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Jose Mourinho insists Harry Kane is key to future success – and winning silverware – as new Spurs manager is unveiled
Jose Mourinho has told Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy that he does not need to break the bank to deliver silverware on his return to management, but he is adamant Harry Kane must not be allowed to leave this summer.
Levy appointed Mourinho as Tottenham’s head coach on a three-and-a-half-year contract in the early hours of Wednesday morning, having only confirmed the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino and his staff on Tuesday evening.
Mourinho held a team meeting at Tottenham’s Enfield training centre hours after his arrival, in which he told the squad that they must pull together to save the season. He also held individual talks with senior players including Kane.
The Portuguese will focus most of his efforts on trying to rebuild the Tottenham defence, which will cost money, but he is otherwise satisfied that he largely has a squad that is capable of challenging for trophies - as long as Kane stays at the club.
Kane’s Spurs future had started to become uncertain under Pochettino after the 26-year-old made it clear that he wants to start winning trophies to go with his various goal records.
Mourinho will ask Kane to give him at least one full season to prove that he can bring Tottenham’s 11-year trophy drought to an end and succeed where Pochettino ultimately fell short.
Levy also remains determined to keep his star player, who he values at £250million. Mourinho wants to work closely with Kane and rates him as one of the best strikers in the world. He is also a fan of Dele Alli and Heung-min Son, who will be integral parts of his attacking options.
Mourinho reiterated his admiration for the Tottenham squad in his first interview with the club, in which he said: “What can I promise? Passion - for my job, but also passion for my club. It’s a privilege when a manager goes to a club and feels that happiness in relation to the squad he is going to have.
“These are not words of the moment. They are not words of me being the Tottenham head coach. These are words that I’ve told and I’ve repeated in the last three, four, five years, even as an opponent.
“To play against Tottenham at White Hart Lane was always hard, but beautiful. It was one of these places where I used to go with passion, but also with respect.
“I always told about the club’s potential. I always told about the qualities of the players. I always told of the magnificent work the club was doing.”
It is understood that Mourinho’s primary concern is over Tottenham’s defence with Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen approaching the final six months of their contracts, Danny Rose struggling to reproduce his best form and right-back Kieran Trippier still to be replaced.
Benfica’s 22-year-old centre-back Ruben Dias is admired by Mourinho and could emerge as a potential signing, while Tottenham’s scouting department has a long-standing interest in Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake, who is also a target of Chelsea.
Mourinho is willing to let Alderweireld, Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen leave Spurs if they will not sign contracts past the end of this season. It remains to be seen whether his arrival provokes a change of heart from any of the trio.
One player who is likely to benefit from the arrival of Mourinho is Eric Dier, who the Potugese tried to sign for Manchester United.
Mourinho has been keen on Dier’s attributes for a number of years now and the 25-year-old, who grew up in Portugal, is likely to get an extended run after falling down Pochettino’s pecking order.
Former Tottenham manager Pochettino was angered in December 2016 when he caught Mourinho and Dier chatting in Portuguese and laughing together in the Old Trafford tunnel after United had beaten Spurs.
Mourinho’s appointment will inevitably lead to speculation linking Gareth Bale with a return to Spurs, but sources close to the Welshman do not believe there is any chance of a move materialising.
Tottenham made a summer bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who Mourinho has previously heaped praise on, and he remains on the club’s radar.
Mourinho took his first Tottenham training session on Wednesday afternoon ahead of what will be his first match in charge away to West Ham United on Saturday lunchtime.
Levy, who was due to be in the United States at the weekend, is thought to have changed his plans so he can be at the London Stadium for Mourinho’s first game.
Tottenham go into the game in 14th place in the Premier League, but Mourinho has promised he will quickly have the team climbing back up the table. They are 11 points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
“In relation to the Premier League, we know where we are and we know that we don’t belong there,” he said. “We should just play match after match, the next match we want to win and that’s the same about the next, and the next, and the next until the last.
“At the end of the season we will see where we are, but I know we are going to be in a different position to where we are now. I look forward to the challenge, to the responsibility to bring happiness to everyone that loves the club.”
