Former Tottenham Hotspur striker, Darren Bent has claimed that Jose Mourinho deserves more credit than he is currently getting for the improvement Spurs have shown under him.
Although the North Londoners were in 14th place in the Premier League table when Mauricio Pochettino was sacked, the gap between them and the top six was in no way insurmountable.
So to say, as some have, that Mourinho took Tottenham from 14th to 6th, does potentially flatter the Portuguese coach.
However, given the various issues that the Spurs boss had to deal with this season, including the injury crisis prior to the lockdown period, his record is certainly impressive.
There were considerable improvements from a defensive standpoint since the restart, with the Lilywhites ending the season unbeaten in their final six games.
Bent insisted that, no matter what one thinks of Mourinho’s style of play, the Tottenham head coach deserves to be praised for his results.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “For them to finish sixth this year, what an achievement that is. They were way out of the race and to come back into it, Mourinho’s got to take a lot of credit.
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“He knows full well they need to do better next season and so he’ll have his eye on who he wants and the players he wants but first and foremost we’ve got to give him a round of applause and say job well done.
“The staggering stat that no manager had won more games than Mourinho, other than Klopp and Guardiola since he took the job, that is an unbelievable stat – whatever football he’s playing, it’s clearly working.”
The former England striker also confidently asserted that Spurs will be an improved outfit next season after Mourinho brings in the singings he wants.
Bent added: “He’s done a very, very good job and I expect them to be better next season. It’s a really big season for some of their players, the likes of Harry Kane – what does he do next season with the ambition he shows? That’s a really, really big year for him.
“First and foremost they need to go and get some players but I fully expect, once Mourinho’s got a full summer in, I expect them to be even better next season.”
Spurs Web Opinion
The impressive run that Mourinho’s men put together in their final six matches to sneak into 6th place was nothing to be scoffed at, especially given how all teams struggled with consistency following the restart. The season ended at the wrong time for us as there were signs that we were starting to get into our stride. Hopefully, we can carry that momentum into next season.
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