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Tottenham fans might’ve questioned what their club’s board was thinking in November when longtime manager Mauricio Pochettino – the man who took Spurs to their first Champions League final – was fired and replaced with the controversial Jose Mourinho, but it’s safe to say that a month later, minds are beginning to change.
The Portuguese boss appears to have rejuvenated Tottenham’s fortunes on the pitch, and since his arrival at the club, Spurs have won three of four Premier League games and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a fixture to go.
Here are 3 reasons why Tottenham have been rejuvenated under Jose Mourinho.
#1 The resurrection of Dele Alli
While Dele Alli became a superstar at Tottenham during the early reign of Mauricio Pochettino, in later seasons he’d slowly become the forgotten man. Injuries – most notably a hamstring issue suffered during the 2018 World Cup – and a loss of form forced Spurs to become more reliant on other attackers like Heung Min Son and Lucas Moura.
That’s all changed under Mourinho, though. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss instantly made it known that he wanted to get the best out of Alli again, and thus far he’s been able to do that. The England international has repaid his faith with 4 goals and 3 assists, including two incredible finishes against Bournemouth and Manchester United.
What’s changed for Alli under Mourinho? It’s been a simple change of system for Spurs, with the attacker pushed further up the pitch and Alli once again linking up as essentially a support striker just behind Harry Kane. That’s the position the Englishman played in during his best years – including 2016-17, when he scored 18 Premier League goals.
With Alli’s resurrection under Mourinho, Tottenham suddenly look like a much more potent attacking threat – scoring 12 goals in four Premier League games under the Portuguese – and so it’s no surprise that results have improved.
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#2 A more direct approach at the back
The system of “playing out from the back”, popularised by Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka style, is one that many clubs have attempted to implement over recent seasons, but while it’s worked well for the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, other clubs have struggled with its use.
Tottenham were one of these sides, as they tended to attempt to play out from the back under Mauricio Pochettino, and it got them into trouble on numerous occasions. Earlier this season, for example, Hugo Lloris conceded a ridiculous goal against Southampton following a back pass – but Pochettino immediately shouldered the blame as he “demanded him to play that way”.
That appears to have changed under Mourinho though, as while Tottenham still like to play attractive football, at the back, in particular, they’ve become more direct. The short goal kicks appear to have been banished – with Paulo Gazzaniga now preferring to use longer balls – and Spurs’ defenders now appear much more likely to clear their lines rather than dallying.
The effect has been instant, as despite conceding 8 goals in 5 games under the Portuguese, they’ve looked more robust at the back than they did under Pochettino – and the use of long balls from Toby Alderweireld led to two goals against Bournemouth. It appears that for Tottenham, a more direct approach definitely works.
#3 Less reliance on Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen became a key player for Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino, and many times, it felt like Spurs’ attacks were much less effective when the Danish playmaker was absent. Unfortunately for Spurs fans, Eriksen’s form appeared to fall off a cliff in the latter part of 2018-19, and with his refusal to sign a new contract at the club, questions emerged over his commitment to the cause.
That didn’t seem to bother Pochettino, who continued to use the Dane as his main creative outlet, even when Eriksen appeared to be firing nothing but blanks. Mourinho, on the other hand, has shown that he’s not reliant on the former Ajax star at all. Since the Portuguese arrived at the club, Eriksen has only played 3 times – all three appearances came from the bench – and has completed just 98 minutes.
While his arrival against Olympiacos appeared to swing that game into Tottenham’s favour, he’s since slipped back into a bit-part role. Mourinho has preferred to use the rejuvenated Dele Alli as his main creative hub with two more defensive midfielders behind him – essentially negating the need for the Dane completely.
This weekend, for example, saw Spurs thrash Burnley 5-0 – showing no issues with creativity – and yet the Dane was not involved. With Giovani Lo Celso also at the club competing for an attacking midfield spot, it seems as if Mourinho is willing to move away from the out-of-form Eriksen – which has in turn helped with Spurs’ rejuvenation.