Other than preparing his new squad, Mourinho has made Joao Sacramento his new Tottenham assistant-manager in a wide-ranging shake-up of the club’s backroom team.
Sacramento has joined Mourinho’s new Spurs staff from Lille, where he held the same position under Christophe Galtier. The Portuguese was previously a technical assistant under Leonardo Jardim at Monaco, before moving to Lille in January 2017.
Mourinho has been forced to appoint an entirely new football staff after Tottenham sacked assistant Jesus Perez, first-team coach Miguel D’Agostino and goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez along with Pochettino.
Other than Sacramento, Carlos Lalin has become Mourinho’s fitness coach at Tottenham while Giovanni Cerra and Ricardo Formoshino have joined the analysis team. Portuguese goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos has also moved to Tottenham from Lille.
It is understood that Mourinho and his staff have already drawn up player-specific training plans in a bid to hit the ground running and he has immediately attempted to allay the fears of any of Tottenham’s youngsters that they may be ignored.
“I really like this squad and looking to the young players there is not one manager in the world that doesn’t like to play young players and to help young players to develop,” said Mourinho.
“There is not one. The problem is that sometimes you get into clubs where the work that is below you is not good enough to produce these players, so I look to our history. The academy is always giving the talents that the first team need.”
That's all from me
A quiet afternoon after a maddening morning, but there will be plenty more to feast on tomorrow when Jose Mourinho speaks at his first press conference. Tottenham have also played it cool with no messages from players about their new boss or images from training. Expect that to ramp up this evening.
The long-sought director of football?
Some whispers that Jose Mourinho wants to bring Lille sporting director Luis Campos with him to Tottenham, which would certainly tie in with his choice of backroom staff. Pochettino objected to the appointment of a replacement for Paul Mitchell in this role, and a technical director or director of football might enable Levy to take a step back in the summer.
The main event
Mourinho's first press conference as Tottenham manager will be at 2pm tomorrow. Not one to be missed, Spurs fans.
Pride comes before a fall?
Ever the purveyors of tact and good taste, West Ham have upped the ante before Mourinho takes a Tottenham team to the London Stadium for his first game in charge on Saturday. Not the wisest move.
A message to Tottenham fans from Manchester
The initial uptick in results, Nemanja Matic in midfield, winding up the Emirates crowd and eventual meltdown - Jim White writes the story of Jose Mourinho's time at Spurs ahead of time.
The sulks become more public; press conferences are one long snipe. On England duty, the previously inscrutable Harry Kane rolls his eyes when asked what is the difference between Gareth Southgate and Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho's most memorable moments
What now for Tottenham's contract rebels?
Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose looked certain to leave on Bosmans next summer, but Mourinho has previously expressed an interest in Alderweireld and Rose and values experienced defenders.
Could Christian Eriksen even be persuaded to sign on? News of Mourinho's £15 million a year salary might make negotiations tricky.
Tottenham's players arrive for training
Plenty tipping Eric Dier to enjoy a resurgence under Mourinho, presumably due to his historic preference for a wardrobe-sized midfielder who likes putting his foot in.
For the sake of argument...
Our resident Spurs supporter Ali Tweedale is struggling to come to terms with the news of Mourinho's appointment, but in this debate his friend Daniel Wegrzyn tries to talk him round. The most enlightening debate staged this week, guaranteed.
Anyone complaining about Mourinho's style of football is overplaying the quality of play under Pochettino. The football in the last 12 months has been stodgy at best and even the run to the Champions League final was largely based around hitting a big man up top. The performance against Brighton was end-of-days stuff.
How will Mourinho set up Spurs tactically?
JJ Bull has taken a look in this exhaustive piece.
Rather than rely on the misfiring Eriksen to create things behind the forwards, Mourinho may well turn to Lamela, a player who rarely threads a stunning through-ball but who works hard off the ball, can play across the pitch and is decent in transition. Think Salomon Kalou.
Players' reaction
All of the social media posts by Tottenham's players have focused on Pochettino, thanking him for the job he has done and wishing him well for his next chapter.
