While the Portuguese coach’s contract ended abruptly last Monday with the news of his resignation, the truth is that Tottenham’s association with Jose Mourinho has been a transactional relationship since day one.
the Let’s wait they are administered daily by the president Daniel Levy, One of the most cunning and insightful football managers. may be Mourinho has fooled some, reactivating his Instagram account and generally speaking with softer speeches at press conferences, but behind the scenes, he remains the same combative and confrontational figure as ever.
Consequently, the two men had been in collision from the moment they shook hands for the presentation of Mourinho in November 2019, though that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense.
Tottenham I needed a coach with status and personality to get out of the shadow of Mauricio Pochettino, Someone with a history of doing the only thing the Argentine had not achieved during his five and a half years at the front: winning trophies.
For its part, Mourinho he needed a club already positioned close to great successes to rebuild his reputation, specifically to challenge the burden left on him by the elite of football as champions of the past.
Levy it is economical in its dealings, a reinforced methodology for having a stage of a billion pounds to pay. He prefers to buy young players who develop or have resale value. The management of Mourinho requires huge spending on trained players, its authority is established through the clinical coupling of talented players who hope to have the mental strength to focus only on the pursuit of victory at any cost.
The impressive stadium of the Tottenham is proof that Levy he also wants the best, but he is, and always will be, the philosophical opposite of Mourinho. The question has always been whether this “unlikely marriage” could succeed in the short term before the inevitable and costly divorce.
In the middle was a cast coupled, perhaps irreversibly, with the face of Pochettino. Mourinho sought to increase the commitment of the players, as evidenced by the Amazon documentary, so the 58-year-old coach became a star. He was literally the “poster boy” that fans always said was everywhere except on the field.
After the most inclusive and empathetic style of Pochettino, Perhaps an “iron fist” was what the group needed to get to the titles. before Mourinho, el Tottenham had been runner – up in the Champions League and also runner – up of the Premier League, But extremely consistent throughout the league. In general, they were recognized for exceeding expectations, playing football envied by many.
Mourinho claiming that his 11 months without training after being fired from Manchester United in December 2018 changed him, gaining different perspectives while working in the media and acknowledging that the game had evolved. However, it wasn’t long before that Mourinho began to publicly criticize players who made individual mistakes. Defensive errors hampered performance, and a long list of injuries left the 2019/20 season to end up disappointing.
Mourinho perfectly summed up his mood after losing the first game of the World Cup Champions League against RB Leipzig in February 2020.
“If I could move immediately on July 1, I would,” Special One said.
The pandemic offered an unexpected opportunity to start again. The Spurs were at the forefront of trying to support the NHS (England’s national health system) and local institutions with Mourinho. No club has likely benefited more from the break in terms of recovering injured players – only Manchester City and Manchester United they gained more points (both 21) during the recovery process than Tottenham – to finish in sixth place and rank in the Europa League.
with Mourinho publicly congratulating “Mr. Levy” – the “Mister” – at the end of a signup window in which they arrived Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Sergio Reguilón, Matt Doherty, Joe Rodon and Joe Hart, In addition to the arrivals of Carlos Vinicius and Gareth Bale. Tottenham led the table in November, almost a year after that Mourinho took charge, with a 2-0 victory over the Manchester City, While Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son they brought their association to new heights.
However, they were doing it well above expectations in terms of goals and assists, suggesting it might not last and tensions began to arise behind the scenes.
Bale he had time to get in shape after being frozen at Real Madrid, but despite reaching a high level in training, the Welshman remained as a substitute in matches against City, Chelsea and Arsenal, All in two weeks. Mourinho he was already expressing his concern for giving opportunities, insisting that the players were not following his instructions by playing with a defensive mindset instead of pressuring opponents in attack.
Sources described this narrative presented by Mourinho as an important area of discussion. There were also frustrations with training Mourinho, Contrasting the volume of offensive actions performed with Pochettino with the emphasis on defense and the shape of a team favored by his successor.
The club’s younger players also felt that the road to the main team was much harder with Mourinho. Pochettino showed great interest in the formation of the academy, and although members of the development team often trained with their elders, Mourinho he seldom offered more than words of breath.
On the field, the style of football of the Tottenham has become reactive. A team built on attacking principles seemed to be caught up in an existential battle with itself, repressing the instincts to attack because of their coach’s conservative ideals. This quickly became something that apparently benefited from the absence of fans. There was no one to give the furious “soundtrack” as he watched his team’s lack of ambition at home. After all, the Spurs’ motto is “Dare, it’s to do,” not “Dare is to defend.”
The future of Kane it has also become a subject of growing speculation. Sources told ESPN that while the England captain loved nothing more than the idea of winning titles for Tottenham, there is a hunch that his ambition to play in the most important titles in the sport could lead to to look for new airs.
The Spurs had won just one of their last six games before Monday’s announcement, but the timing of Mourinho’s departure is a surprise in the context of six days before the English League Cup final against ‘ Manchester City.
The man brought in to win trophies was fired the week he was able to deliver one. Why not give the man who won 12 of the top 15 finals of his career in Europe a chance to get another win over Pep Guardiola?
ESPN reported on February 19 that Levy wanted to wait until the end of the season and then decide the future of Mourinho, aware of the problems within the team, but especially to know in which European competition Tottenham would be..
With the announcement of the participation of the Tottenham in the Superleague, you may have your answer. Certainly, the £ 20 million payment, according to sources, would be much more acceptable for a club that borrowed from the Bank of England last year to cover its operating costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mourinho was fired less than 12 hours after the creation of the Superliga in a statement from the 12 clubs involved. It is tempting to say that he fulfilled his purpose, maintaining the most complete profile of the club while looking to be among the top clubs in Europe. However, hiring Mourinho it was to lift trophies.
The Amazon documentary was aptly titled “All or Nothing.” In the end, it was “nothing,” and that’s a big disappointment for everyone.