Jose Mourinho

For me Mourinho got the job because he convinced Levy he could win something with this group, we got rid of Pochettino on this basis. He said it to Kane, the squad was better than Manchester. He has to back up his words and reputation with actions and results.

If Kane leaves and there is a pot of cash for a rebuild he will have left because Mourinho ultimately failed. The rebuild with that money should be someone else’s job. If he succeeds Kane will stay and so will he.

emiley heskey said:

If not for long term, 1 year loan can certainly help us navigating this corona period and if both coutinho and bale hit the ground, we can be in top 4 easily ... One don't need to be rocket scientist to understand this

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I want to see Bale back as much as anyone, but lets work the deal for permanent if there is one to be had which we have had ITK for.
As for Coutinho, Barca want to sell. Even if we pulled a loan with an option, how much do you think that will be and what are his wages?
Apparently wages are about 11.23 million Euro or 215,000 euro a week. We will NEVER get both Bale and Coutinho.

Spurs_Bear said:

Since Jose came I’ve been fairly balanced, criticised when he’s deserved it and praised equally, I believed Poch had come to the end but unlike others blamed Levy for the downfall and didn’t believe that someone new coming in would automatically give us this lift that some thought it might.

However, I can’t remember anything in recent times that has left me open mouthed, some 36 hours after a match, almost paralysed with horror, than that substitution of Dele for Sissoko. Nothing comes close.

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Son at wing back in a cup semi final has gotta be up there.

$hoguN said:

I thought he got his substitutions wrong. In no way can bringing in Sissoko when he did be the right call, the game was 50/50. We were lacking a link between defence and attack so he takes off Dele and brings on Sissoko who is never going to do that. To rectify it on goes Bergwijn, the problem is he can’t link defence and attack.

I thought the players looked like they lacked a preseason, which they did, and just didn’t want to win it. We need a lift like they have had with James

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If dele didn't have an injury it's one of the most inane substitutions I can remember. In a team almost completely devoid of creativity you take off the only player who might play a through ball to Kane for the least talented player in the entire squad.

I am so conflicted by all this. Cause what we're seeing on the pitch is, generally, uninspiring. It's not filling any of us with that much confidence and in relation to Spurs teams of the past it feels like a step back. And that's a mix of blame on our squad, the recruitment and Jose.

But also I don't want to ignore that since Jose took over, we've what? Been like the 3rd or 4th best team in the league? Like if the season had started when Jose took over I swear the league would have put us top 4. So we're producing the results we need to and getting things done. And that was with Kane, Son, Sissoko, Lloris etc... injured for large portions of last year.

So I want to be optimistic and say Everton was a bad display. And it was. And for some it's indicative of how we've always played but for others we're hoping it was a one-off/a result of a shortened pre-season with an unnecessary international break beforehand.

Ultimately from the doc, what we've done on the pitch, the culture around the club etc... it seems like everything isn't fully clicking. I think Jose has the right ethos and what we truly need, but our players aren't matching that week in week out. I know I can only take the doc at face value (I'm not getting into the staged or not debate cause that's a dumb one that you literally cannot prove unless you were actually on the crew filming it) but for me, Jose is saying the right things and telling the team the right things and it's not his fault all the time when the team turn off during a game. I mean with the Everton game, Jose didn't tell Son to pass to Dele instead of Kane. Jose didn't make Pickford save Doherty's shot.

Essentially I still think Mourinho can work for us. He's saying the right things and I think Levy and the team need to just fully buy into it. If it doesn't work? It doesn't work and it'll be sad and annoying, sure. But we need to just go all out for it. Shame we didn't do it for Poch as he felt like the one and all that, but we have to move on so let's give one of the most decorated club managers in world football history our backing and let him do what he always does (even at a poor spell at United) and let him win us games and get us trophies.

I don't like the style of football.

I don't like winning playing this way.

I don't like losing playing this way.

In my opinion there is more to football than just winning.

thebenjamin said:

If dele didn't have an injury it's one of the most inane substitutions I can remember. In a team almost completely devoid of creativity you take off the only player who might play a through ball to Kane for the least talented player in the entire squad.