Gaffer. I’ll be forever thankful to you for helping me achieve my dreams. We’ve had some amazing moments in the last 5 and a half years that I will never forget. You were my manager but my friend as well and I thank you for that relationship. Good luck with your next chapter! �� pic.twitter.com/u64RXV7wd4
— Harry Kane (@HKane) November 20, 2019
That's the classy response and a human one too, but there has been no public acknowledgment of Mourinho nor their own futures so far - no 'we go again' or 'new era, new start' stuff. I wonder if that will come as the afternoon winds on. Mourinho is currently taking his first Tottenham training session.
Tottenham fans speak
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust, which on Tuesday said it was "shocked and saddened" by Pochettino's departure, has expressed reservations following Mourinho's appointment.
A statement read: "There are obviously concerns about how Jose and our club's executive board will work together, and we are sure all fans would appreciate greater clarity on how the club sees this relationship operating in practice.
"The club must ensure it does not find itself in the same position in two or three years' time, and we need to hear from the executive board what the long-term thinking behind this appointment is, and how it sees its role."
How desperate are Tottenham fans, really?
There is a school of thought that Mourinho's best work comes with underdog teams who have been starved of success: Chelsea had not won the title since 1955, Inter had not won a European Cup since 1965 and so on.
Tottenham have won just one League Cup this century, but how big a problem is that for their fans? Judging by the reaction to Pochettino's departure, it seems many valued his class, improvement of individual players and exciting football.
Sure, they would like to cap that progress with a day at Wembley that ends with Spurs going up the steps to collect a winners' medal, but I'm not sure many wanted the nuclear option Levy has resorted to.
Exclusive news....
Sam Wallace, Matt Law and Jason Burt have details on Jose Mourinho's back-room staff, and there a strong connections to Lille. Joao Sacramento is his new assistant manager.
The first picture has landed
�� #THFC ⚪️ #COYSpic.twitter.com/DhgrxcEwJl
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 20, 2019
Additional pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now
As James Ducker writes in this piece, the availability of Pochettino could haunt Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if Manchester United suffer another run of poor results. 12 months ago it seemed inevitable that Pochettino would take Jose Mourinho's job, now Mourinho has taken his. Here is a chunk from James' column:
A run of five wins from six in all competitions has given Solskjaer a little breathing space after a torrid start to the campaign and there are some signs of a strategy forming. But Pochettino’s dismissal at Spurs is a curveball and, for all the current show of faith in Solskjaer, it may prompt United to be less tolerant than they might otherwise have been if results nosedive.
They came as a team and will leave as a team
#COYS. Thank you from our heart to our players , staff, and special thanks to you all , lovely Spurs Fans . ������������ pic.twitter.com/qfZjyUaWGu
— Jesus Perez (@jesus_perez) November 19, 2019
This is all we have heard from Mourinho so far
“I am excited to be joining a Club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters. The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me. Working with these players is what has attracted me.”
We await his first press conference and unveiling with interest, no indication as yet about when it will be.
Matt Law and Sam Wallace are answering your questions now
Oh good, this again...
"I think I am the special one!"
�� Porto
�� Chelsea
�� Inter Milan
�� Real Madrid
�� Manchester United
❔ Tottenham Hotspur
Will Jose Mourinho be a success at Spurs?
More: https://t.co/uMfT043peppic.twitter.com/jHQcGX3qJ1— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 20, 2019
Off-field matters
If you were building case in favour of Mourinho succeeding at Spurs, it could be argued that the infrastructure and circumstances are better in north London than in Manchester.
He and his family have a house in London for starters, so no more staying in a hotel suite. Spurs also have a strong track-record when it comes to recruitment, and Daniel Levy might be open to appointing a technical director that Mourinho craved at United.
How long before we hear Jose Mourinho wants a director of football at Tottenham... and he’s recommended Luis Campos from Lille?
— Jason Burt (@JBurtTelegraph) November 20, 2019
Is it going in the right direction?
No doubt that Tottenham's status in the game has increased...
Mourinho an excellent appointment by Tottenham but also shows superb work done by Pochettino. Jose would not have been interested in job five years ago,they are now a far bigger draw because of the work his predecessor has done. Spurs want to win things, that’s what Jose does
— Luke Edwards (@LukeEdwardsTele) November 20, 2019
When will they meet again and who will Pochettino be managing?
