand new Tottenham Stadium will also limit how much of that $120 million the club got from the Champions League run trickles down to playing squad.
Spurs spent close to $200 million during the summer transfer window but Tanguy Ndombele ($106m), Jack Clarke ($19m), Giovani Lo Celso ($30m), Ryan Sessegnon ($48m) are hardly the recruits to spark another run to football’s biggest trophies.
Instead, Mourinho faces the unusual task of building on Pochettino’s ageing foundations with a squad boasting perhaps two real world-class players. To remake Spurs in his image he must work with what he has. But what will he make?
In his brief time so far, Spurs have retained some of that attacking verve that was Pochettino’s trademark, as well as the defensive deficiencies that stained the end of his tenure. Mourinho clearly doesn’t want to mess with the program too much yet. Tottenham’s greatest strength is their attack, with those two players – Harry Kane and Son Heung-min – responsible for so many of their goals and points.
In his eight league games in charge, Mourinho’s Spurs have four wins, three losses, one draw; 16 goals for, 12 against. The changes he has introduced include less game time for Poch mainstay midfielder Harry Winks, a 23-year-old with a great pass but often lacking the incision of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne or Trent Alexander-Arnold, and a marked increase in the number of long balls played. Perhaps Mourinho is attempting to shape Winks into the man to answer this problem but in the meantime, Spurs’ play has become increasingly direct, which is fine when you have the Son and Lucas Moura supporting Kane.
Except that Kane looks likely to be out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. It is no surprise they have been linked to $60m Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek.
Without a true No.9, a position Mourinho has built all his teams around (Drogba at Chelsea, Eto’o at Inter, Benzema at Madrid, Lukaku at United), how will Spurs set up for the rest of the season? Son will likely lead the line – but for all his ability, the South Korean is no out-and-out striker, meaning Spurs’ attacking threat is diminished, which could prompt Mourinho to revert to type and focus on stopping goals rather than scoring them.
He has already expressed frustration at some of the sloppy goals Spurs have conceded recently, which is likely to signal a change in approach, the first test of which comes against runaway league leaders Liverpool this weekend.
If his frustration finally gets the better of him, Spurs fans could finally get a glimpse of Mourinho’s tried-and-tested bus parking expertise, playing five at the back in a bid to stifle the space for the Reds’ attack. The problem with this is that Liverpool can attack from anywhere and excel at exploiting set pieces. Sitting back and absorbing pressure doesn’t work against this team, with its thrilling work ethic across the park.
Mourinho has plenty of history with the Merseyside club but his admiration for Jurgen Klopp’s work is clear, as is his appreciation of the five years the German has had to rebuild the Reds into probably the best team in the world right now.
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Spurs are currently sixth on the table, six points off Chelsea in fourth spot and one behind United in fifth. European football is clearly attainable, especially given the inconsistency of his two former clubs and finishing higher than either would no doubt be of great satisfaction to him.
But given Mourinho’s recurring three-year itch (or perhaps an inflamed rash would be a closer description), it would buck the trend to see him follow in Klopp’s footsteps.
Yet if he is to do it anywhere, Spurs could be the right club; big enough to offer opportunities for success but small enough for expectations to be measured. And, with all due respect, Tottenham’s cobwebby trophy cabinet would mean that any silverware would give Mourinho a permanent place in Spurs’ fans longing hearts.
Originally published as Jose Mourinho’s inconsistent Tottenham face Liverpool