Jose Mourinho compares part-season at Tottenham to his early groundwork at Porto ahead of success
On form Spurs would be top four, but they’ll miss out on the Champions League next season after reaching last year’s final
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Your support makes all the difference.Jose Mourinho is satisfied with the early work he and his backroom team have done so far at Tottenham Hotspur, describing it as the groundwork needed for the team to have more success next season.
Spurs were languishing in the bottom half after a poor start to the season when Mourinho took over, and while results have been inconsistent since then, he has had to contend with injuries to key players and – like all managers – an interrupted season.
But the team was in need of gradual improvement for a longer-term uptick in fortunes, he told Sky Sports, and pointed out the similarities between this job and his time in Portugal, before he took Porto to domestic and European success.
“We, myself and the staff, analyse internally and we know we are doing a very positive job,” he said.
“I can compare it a little bit with my experience at Porto.
“When I got to Porto in January (2002), that half of the season was really hard, but was so important for the preparation of the next one.
“So that’s what I’m doing now, accumulating knowledge and experience in the club to prepare for what’s next.”
As to “what’s next” for Spurs, it looks increasingly like being Europa League football.
The club were in the 2019 Champions League final, but their last trophy remains the 2008 League Cup.
A top-four finish in the Premier League was never likely for Mourinho this season given the ground Tottenham had to make up when he took over, but they look well-placed to secure a Europa League spot at least—then it will be about trying to improve the squad in terms relative to what other challengers do.
“In normal circumstances, it’s easy to see, Tottenham would be in the top four,” Mourinho continued.
“Let’s see what the others do. It’s not just about us analysing ourselves, it’s also about being realistic and analysing our opponents.
“I’m happy with the globality of the squad I have, and I hope we can give some little touches to improve and make us better, more competitive, more adapted to my way of thinking with a balance I always try to find in a squad.
“If we manage that, then we will see.”
With Chelsea already spending big, Manchester United improving and now the challenges from Leicester and Wolves, competition will be fierce for a top-four spot again next season, but Mourinho and his staff remain confident that their approach will pay dividends and Spurs can return to being among the domestic elite.
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