Jose Mourinho insists his coaching techniques "are second to nobody in the world" despite his Tottenham side suffering a fifth defeat in six Premier League games on Sunday.
Tottenham's dismal run of form under the Portuguese hit a new low with a 2-1 defeat at West Ham United, leaving Spurs nine points off the top four, leaving the Europa League as their most likely avenue of a Champions League return next season.
The manner of some of those defeats have left Spurs fans frustrated, with speculation mounting that Mourinho faces the sack. However, reports in the British media speculated that it would cost Spurs around £30 million in compensation to terminate Mourinho's contract that runs until the summer of 2023, something chairman Daniel Levy is unlikely to countenance.
Spurs' alarming dip contrasts markedly from their form at the end of 2020. Mourinho's side were top of the table in mid-December, but since then they have won just three of 13 games, while the team's style of play has also been criticised as has Mourinho's handling of star players Dele Alli and Gareth Bale.
After being sacked in his second spell at Chelsea, then dismissed following a difficult stint with Manchester United, Mourinho's critics claim he is past his best.
The two-time Champions League winner's conservative tactics are often accused of being out-dated, but he was bullish when asked if he questioned his methods amid the poor run of form.
"No, not at all. Not at all. Zero," Mourinho said. "Because sometimes the results are the consequence of multiple situations in football and mine and my coaching staff's methods are second to nobody in the world."
Tottenham's current run of form is far worse than the results which saw Mauricio Pochettino sacked in 2019, with Mourinho handed the reins on one of the most lucrative contracts in the Premier League.
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West Ham v Spurs player ratings
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WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski - 7: He was up to the task when tested by Lamela and Kane at the end of the first half, and most things that followed after that, too. EPA -
Vladimir Coufal - 8: Should have had a tough afternoon up against Son and Reguilon, but he breezed through. Played an important part in the opener, too. Cleaned out by his own keeper near the end, but battled on. Getty -
Issa Diop - 7: Booked for a robust block on Moura, and was a physical presence at the heart of the hosts’ defenceghgh. Reuters -
Craig Dawson - 9: Made a committed diving block to prevent Kane scoring at a corner. Deprived a goal when his towering header was tipped over by Lloris. Marshalled the Hammers’ backline expertly. Reuters -
Aaron Cresswell - 7: Calm and composed in stubbing out a number of Spurs attacks. Lost Moura as Spurs halved the deficit, but it did not prove too damaging in the end. Reuters -
Tomas Soucek - 8: Got an injury that looked like it was straight out of Elm Street after a clash of heads at a corner. The gruesome wound fitted with his courageous display. Reuters -
Declan Rice - 8: In the right place at the right time so often to break up Spurs attacks – not that the away side exactly exuded fluency at any point, anyway. Made a stunning last ditch interception from a Kane cross. Getty -
Jarrod Bowen - 7: Played in a brilliant cross for the opener, and might have doubled the lead when clean through not long after. His impact waned until the point he was subbed for Benrahma. Reuters -
Jesse Lingard - 7: Needed to be more purposeful when Antonio put him through early on. Celebrated his goal at the start of the second half twice, after it was initially chalked off, only for VAR to reinstate it. Reuters -
Pablo Fornals - 7: Shown a yellow card after a number of fouls added up, and was taken off as West Ham tried to close out the win. Getty -
Michail Antonio - 8: Continued his fine run of scoring against Spurs when he bundled in from close range after Lloris kept out his first attempt. AFP -
SUBS: Said Benrahma - (On for Bowen 65') 7: Showed twinkling footwork immediately after coming on for Bowen, and was a good outlet for his side while he was on the field. PA -
Ben Johnson - (On for Fornals 82') N/A. Brought on near the end to play against a side that features his cousin, Ledley King, among their coaching staff. Reuters -
Mark Noble - (On for Lingard 90+4') N/A. The midfielder came on in the dying moments as David Moyes attempted to chew up time while closing out the win. EPA -
SPURS RATINGS: Hugo Lloris - 6: Only stopped the inevitable for a moment when he kept out Antonio’s first effort in the fifth minute. The forward opened the scoring from the rebound. Little chance with Lingard’s shot for the second. EPA -
Japhet Tanganga - 5: Suffered a painful blow amidships while blocking a cross. Withdrawn at half-time as Mourinho opted for the greater attacking threat of Doherty. AP -
Eric Dier - 5: Should have done better with a header at an attacking corner in first-half injury-time, hit a late shot wide, and struggled up against Antonio, too. A miserable afternoon. AFP -
Davinson Sanchez - 5: Rarely instils confidence at the back for Spurs. His afternoon reached a nadir when he blazed an ugly shot miles wide at a corner. AP -
Sergio Reguilon - 7: Provided a good outlet for Spurs in a testing first half, but the moves often ended in frustration. Brought off with 15 minutes to go, replaced by Alli. PA -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - 6: So often Spurs’ inspiration in his first season at the club, but even he could not raise them above the torpor at the London Stadium. Reuters -
Tanguy Ndombele - 6: His body language suggested he was very unhappy with life. At least he was better after the restart, but he did not sparkle in the way he has shown he can. AP -
Lucas Moura - 6: On the periphery during the tough start for the visitors, and loose in possession when he did see the ball. Bizarre that Lamela was hooked at half time instead of him, yet he did impact the game thereafter and headed home well from a Bale corner. EPA -
Erik Lamela - 7: Set up Kane with a determined counter-attacking run, completely against the run of early play. Surprisingly did not emerge after half-time, given he was one of Spurs’ brightest lights in a dull first-half display. Getty -
Son Heung-min - 5: Should have got to Bowen to block the opening goal at its source. Poor on set pieces. Might have redeemed it all when he nearly fluked a goal in stoppage time at the end. AFP -
Harry Kane - 6: Blazed Spurs’ first chance wide from Lamela’s run, and was thwarted by Fabianski a variety of times thereafter. Might have been fearing another ankle injury when he was felled in the second half. Reuters -
SUBS: Gareth Bale - (On for Lamela 46') 8: After his improved showing in the Europa League on Thursday, he did his best to snap Spurs out of their slumber this time. Crossed for Moura’s goal. Saw a magnificent effort crash against the bar. Reuters -
Matt Doherty - (On for Tanganga 46') 6: Added more threat down the Spurs right flank after coming on at the break for Tanganga, in concert with Bale, although he was often wasteful with crosses. PA -
Dele Alli - (On for Reguilon 77) N/A. Sent on to try to rescue the away side near the end. His chances to have an impact were few, though. AFP
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The Portuguese has earned 81 points after 50 league matches in charge of the London club, the lowest total at this stage in any managerial stint.
In sharp contrast, he had 126 points at the same point of his first spell in charge of Chelsea.
But Mourinho is adamant Tottenham, who are ninth in the Premier League and will contest the Carabao Cup final in April and are almost guaranteed to reach the Europa League quarter-finals, are not a club in crisis.
"I don't know what you mean by crisis," he said. "If crisis is frustration and sadness in the dressing room, I'd say so because nobody is happy and we all showed that in this game.
"When a team fights the way the team did until the last second, trying to get a different result, it's never a group crisis, because groups are in crisis when you're not together in the search for better results than you have.
"So I wouldn't say crisis, I would say a bad, a really bad run of results. That is obvious. We're losing too many matches."
