On the latest episode of the Extra Inch podcast, Chris Miller, Nathan Clark and Bardi have been reacting to Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 defeat against Sheffield United on Thursday evening.
One topic on the recent episode, which was aptly named ‘Ragecast‘, was Jose Mourinho’s tactics and team selection during his time as Lilywhites boss. The trio seemed less than happy with the way the side was set up on Thursday evening, which is unsurprising, as an out-of-form Sheffield United comfortably secured all three points to deal a severe blow to Spurs’ hopes of securing a Champions League spot for next season.
Here’s what Clark had to say about Mourinho and his time with the north London club:
“When he first got here, it was much more proactive, pressing higher up and we also heard reports of him giving this presentation to Daniel Levy where he analysed his own weaknesses and explains the way he was going to change how he managed.
“What we’re seeing in these last three games, and I will again repeat – we’ve been very functional in the last three games, I’ve been happy with our performances, even in this loss – the last three games since lockdown is classic Mourinho defensive mid-block and counter, which could well be a requirement of this scenario of post-pandemic football.
“You can put up with it that way but, where is the promise? Where is the persuasion that he will once again return us to a new kind of football that he’s never played before just as soon as we have the chance, and who will those players be?”
TIF Thoughts…
It is interesting to hear that Mourinho apparently made a presentation to Daniel Levy about his managerial weaknesses, but considering the financial impact of the current viral outbreak, it might be difficult for the Portuguese boss to impose his preferred style on the team without the types of players he wants in the squad, with it having been previously reported that the north London club will be reliant on free transfers and swap deals this summer.
Do you think Spurs will ever become similar to Mourinho's old masterfully defensive sides?
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No
Now that the Lilywhites also look unlikely to secure a Champions League spot for next season, that could also negatively impact their budget. Clark seems to suggest that they are getting closer to looking like a Mourinho-type side, in terms of a defensive, counter-attacking setup, but the fact they just conceded three goals to a side that had failed to score in their previous three Premier League outings suggests that either the personnel available to Mourinho isn’t good enough, or that they still have a long way to go if they are to become similar to the Mourinho sides of old.