Jose Mourinho may be football’s foremost Machiavellian of his generation so perhaps it is no surprise he spent some of his early weeks at Tottenham railing against his new charges’ apparent pleasantness.
He joked that when he faced Spurs with his previous clubs that none of them insulted him in the tunnel and lamented: “It is a team that is too nice.” There are few greater crimes in Mourinho’s world, and he finds new ways of urging them to be more hostile on the field.
Perhaps tactical nuances make less compelling television or maybe Amazon Prime arrowed in on Mourinho's attempts to alter Spurs' mentality in the All Or Nothing documentary. So there are expletives and exhortations to be more merciless. Football is distilled down to who wants it more.
Mourinho, with his charismatic quotability, is made for the camera, the star of his own show. He is aware of the perception “that I never smile, that I am ruthless.” He has often been at his best when his comments are laced with a sense of mischief and, laughing, he added: “The truth is there is some truth in it.”
Actually, it shows Mourinho smiling, winding up Dele Alli, savouring the bond with the players that used to be his strength and which he lost at Chelsea and Manchester United.
The master of psychology is looking for which buttons to press: surprised to hear that Moussa Sissoko has great influence in the dressing room, noting that Jan Vertonghen is a “warrior”, seeking to strike up a relationship with Harry Kane.
And yet Mourinho has always been defined by the results and the recurring theme is the quest to qualify for the Champions League. He interpreted his first two wins in the context of the table. After beating Bournemouth in November, he noted Spurs were only six points off the top four. It marked an immediate uplift.
Yet examine the final standings – and the last six episodes will show more about Mourinho’s journey from 14th to sixth – and Tottenham finished seven points behind Chelsea. In short, they were a point further away from the top four.
The ends have always justified the means for Mourinho, and Tottenham ended up in a position that was both an improvement and unsatisfactory.
The Mourinho gamble has not succeeded. His chairman, Daniel Levy, loses some of his mystique with some bland pronouncements but is also seen describing the Portuguese as one of the world’s top two managers – he does not state if Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola or someone else is the other – and Spurs’ season did not endorse that view.
It was not All Or Nothing, as much as a campaign that ended with something of dubious benefit, in a Europa League place.
He is used to better but Mourinho is shown as a managerial addict. “I belong to the game,” he said. Out of work, he explained: “I was empty, I needed my place.” It is that refusal to let go, perhaps, that took him back to Tottenham.
It is part of a battle to prove his relevance. “I have to show the players the manager I am,” he said. “The future is more important than the past.” For Mourinho, though, surely the past, with his increasingly distant Champions League wins, is more significant. The game may have moved on but man-management and motivation remain part of his strategy.
But his tongue was always part of his weapons. His bluntness makes for entertainment, not least when he addresses Serge Aurier. “Serge, I am afraid of you as a marker because you are capable of doing a [bad] penalty because of VAR,” said Mourinho. In an instant, he spoke for Spurs fans everywhere.
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Spurs 2019/20 season ratings
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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2019/20 RATINGS: MANAGERS: Mauricio Pochettino - 4: Still beloved by Tottenham supporters, despite the troubled start to the campaign that cost him his job in November. And the feeling seems mutual, given he was pictured in Spurs leisurewear when his son signed a pro deal at the club late in the season. Getty -
Jose Mourinho – 6: Judged by his celebration at winning a point at Crystal Palace to secure sixth place on the final day, he regarded his start at Spurs a success. Few fans seem to fancy the football his side play, though, and they flounced out of the cups on his watch. Reuters -
GOALKEEPERS: Hugo Lloris – 6: His excellence after lockdown papered over a chequered season before it, which included some significant errors and a nasty dislocated shoulder injury. EPA -
Paulo Gazzaniga – 6: The Argentine proved himself the ideal No 2 behind Lloris as he played nearly as many games as the club captain – appearing in 25 matches compared to 27 for Lloris. Getty -
DEFENDERS: Danny Rose – 5: It has felt as though the England left-back had wanted out of Tottenham for years. He spied his chance when Mourinho arrived, and headed the Newcastle United on loan. Reuters -
Toby Alderweireld – 7: More appearances than any other Spurs player. He had to get used to a new set up at the back, as his long term partner for club and country Jan Vertonghen started to be phased out. PA -