Who will be in Mourinho's backroom staff?
Long-standing ally and serial touchline aggro instigator Rui Faria is no longer his assistant, so who will Mourinho bring with him to Spurs (at additional expense)?
This might be the key to making a long-term success of the job. It was clear at United that Mourinho's methods - principally, the reliance on individual moments of brilliance in attack - no longer cut it at the sharp end of the modern game. Moreover, he struggles to connect with this generation of players as he once did John Terry, Frank Lampard, Marco Materazzi and the rest.
Some fresh ideas might produce different outcomes. But is Mourinho happy to delegate?
Tottenham have approached Mourinho before...
They tried to hire Mourinho when Chelsea sacked him for the first time in 2007, offering to pay compensation to Chelsea to nullify a clause barring Mourinho from working in England for two years.
"I would not take the job because I love Chelsea supporters too much," Mourinho said in 2015.
How things change though when, in the words of Ian Curtis, desperation takes hold.
Spurs fans: Is Mourinho worth it if you get to enjoy a scene like this?
Have your say here and join the debate.
Jose Mourinho's first five league games
It is not quite clear whether Mourinho will be in charge for Saturday's game at West Ham, but his fixtures after that are:
Bournemouth (H)
Man Utd (A)
Burnley (H)
Wolves (A)
Chelsea (H)
Not what you would call a cushy start - how many points will Spurs win?
This could be a blockbuster
Tottenham Hotspur is to be the focus of the latest Amazon Original docuseries All or Nothing, charting the Club's journey during the 2019/20 season.#THFC ⚪️ #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 18, 2019
Tottenham's next battle
Jose Mourinho demands absolute loyalty from his players, so what might happen if Mauricio Pochettino decides he wants to sign the cream of his old charges?
As Jason Burt writes here, keeping hold of Harry Kane is the next big challenge facing Daniel Levy. Here is a taste:
The biggest decision may rest with the future of Harry Kane who is 26 and appears unsettled and unsure of his own future and may be the player the club could sacrifice if they want to re-build a squad desperately in need of an overhaul. A fee of £200million could go a long way.
Jose Mourinho's Premier League record at Man Utd
No 'Big Six' team scored fewer goals or won fewer games, after £391 million spent. Table from August 2016 to December 2018.
Keep your enemies closer...
Jose Mourinho has defeated Tottenham Hotspur 13 times in all competitions; this is more than he has won against any other opponent. You can bet Daniel Levy was sat in the directors' boss watching all of those, so how much of a part has that history played in his decision?
Mourinho's first north London derby
Unless Arsenal and Tottenham are drawn against each other in the FA Cup (that's definitely happening isn't it), his first north London derby will be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the weekend of April 25. Those fixtures are always febrile but given Mourinho's long history of tormenting and teasing Arsenal the animosity could reach new heights.
Key dates in Mourinho's diary
As mentioned earlier, Mourinho's first match in charge will be the London derby away to West Ham on Saturday and they are due to play United at Old Trafford on December 4.
Spurs also play Champions League games at home to Olympiakos and away at Bayern Munich before hosting their new manager's former club Chelsea on December 22.
Mourinho's side host Liverpool on January 11 and Manchester City on February 1 before making the trip to Stamford Bridge on February 22.
Where does this leave Spurs and Mourinho?
Jason Burt on why Tottenham have a Harry Kane-sized call to make...
Speaking to agents and managers they are undoubtedly regarded as one of the most attractive prospects in football with the infrastructure they now have in place, being a significant London club and not least their new stadium which has gathered such admiring glances from the rest of Europe and attracted a host of former players and managers to visit it.
The problem will be, though, when the Spurs squad is given further examination. Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are in the final year of their contracts and others such as Danny Rose have threatened to sit out their deals and also leave for 'free'. Pochettino coached the best out of what was available to him and developed players as best he could. He will be a hard act to follow.
The biggest decision may rest with the future of Harry Kane who is 26 and appears unsettled and unsure of his own future and may be the player the club could sacrifice if they want to re-build a squad desperately in need of an overhaul. A fee of £200 million could go a long way.
