Looking at the Future for Jose Mourinho and Tottenham

As all Tottenham fans know, we are currently a club without a manager at the helm. There was certainly excitement abound when Tottenham announced that they had hired Jose Mourinho on a four year contract. Unfortunately for everyone, the partnership did not work out and the club was forced to let him go this past April. Now several questions remain. Where does Mourinho go from here in his career and, more importantly, who will step up to lead Tottenham in his absence? 

Mourinho’s Path to Become Tottenham’s Manager

Football has always been a part of Jose Mourinho’s life. His father was a goalkeeper, inspiring him from a young age. After years of successful play at the professional level, Mourinho became a football manager. Before assuming his role with Tottenham, Mourinho worked with Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and numerous other well-known clubs. 

Throughout his career, Mourinho has been awarded with several prizes and accolades that demonstrate his ability to properly lead a football team. These include countless Coach of the Year awards and Premier League Manager of the Season. No one doubted his abilities when it came time to take his place in North London. 

In 2019, it became clear that Tottenham’s past manager Mauricio Pochettino was not working out. Mourinho seemed like the perfect fit for the team, but he certainly was not coming into an ideal situation. Still, he is considered one of the best managers of all time in the sport of football and was hired to take the Hotspurs to the next level. 

His Performance With Tottenham Hotspurs

Wherever Mourinho went, he was recognized by his ability to establish a winning culture. His coaching style has been described as borrowing heavily from psychology and seeking to understand his players on a deeper level. This has helped him inspire his past teams to win championships. 

Unfortunately, this would not be the case for Tottenham. Despite Mourinho’s abilities, he was unable to push the team to a much better position than the previous manager. Tottenham had no clear identity and at times it felt like they were not striving to win. It seemed like the team was unable to defend their leads before ultimately falling behind in the standings. 

If there is one good thing you can say about the notoriously outspoken manager, it’s that he cared about the well being of his team. When the season kicked off with constant competitions and too many fixtures in a short period, he let his feelings be known. However, while some losses were excusable, they certainly began to pile up in no time. 

Why the Club Decided to Part Ways

This past April, after just 17 months with Tottenham, it was announced that Mourinho was officially let go. The reasons certainly vary, with lots of rumours regarding everything from the controversial Super League, to arguments about the direction of the team. Regardless, at the end of the day the performance just wasn’t there. However, releasing him just before the League Cup final versus Manchester City was a surprising move that stinks of a personal falling out. 

Looking Ahead 

At the current moment, Tottenham has yet to find a replacement manager, though there certainly is a lot of speculation and potential candidates. While Mourinho’s time with the club was short, we certainly learned a lot about what chairman Daniel Levy is ultimately looking for and this can help us predict who the next manager may be. 

It’s clear that Levy believes that Tottenham is one of the best teams in England, on par with any of their rivals. He has his eyes set on a major championship and the next manager must be willing to do whatever it takes to bring a trophy home. Also, it’s likely that the next manager will be tasked with finding a replacement for their star Harry Kane, who has made it known that he no longer wants to play for this club. 

On Mourinho’s end, it did not take long for him to find a new home. He is currently the new manager of Roma, where his resume will certainly bring respect. Only time will tell if he will ever return to the Premier League.