Spurs’ Special One

The Special One pictured at Hotspur Way training ground.

The special one is back. Need I say more? The return of Jose Mourinho is going to be ‘special’ for so many reasons. A further intensified Chelsea/Spurs derby, Mourinho’s Manchester return, more notable press conference quotes and, of course, a rekindling of the rivalry with Arsenal fans this time with even more hatred spewing from the Arsenal faithful. We are going to be in for one hell of a ride.

In the late hours of Tuesday evening, Mauricio Pochettino was given the cowboy boot by Daniel Levy after a poor start to the 2019-20 Premier League campaign, leaving Spurs sitting 14th – winless in their last 5. Many asked who would replace Poch after his five-year spell came to an abrupt end, but those questions would be answered very quickly as a mere 11 hours later the appointment of Jose Mourinho was confirmed by the club’s Twitter account. Jose brings in Sacramento, Lalin, Santos, Formosinho and Cerra as his backroom staff. Mourinho’s usual right-hand man, Rui Faria, will absent as he is currently managing Qatari Al-Duhail SC – Joao Sacramento takes his place. However, he has still favoured some of his trusted colleagues in Lalin, Formosinho and Cerra who resume roles under Jose.

Now, the details of Mourinho’s appointment have been discussed let’s remind ourselves of some of his previous magic, something Tottenham fans will be hoping to see at New White Hart Lane.

Mourinho’s first encounter with the Champions League trophy.

He learned the ‘tricks of the trade’ under Sir Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal before truly showcasing his talents at Porto where his side were crowned Champions League winners and back-to-back Portuguese league champions. Following his great success in Portugal, Chelsea came calling and the notorious “I’m not….one of…..of the bottle. I think I’m a special one.” was born. Jose backed his self-proclaimed special status with back-to-back Premier League titles and 4 domestic titles in 3 seasons. After a poor start to his third campaign, Abramovich sacked Mourinho, not for the last time, and Jose moved onto Inter Milan. Outperforming expectations again, Jose finished his Milan tenure with a remarkable treble culminating in another Champions League victory.

A spell in Madrid did not bring an elusive third Champions League but saw Real win the La Liga which would be one of only two title wins in the last 11 seasons. After a mainland European adventure, Jose returned to Stamford Bridge to bring a third title to West London but the dreaded third season voodoo struck again and Jose was sacked. In May 2016, Mourinho sent shockwaves through the footballing world by being appointed by Manchester United. Jose won the ‘not-so glamourous treble’ – Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League – in his first season and a respectful 2nd place finish the following season. However, and you know what is coming next…Jose was given the boot in his third season with the Red Devils – why does everything come in threes for the special one?

Another infamous press conference moment from Mourinho

The past and the present has been reviewed, now let’s look to the future for Tottenham Hotspur and Jose Mourinho. They kick off their partnership with a London Derby against West Ham, just three days after his appointment. The New White Hart Lane crowd will welcome Jose when they face Olympiakos in a potential knockout stage clincher. Eyes then cast to the 4th of December when Mourinho makes his return to Old Trafford under the lights in a blockbuster match between the two struggling big boys.

Mourinho is likely to favour his preferred 4231 style with Captain Kane most likely leading the line. Known for his defensive approach, this will give Spurs fans a welcoming bonus following Bayern’s 7-2 trouncing of them back in October. Spurs have only recorded 1 clean sheet all season, back in GW5, so will be hoping Mourinho can muster a solid defensive unit with the likes of Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Aurier and Rose. However, one major question being asked of Mourinho is his ability to manage without hefty finances, something which plagued Poch throughout his run as Tottenham boss, only time will tell.

For Spurs fans, this is an exciting time as they take the next step in their progression with a natural-born winner at the helm – will the special one be the man to break Spurs’ trophy drought and finally blow the dust out from the trophy cabinet?

Taylor Toney-Green

#football #mourinho #premierleague #spurs