Tottenham job gives Jose Mourinho chance to rebuild his reputation

The Portuguese remains one of the highest-profile coaches in the world and coupled with his insatiable ability to win silverware wherever he goes, they are the two factors that will have appealed most to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy

It was supposed to be the other way around.

Mauricio Pochettino was expected to be walking into a job recently vacated by Jose Mourinho.

That appeared likely to happen when Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United last December, with Pochettino said to have been the Old Trafford club’s primary target.

Yet, less than 12 months later, the irony cannot be missed as it is the Portuguese who has now replaced Pochettino at Tottenham after his ruthless sacking on Tuesday.

Mourinho arrives in north London looking to rebuild his reputation after a toxic final few months at Old Trafford, where his miserable demeanour and spat with Paul Pogba dominated the column inches.

He did not come out of his stint in the north-west with much credit at the end, but he has the chance to restore the balance at Tottenham – a club that is currently underachieving this season.

The Portuguese remains one of the highest-profile coaches in the world and coupled with his insatiable ability to win silverware wherever he goes, they are the two factors that will have appealed most to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

Levy tried to bring Mourinho – who had won the domestic league at every club he managed before joining United – to White Hart Lane at the end of his first spell at Chelsea back in 2007 and the admiration has not waned, despite what may have gone on since then.

Spurs will be hoping that on the back on an 11-month hiatus they get the 2016-17 version of Mourinho – the manager with strong tactical nous, great man-management skills, articulate in the press and a serial winner.

His record for filling the trophy cabinet remains unquestionable. No current manager has won the Premier League more times than him, he has lifted the Champions League twice and has a strong record in domestic cups.

It is what Spurs have craved as while Pochettino did a brilliant job in turning Spurs into a force in English football, he could not deliver a trophy, despite three semi-finals and two finals.

There are question marks over Mourinho’s suitability for Tottenham – a club that traditionally play an attractive style, bring players through the youth system and, perhaps most pertinently, do not spend big in the transfer market.

That is an issue that surely will have been discussed in the negotiations, given Mourinho spent more money in two-and-a-half years at Manchester United than Pochettino did in more than double the time.

Levy’s words upon Mourinho’s appointment make it clear why the Portuguese has got the job, talking of a man who “inspires teams” and can bring “energy and belief to the dressing room”.

Mourinho has a deal that runs until the summer of 2023. Whether he makes it that far, having not made it past three seasons in any of his last four jobs, remains to be seen.

It is going to be interesting finding out.

PA