Jose Mourinho is one of the most decorated managers in the history of the game and is, without doubt, one of the greatest to ever grace the technical area.
Over a year since Mourinho’s appointment, I still wonder whether the serial winner is at the club to lift a quick trophy or are we looking at a long-term project to secure the Lilywhites’ future?
For us to look into the future, we must first look into The Special One’s past. On average the Portuguese manager spends 1.89 years at a club (TransferMarkt.com) which would lead us to believe that his appointment was made with a somewhat short-term plan in Levy’s mind.
In addition to this, the contract that was agreed upon by the two parties was just a 3.5-year tenure, running from November 2019 to the end of the 2022/23 season (TottenhamHotspur.com).
Although this is not necessarily a short contract, it is not a 5-year deal that could indicate confidence in Mourinho as a long-term solution to Spurs’ problems.
The final point that would suggest to us that Mourinho’s appointment is nothing more than an extremely expensive trophy hunt, is again in regard to the length of the contract.
If Levy was to cut Mourinho’s regime short, then the compensation he would pay would be considerably reduced, with Mourinho’s contract being reportedly worth around £15 million a year (DailyMail.co.uk).
I think we all know that this is definitely a factor that Daniel Levy would have looked at before signing Mourinho and perhaps even closer at now.
With all of these facts considered, it would suggest that the appointment of Mourinho was a short-term stop-gap for Tottenham to simply get a trophy under their belt – which everyone is aware that the club are in desperate need of and Mourinho is good at.
I will admit that my personal opinion does lean towards Mourinho being a short-term solution to a very big problem at the club. However, in the spirit of good debate, I see it fit that I discuss the idea that Jose is here to stay.
One key failing during Mauricio Pochettino’s time at the club was his integration and handling of young players coming through the youth system at Tottenham.
Alternatively, during the 14 months that Mourinho has been at the helm, there have been promising signs to indicate his intention of bringing players into the first-team frame.
This is highlighted by players such as Alfie Devine, Harvey White and Dane Scarlett gaining some valuable minutes in the FA Cup and Europa League respectively.
He has also utilised the loan system to great effect for multiple young players. Players such as Oliver Skipp, Troy Parrott and Ryan Sessegnon have been sent out on loan to high-level clubs in Norwich, Millwall (Ipswich) and Hoffenheim.
It is without doubt that all three of these players would be used at some point during the season but Mourinho saw it advantageous for their progress in the long term to gain more minutes elsewhere around Europe.
Whether Mourinho is looking to build a solid foundation for his future plans at the club or if he is just looking out for his young players and ensuring their best chance of success, one thing I am sure of is that these actions bode very well for the future of Tottenham Hotspur.
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