It’s been a crazy few days in the world of football, and mainly in the world of Tottenham Hotspur fans. The club have always been a little bit different in comparison to some of their top six rivals, but few could’ve anticipated the move they were going to make in the last 72 hours.
As reported by BBC and The Mirror, Tottenham sacked manager Mauricio Pochettino and hired Jose Mourinho as his replacement within a matter of hours.
The return
Pochettino had endured a difficult start to the campaign with Spurs, with the club residing down in 14th place after failing to really get started in the way they would’ve hoped. This decision comes just over five months after Tottenham were able to reach the Champions League Final, which was largely down to the leadership of the Argentine boss.
Alas, while his time at the club will be celebrated for a long time to come, fans also need to look ahead to the future and see what that has in store for them. Mourinho is entering North London off the back of an 11-month lay-off from the management game, in the wake of his dismissal from Manchester United.
However, based on his first press conference alone, he certainly appears to be in high spirits and seems to be more determined than he has been in a long time.
“It was a great thing. I went really deep with that analysis. A break was very positive for me. It was the first summer I did not work and I felt a little bit at a loss during that pre-season.
“I was always humble, in my way. The problem is you didn’t understand that.”
“The best gift for me, I don’t need players,” he added. “I am happy with the ones I have.
“I just need more time with them. I know them well from playing against them, but you never know them well enough.”
The Special One’s resurgence
On the subject of his predecessor Pochettino, Jose had the following to say.
“I have to congratulate him for the work he has done.
“This club will always be his home. This training ground will always be his training ground. The door will always be open for him.
“He can come when he wants. When he misses the players, when he misses the people he worked with. The door is always open for him.
“He will find happiness again. He will find a great club again. He will have a great future.”
Whether or not he’s able to bring some silverware to Spurs will be interesting to see, but beyond that, a lot of fans are just hoping that they don’t wind up hating his style of football within a matter of weeks.
We’ve come to learn that we should expect the unexpected with a man like Mourinho, with this latest move being a perfect example of that. Now, however, he needs to put his money where his mouth is – starting with a tough game this weekend against West Ham.