Football

Jose Mourinho is still box office and his charming first Tottenham interview ticked all the boxes


The charm offensive was as predictable as it was seductive.

Jose Mourinho’s first interview could easily have been conducted to the soundtrack of that old Jane Birkin classic, Je T’aime.

With a glint in his eye, the well-rested 56-year-old promised passion for his job as well as passion for his new club.

Fancy a taster? How about a jab at Chelsea and Manchester United for apparently not being as good at producing players ready for the first team as they are at Spurs.

That’s gone down well at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford. Welcome back, Jose – we thought we’d lost you.

Jose Mourinho will look to hit the ground running after joining Tottenham

 

By the time he’d popped up on Spurs TV at around 5pm, he was still trending on social media. Commercially, contrary to his critics’ belief that his image has lost it’s shine, Mourinho is still box office. Even after a year in the wilderness.

In his opening address to a sceptical, apprehensive fanbase he ticked all the right boxes.

For all the foundations laid by Mauricio Pochettino over the past five and a half years, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has – quite literally – picked a winner.

If Mourinho can persuade contract rebels Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen to sign new deals then he’ll go a long way to winning over his doubters.

In the meantime fans need a clear vision and firm leadership after the chaotic, uncertain last days of Pochettino. So here was Mourinho, setting out his manifesto.

In his opening address to a sceptical, apprehensive fanbase he ticked all the right boxes

 

“What can I promise? Passion,” he said. “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 that he’s 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 been 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.”

There were nods to the defeats to Spurs he’d suffered as boss of Chelsea and Manchester United.

“It was one of these places where I used to go with passion but also with respect. I always [spoke] about the club’s potential. I always [spoke] about the qualities of the players. I always [spoke] about the magnificent work the club was doing.”

Mourinho pictured after winning the Europa League trophy with Manchester United

 

Asked what he thought of the north Londoners’ beautiful new stadium, he plumped up the pillows and stepped it up.

“When you say beautiful stadium you are too humble. You have to say the best stadium in the world,” he added.

“I think that is the reality. The training ground is second to none. It probably can only be compared with some American Football training grounds.

“You cannot compare with European football at any level – and I’ve been in the majority of the best places.

Mourinho has previously enjoyed two spells in west London – both with Chelsea

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“It’s impossible to compare anything the same as the stadium. I think it’s something that has to make us all very, very proud. But not just that, the conditions you have to work in are absolutely amazing.”

His words were punctuated by shots of his first training session, held on Wednesday afternoon, with his new players.

Some had approached him to say hello during lunch. All listened intently as the man that had landed 20 trophies across the last 15 years spoke of his willingness to turn them into winners.

West Ham on Saturday had looked set to be Pochettino’s Waterloo. If Mourinho really does still have it, it could just be the start of the most successful period in Tottenham’s history.





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