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He confirmed when asked afterwards (obviously by a journo that was as bemused as rest of us) that it was tactical, not for an injury

Jamturk said:

I don't like the style of football.

I don't like winning playing this way.

I don't like losing playing this way.

In my opinion there is more to football than just winning.

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So literally just asking, you'd prefer us 'playing better football' but not winning cups/not making top 4?

If Mourinho gets us a cup but playing this way, would that work for you?

Seriously, not having a go at you or anything like that. This is just the conversation I've had with a couple of my Arsenal and Chelsea fans previously. Like Arsenal play 'good football' and get cups... but they also have been kinda terrible in the league.

Maxtremist said:

I am so conflicted by all this. Cause what we're seeing on the pitch is, generally, uninspiring. It's not filling any of us with that much confidence and in relation to Spurs teams of the past it feels like a step back. And that's a mix of blame on our squad, the recruitment and Jose.

But also I don't want to ignore that since Jose took over, we've what? Been like the 3rd or 4th best team in the league? Like if the season had started when Jose took over I swear the league would have put us top 4. So we're producing the results we need to and getting things done. And that was with Kane, Son, Sissoko, Lloris etc... injured for large portions of last year.

So I want to be optimistic and say Everton was a bad display. And it was. And for some it's indicative of how we've always played but for others we're hoping it was a one-off/a result of a shortened pre-season with an unnecessary international break beforehand.

Ultimately from the doc, what we've done on the pitch, the culture around the club etc... it seems like everything isn't fully clicking. I think Jose has the right ethos and what we truly need, but our players aren't matching that week in week out. I know I can only take the doc at face value (I'm not getting into the staged or not debate cause that's a dumb one that you literally cannot prove unless you were actually on the crew filming it) but for me, Jose is saying the right things and telling the team the right things and it's not his fault all the time when the team turn off during a game. I mean with the Everton game, Jose didn't tell Son to pass to Dele instead of Kane. Jose didn't make Pickford save Doherty's shot.

Essentially I still think Mourinho can work for us. He's saying the right things and I think Levy and the team need to just fully buy into it. If it doesn't work? It doesn't work and it'll be sad and annoying, sure. But we need to just go all out for it. Shame we didn't do it for Poch as he felt like the one and all that, but we have to move on so let's give one of the most decorated club managers in world football history our backing and let him do what he always does (even at a poor spell at United) and let him win us games and get us trophies.

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5th now isn't it?

We will be fine (top 8) it just won't be pretty. We depend too much on Dele having a good day and Lo Celso staying healthy, similar to years before really (except Lo Celso instead of Eriksen). Bigger concern are Hitchen and Levy.

jurgen said:

5th now isn't it?

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Since Mourinho was appointed, in the 2019/20 season we'd have been 4th:

And that's with Kane and Son injured for large stretches. So on the pitch Mourinho has delivered I guess

guiltyparty said:

Yes José is totally the man for a long term project

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I get the sarcasm but most of his teams continue to do well for a season or two after he leaves so he must be doing something right.

Overall I think Jose has identified a lot of problems we have (unbalanced squad and serious mentality issues) and seems to be working well with Levy so in that sense he is on the right track. I do have some seriously nagging concerns however :-

1) I don't like this lopsided FB formation, or at least the current implementation of it. I get the theory behind it but PL managers will expose it just like Carlo did on Sunday. James had acres in front of Davies and Richarlison had the run of the pitch in behind Doherty up against an exposed Toby. It also makes our attacks too predictable. I'm worried this is becoming similar to Poch's diamond where the players just can't make it work.

2) I am really concerned about our lack of patterns of play. I think Jose likes to give the players a lot of autonomy on this side of things but I'm starting to wonder if modern players need their hand held in terms of systems much more than in Jose's heyday. When coupled with Mourinho's emphasis on not making mistakes it leads to a really risk averse and timid style of football that is awful to watch. I'm sure the resulting football isn't want Jose wants but I think he needs to do more work on this now than he used to.