Jan Vertonghen – 5: One of Tottenham’s most important players in the Premier League era signed off in ignominious style. His absence from the squad on the opening day foreshadowed a problematic campaign, but he will leave with the best wishes of Spurs fans. PA -
Davinson Sanchez – 6: Not exactly the reassuring presence of peak Vertonghen, but he at least earned the backing of Mourinho – who had once targeted Sanchez as a weak link in the Ajax side when he was in charge of Manchester United. PA -
Eric Dier – 6: All’s well that ends well. He has a new contract, a fixed position at centre-back, and the faith of the manager. But the season was turbulent, what with being subbed after 29 minutes of Mourinho’s first home game, as well as a four-match ban for wading into the crowd. AP -
Kyle Walker-Peters – 5: Enjoyed some fine displays after lockdown. By that point, though, Mourinho had jettisoned the young right-back out on loan to Southampton. Reuters -
Juan Foyth – 4: Once seen as potentially being the future at centre back – or even right back – for Tottenham, but he stalled this year with just four appearances, and with the departure of compatriot Pochettino as manager. AFP -
Serge Aurier – 6: Extraordinary that his best form arrived when he was grieving his brother. That show of character apart, his campaign was typified by loose defence and was riddled with mistakes. AFP -
Ben Davies – 6: Clearly well liked by Mourinho. The Welshman was installed in the line up as soon as he was fit, and Rose was summarily let go to Newcastle. Solid enough, but lacks the dynamism of Rose in his pomp. AFP -
Japhet Tanganga – 7: The local lad immediately won a place in the fans hearts when he was thrown in for his first Premier League start against a rampant Liverpool side, and did a fine job marking Sadio Mane. Reuters -
MIDFIELDERS: Harry Winks – 7: The midfielder’s progress has been stunted in the past by injuries, but he played in 41 games this time around and had established himself as a fixture in Mourinho’s first-choice starting XI by the end of the term. EPA -
Moussa Sissoko – 7: A player who has turned his reputation around entirely. Once unfancied by the majority of Spurs fans, they were counting down the days until he returned from injury this season. Getty -
Giovani Lo Celso – 8: A difficult campaign at Tottenham has had one clear and obvious silver lining: the arrival of an Argentine schemer of class and style. He could be the rock on which Spurs’ immediate future in built. AP -
Erik Lamela – 7: Not always a guaranteed starter, but Lamela might be the face of a nastier Spurs under Mourinho. No player made more fouls after the season resumed that the Argentine. EPA -
Ryan Sessegnon – 4: Big things were expected of the left-sided player after his big-money move from Fulham last summer. He failed to force his way in to the starting line up, though, and appeared a timid presence when he did play. Getty -
Dele Alli – 6: Mourinho breathed some life back into Alli after goading him by saying he thought his brother had been playing instead of him. The revival was brief, but he did at least manage nine goals across the course of the season. Reuters -
Christian Eriksen – 4: The wantaway star undermined the start of Tottenham’s campaign, and the end of the Pochettino-era. His mind was clearly elsewhere, so Pochettino could hardly pick him – but the side could not yet cope without him, either. Left for Inter Milan in January. Reuters -
Steven Bergwijn – 8: His arrival provided a rare source of optimism in what was a bleak midwinter for Tottenham. He sparkled immediately, scoring a fine goal in a man of the match display on debut against Manchester City. AP -
Lucas Moura – 7: Seven goals, and he has moved past the role of impact-sub that seemed to have been earmarked for him to become a pillar of Mourinho’s team. AP -
Tanguy Ndombele – 3: It all started so well, with a goal and a powerhouse display against Aston Villa on the opening day. What followed was a tale of woe. Too often unfit, and the subject of public criticism from a manager he didn’t sign for. AFP -
Oliver Skipp – 5: No clear progression towards a place in the side, with just three starts and eight substitute appearances. But being a squad player might be just what he and the club require for now. PA -
Gedson Fernandes – 4: His stats at Benfica did not exactly scream “potential superstar” but his arrival was welcomed at a time when morale was low. That said, he did not manage a start in the league, and missed a penalty that cost Spurs their place in the FA Cup. AFP -
ATTACKERS: Son Heung-min – 9: Swept the board in Tottenham’s various player of the season awards, having accrued 18 goals and 12 assists across all competitions. And all that despite picking up one red card, a fractured arm, and completing his military service in South Korea during lockdown. PA -
Harry Kane – 8: Takes ages to get match sharp after injuries. Can’t play in a Jose Mourinho team. And he was only ever a one-season wonder, anyway. Really? A haul of 24 goals in 34 games across all competitions suggests a slightly more nuanced take on the story. Reuters
