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It seems that José Mourinho hasn’t lost his golden touch after all. But it’s the personal touch that is going a long way in propelling a Tottenham team that looked dead on their feet this time last year.
The Special One is getting a special reaction from its players thanks to individual text messages, pranks on training ground, and an encouraging arm around the shoulder.
The 2-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday night symbolized more than three points. It was a statement when Spurs, and Mourinho, rose to the top of English football for the first time in six years.
José Mourinho has transformed Tottenham Hotspur into true title contenders this season
It’s not that Pep Guardiola’s team was poor. His football was beautiful and incisive in equal measure, and City’s 22 shots against Tottenham’s five were illustrative of the flow of this match.
But Tottenham had an answer to everything City threw at them: defense, harassment and last-minute harassment.
At the other extreme, the Spurs were ruthless. Only two shots on target throughout the match, but Son Heung-min and Giovani Lo Celso efficiently took advantage of them to claim victory.
Tottenham got down to business and players don’t produce such performances if they aren’t completely behind the coach.
Predictions that Mourinho’s manner would cause divisions in the squad rather than unite them now seem unfounded.
It’s fair to say that Tottenham players reacted to the news of Mourinho’s appointment as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor with fear last November.
Harry Kane might be looking to build on his Spurs legacy rather than start a new one elsewhere.
They had heard the stories. His ‘palpable discord’ with the Chelsea squad leading to his dismissal in 2016, the public fought Paul Pogba at Manchester United. Mourinho’s reputation for being a grumpy coach preceded him.
But to tell the truth, the players have discovered that Mourinho is the opposite. Friendly and attractive, his manners have taken team members by surprise. They expected one thing, but they are experiencing something entirely different.
Has Mourinho changed? He may argue not, but there seems to be an appeasement of the unyielding personality that has rubbed some of the world’s most prominent footballers down the wrong path.
His joyous entry into the world of Instagram is a good example. Less moody, more cheerful. The players are responding.
The attention to detail and his dedication to tactical discipline remain. Defender Eric Dier said: ‘I don’t think teams enjoy playing against us. I think we are physical, I think we are aggressive, I think we are determined, we have a good attitude and the coach has definitely brought an additional advantage to that.
“He’s more demanding in certain areas and ruthless to you individually and as a team, so he’s definitely increased that a bit too.”
At least for now, any preconceptions about a taciturn Mourinho have been unfounded.
Son Heung-Min scored the first goal against Manchester City, bringing his tally this season to nine
There are always exceptions. Danny Rose has been ignored and Dele Alli has also been mercilessly dismissed without any satisfactory explanation.
But the positives far outweigh the negatives in terms of his relationships with the players. Perhaps most pertinently, Mourinho has managed to revitalize Harry Kane.
Towards the end of last season, there was a strong opinion that the England captain had become increasingly agitated at Tottenham, disconnected and unconvinced about the direction in which the club was headed.
The England captain has yet to win a huge trophy as a professional, a parody for such a talented footballer as Kane. He looked enviously at his international teammates who were serial winners at their clubs and asked himself the questions that any world-class footballer would ask.
But Kane finally sees the finish line with Mourinho, a real feeling that his first trophy is just around the corner. Sources claim that Kane is now looking to build on his Spurs legacy rather than starting a new one elsewhere.
The forward’s development with Mourinho is a clear indication of his renewed spirit that things will be different with the Portuguese manager.
Of course, the optimism of Kane and his teammates will be determined by the results. Will Mourinho’s charm fade if the results start to go wrong?
History suggests that it could. With Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leicester to face before the end of the year, we may be about to find out. But right now Tottenham is riding a wave.
‘The coach has definitely brought an extra advantage’: Eric Dier is full of praise for José Mourinho
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Lloris 7.5; Aurier 7.5, Alderweireld 8 (Rodon 81min), Dier 8, Reguilon 7.5; Sissoko 8, Hojbjerg 8; Bergwijn 7.5 (Moura 73, 6), Ndombele 7.5 (Lo Celso 65, 6), Son 8; Kane 8.5
Unused subs: Bale, Hart, Davies, Vinicius. Scorers: There are 5, Lo Celso 65. Reprimands: Sissoko, Kane
Manager: Jose Mourinho 8
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson 5.5; Walker 6, Days 6, Laporte 6.5, Cancel 6; De Bruyne 7, Rodri 6.5, Silva 7 (Foden 72, 6); Mahrez 6 (Sterling 72, 6), Jesus 6.5, Torres 6.5
Unused subs: Stones, Gundogan, Agüero, Steffen, García. Admonished: Dias, Torres.
Manager: Pep Guardiola: 6.5
Referee: Mike Dean 6.5