3) Whilst he did have us 4th in the form table after he arrived last season was in my opinion a very low CL yield. I don't think we'll see the same this season. We need to be more dominant and look more likely to get results this season to achieve what the club wants. Sunday was just game but it was a very worrying start, we just lose games way to frequently now, it is becoming a habit.

4) He needs to stop playing favourites with players that hurt our play. I appreciate the likes of Sissoko, Moura, Winks, Dele, even Dier and Davies have the mentality he likes and hold sway in the dressing room but a lot of them are holding back our play. You could tell when he arrived he did not rate Sissoko, especially as a CM, yet he found out he was a dressing room leader and went against his own gut feelings. IMO he likely won him over more through mentality than ability.

I really hope Jose can make it work here, I really do. I like the guy and would love him to shut a lot of people up inside and outside the club. Also I just want what's best for Spurs at the end of the day. I was very optimistic coming into the season and that result just dredged up all of these lingering concerns and has totally killed my new season optimism. Hopefully we can put Everton behind us as a blip and go on a run now.

Spurs_S.A. said:

Fully agreed with you, in my opinion it's larger than most would have thought even Mourinho. There is just something that smells like shit in that dressing room, the attitude is not anywhere were it should be. I would start up top and sell Kane, some might disagree but hey we need some cash and he is turning 28. Trust in a manager to do the rebuild whomever that person is.

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The problem with selling Kane to fund a rebuild is, I don't have any faith that we will get the right players in to make us challengers and we'll end up pissing away the money like most of the Bale funds.

I'm not really seeing any clever purchases or unearthing of unknown gems so far, albeit early days still under Mourinho. But I would have thought that between Mourinhos contacts, his knowledge of Portugal, and the assistants knowledge of France, we would have been able to bring in some useful players by now.

bat-chain said:

For me Mourinho got the job because he convinced Levy he could win something with this group, we got rid of Pochettino on this basis.

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We got rid of Pochettino because he'd lost the dressing room and results were absolute shite.
If we didn't hire Mourinho we'd have hired someone else.

Cannot believe some of our fans think the way we fix things is to sell Kane, it's just baffling.

Gb160 said:

Cannot believe some of our fans think the way we fix things is to sell Kane, it's just baffling.

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The theory is sound but when you look at the first team players that have left and the replacements bought in every one is a step down. You don't get better by selling your best players and replacing them with worse ones.

I think we'd all agree that our eyebrows were raised at the sub at half time and that Jose got it wrong at the weekend. I think we'd agree that it's a little concerning how flat we were for an opening game but I think it's overzealous to be wanting him out the door right away. I think the documentary showed we are transitioning the team to develop the attitude needed to get over the line. Admittedly it's a fine line between competitive edge and toxicity but I think we will be better for it.

My opinion is that once we get some creative passers in the team, especially Lo Celso, we will suddenly tick very differently. I also think that last season post lockdown, we looked terrible and we was questioning everything and then things started to click. I believe that will happen again.

I'm willing to give his style and Jose generally, a chance.

However I must be honest. On 60 minutes my only thought was that I'd have to endure 50 odd games of this turgid crap and the thought scared me. Watching Spurs games is not entertaining or enjoyable anymore, for the most part. They are a chore. You do it because you're a fan and you love the club.

To be fair it's been that way for a while now, not only since Jose took over. It was like that since before the CL final.

Just for the record I don’t think selling Kane is the answer to anything but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen If this season is a poor one.

Gb160 said:

We got rid of Pochettino because he'd lost the dressing room and results were absolute shite.
If we didn't hire Mourinho we'd have hired someone else.

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Exactly so you agree with me, Pochettino had 'lost' the dressing room. Mourinho was brought in to 'find' it. He didn’t come in to do a rebuild but get more out of what we had.

We hired Mourinho for instant results, which to some extent he has provided.

al_pacino said:

The theory is sound but when you look at the first team players that have left and the replacements bought in every one is a step down. You don't get better by selling your best players and replacing them with worse ones.

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The theory is based on 'because Liverpool did it'.