When Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur last week, the vast majority of football fans’ first reaction was one of shock. They decried the lack of patience the Argentine was afforded and believed over the previous five years he had built up a reserve of credit which was far from empty at the time of his dismissal.
Neutrals assumed that Spurs fans would feel the same. And some did. Yet what was striking was that so many were not angry at club chairman Daniel Levy, but almost ambivalent. The club’s fans, like the wider footballing community, knew that the squad was far better than their lowly 14th place in the league suggested when Levy severed Pochettino’s ties with the club.
Consequently, while Spurs fans acknowledge Pochettino’s enormous contribution to the club, many supporters were ready to welcome Jose Mourinho to The Lilywhites. For now at least, they are happy to give him the benefit of the doubt and are excited to enjoy the ride that comes with having one of the greatest managers in the game, and certainly one of the biggest egos, at the helm.
In his first game in charge Mourinho oversaw an away league victory – something that had eluded Pochettino since January. Mourinho was quick to detract attention from himself and said he just wants to spend time on the training ground with the players. But we’ve heard all of this before. The 56-year-old espoused similar sentiments when he was appointed Manchester United manager in May 2016. Later this season, when Tottenham are back near the top of the table, tussling with Chelsea and Leicester for Champions League places, will Mourinho be able to retain his newfound demeanor? Or will the angry, resentful and occasionally spiteful pantomime villain of old return?
If past behaviour is the best indicator of future performance, we already know how this ends. Mourinho may well bring silverware to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But he will almost certainly be circling the exit in two years time, leaving the club’s supporters to wonder what happened to the attacking, skilful team that used to bring them so much joy.
Leave a Reply