Passion.
In his first interview as new Tottenham boss, Jose Mourinho promised to bring a passion for his job and the club. The Spurs fans will certainly hope for more as the Portuguese took charge of the first training session after replacing Mauricio Pochettino at the helm.
With Spurs sitting 14th in the Premier League table, Mauricio Pochettino ended up getting sacked in the middle of the international break. As surprising as this decision might have been for the man who was in charge of the club for the full five years, it was completely needed.
The Argentine was said to have lost the Tottenham dressing room and the Spurs have indeed looked like a completely different team compared to the one playing the Champions League final only a couple of months ago.
As we approach the busy festive period, it was getting extremely difficult to find the Premier League betting tips favouring Tottenham to return to winning ways following a five-match winless streak in the top flight.
Jose Mourinho will be expected to turn the tables around and make an immediate impact but what are the main changes we could see from the Portuguese boss in terms of tactics, style and approach?
A New Philosophy
Jose Mourinho returns after 11 months on the sidelines. Almost a year-long sabbatical got him thinking, reimagining and revising his football approach. Often criticised for his destructive approach to football, Jose Mourinho looks set to change his ways.
The Portuguese tactician is currently advertising a new philosophy, one largely revolving around promoting youth. As a side with plenty of quality among its ranks, Tottenham want to place focus on their academy programme and that’s an aspect Morunho told Daniel Levy he’d work on insistently.
Tactical Tweaks
Ever since his first Chelsea days, Jose Mourinho has always preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation. This will come as a contrast to Pochettino’s three at the back style. Mourinho is, however, a tactically versatile manager who likes to experiment with different variations of his four-man backline.
A 4-3-3 would easily stretch into a 4-5-1 with ‘The Special One’. His seamless transitions between attack and defence helped him romp to the 2012 La Liga title with Real Madrid in style and that’s something we could see him replicating in North London.
If he is to help Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen rediscover their top forms, Jose Mourinho is sure to bring some noticeable tactical changes at Tottenham.
A New Mentality
Having reached their first-ever Champions League final in 2018/19, Tottenham Hotspur now need to go one step forward in their evolution. Their quality-packed squad seems mature enough to take the next step and there will hardly be a better person to lead them forward than Jose Mourinho.
Some people love him, others don’t. However, there is one thing everybody agrees on – Jose Mourinho is a winner. His trophy cabinet packs 25 different pieces of silverware. He’s won major trophies wherever he would work. Meanwhile, 11 of the trophies he won in total have come in England.
His football might sometimes seem unpleasant and dull to watch, but history remembers results. When it comes to those, Jose Mourinho has plenty to show off. His winning mentality is a strong drive pushing him forward and that’s exactly what Spurs fans hope his players will show as well.
Touchline Tantrums?
He’s already worked with Chelsea and Manchester United in England but Jose Mourinho did not think twice at the opportunity to take over at Tottenham.
“I could never manage Tottenham. I love Chelsea fans too much!” Jose Mourinho said famously in 2015, revealing he had been approached by the Spurs in 2007.
Nevertheless, Jose is not afraid of the reception at the new Spurs stadium. Moreover, he is surely going to be an extra spice on the touchline of the newly-built ground.
Remember the knee slide at Old Trafford in 2004? The celebrations at the Camp Nou in 2010? What about the gestures against Juventus in 2018 or bottle throwing in the 90th-minute Champions League victory over Young Boys?
Jose Mourinho has become an entertainer.
He is sure to be met with plenty of attention and we don’t doubt he will respond in a unique fashion. As an attention-grabber Jose could certainly help take some of the pressure off of Tottenham players.
Ultimately, that’s exactly what they need at a delicate moment like this.