How Mourinho will deal with the likes of Eriksen
Even before being named the new Tottenham manager, Mourinho addressed the situation with Spurs' out-of-contract players - Christian Eriksen, Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen - last month as a pundit on Sky Sports:
"I don't like to keep players that don't want to stay at the club.
"I think it is always really difficult. I am not thinking about the economical perspective, I mean from a motivational point of view.
"We sold Robben to Real Madrid, Chelsea didn't want to or need the money. But he didn't want to be there and wanted to go.
"There are some moments where motivation affects performance and it is difficult to keep players happy when they have other dreams."
When did it all start going wrong?
Here is Jason Burt on the beginning of the end...
For Spurs something seemed broken that Champions League Final night at the Wanda Metropolitano and, with hindsight, it is obvious to see why. In fact it appeared fractured even before the miracle in Amsterdam when Spurs came from behind to so incredibly beat Ajax with Pochettino hinting – more than hinting – on the eve of that semi-final second-leg that maybe it was best that he left the Premier League club, even though he had signed a new contract the previous summer. He cannot be accused of not raising the warning signs and chairman Daniel Levy cannot be accused of not noting them.
Mourinho's career in numbers
25 - Honours won, including two Champions Leagues, three Premier League titles, two Serie A crowns, one LaLiga success and two Portuguese league wins.
62.3 - Premier League win percentage with Chelsea and United - 190 out of 305 games.
3 - Premier League manager of the season awards - 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2014-15.
3 - Premier League manager of the month awards - November 2004, January 2005 and March 2007.
81 - Premier League points for Mourinho's United side in his last full season in charge, 19 behind champions and rivals Manchester City. Only six times in the Premier League era has the title been won with 81 points or fewer.
£360m - approximate fees reportedly spent by United during Mourinho's tenure. That includes over £60m on centre-backs Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, though Mourinho bemoaned the lack of further additions in that position.
8 - Number of different clubs managed by the Portuguese, starting with Benfica in 2000. There have since been stints at Uniao de Leiria, Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan, Real Madrid and United before he joined Tottenham.
909 - games managed in his career.
Mourinho sees value in Spurs squad
More inside information from Sam Wallace...
Although Spurs do not have the financial power of Mourinho's previous appointments, he sees value in the squad and is eager to challenge the notion that the best years for this group of players are behind them.
Pochettino has long wrestled with the problem of finding the players to improve a very strong first XI, but that is less of an issue now for his successor with this season likely to be the last for the likes of Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose, among others.
Why was Poch sacked now?
This is the inside line from Sam Wallace...
It is understood that Pochettino refused a request from chairman Daniel Levy to quit last week and that forced the Spurs chairman's hand to make the decision. Given the problems the team was facing ahead of a must-win game against West Ham United on Saturday, Levy indicated that he felt he had no other option.
Under the terms of his severance agreement, Levy will have to pay Pochettino around £12.5 million following his exit, while his coaching staff are also due compensation. Pochettino's assistants Jesus Perez, Miguel D'Agostino and Antoni Jimenez have all left the club.
The Spurs players first learned of the sacking of Pochettino from the club's statement at 7.30pm and were not briefed first by the club. Wales international Ben Davies and Belgium's Toby Alderweireld were both playing for their national teams at the time.
Hammer time for Mourinho
His first match in charge will be the London derby away to West Ham on Saturday, and it's fair to say the 'Special One's' stock has fallen since his Chelsea glory days.
The 56-year-old Portuguese won three Premier League titles over two spells in charge of Chelsea and returned to England to manage Manchester United in 2016.
He was sacked last December following a poor run of results and has been out of work since, most recently working as a pundit for Sky Sports.
Mourinho, who also managed Porto, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, has turned down a number of opportunities to coach abroad, including with clubs in China, Spain and Portugal, since his Old Trafford exit.
Tottenham issue statement on Mourinho...
A Spurs statement read: "Jose is one of the world's most accomplished managers having won 25 senior trophies.
"He is renowned for his tactical prowess and has managed FC Porto, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
"He has won a domestic title in a record four different countries (Portugal, England, Italy and Spain) and is one of only three managers to have won the UEFA Champions League twice with two clubs, FC Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.
"He is also a three-time Premier League Champion with Chelsea (2005, 2006, 2015)."
