Opinion: Jose Mourinho needs to prove himself before I sing his name

The Pochettino era is over and the time of Jose Mourinho is well underway, starting with Spurs’ first away win since January 2019.

Mourinho named a strong attacking line up at West Ham yesterday, with a front four of Kane, Son, Moura, and Alli. Spurs went 3-0 up with ease, but their defensive errors shone through again as they eventually won just 3-2.

While I respect what Mourinho has achieved in the game and what he brings to the table, I will take some convincing before I sing his name at the new Tottenham stadium.

Pochettino always felt like a long-term solution for the club, taking Spurs to the next level with an eye on the years to come. Poch was a young and hungry manager, as well as being one of the best in the world.

He promoted youth, had a great relationship with the players, and led Spurs to their first ever Champions League Final.

Mourinho is a different breed. He is a winner, not a developer. He comes in and delivers immediate silverware when given the right budget. However, the Special One’s history does raise a few red flags for me.

Firstly, he tends to be fired after a few years wherever he goes. Spurs are looking for a long-term leader and Mourinho’s recent track record tends to suggest that this may not be his usual style.

Mourinho is also famed for a defensive football style, something that simply won’t fly in North London. Spurs as a club has been built on attractive and exciting football above all else, and with the prices currently being charged for season tickets, boring 1-0 wins simply will not do.

Finally, Mourinho is also famed for not putting faith in youth wherever he has been. The gaffer is used to being handed big budgets to invest on the best players here and now, rather than investing time into developing potential.

With the likes of Parrott, Tanganga, Clarke, Skipp, and Sessegnon, Spurs simply must hand minutes to youngsters. It remains to be seen if Mourinho will do this.

If Jose can put his own ego aside, invest in youth, play attacking football, and get results to take the club forward, I will happily embrace him as one of my own. Until then, I can’t help but still feel regret at not sticking with Pochettino over the lon