Jose Mourinho is the new head coach of Tottenham after chairman Daniel Levy acted swiftly to replace the departed Mauricio Pochettino.
Levy hailed the Portuguese as a proven winner upon his arrival at White Hart Lane and will be desperate for Mourinho to repeat his success in north London.
Mourinho’s reputation has, however, taken a beating over the past few years and he will be eager to avoid a repeat of the tough stint he endured at Manchester United.
Express Sport takes a look at the best and worst case scenarios which could transpire as Tottenham enter a new era under the 56-year-old.
Best case scenario
Let’s face it, Tottenham have endured a start to the season that few could have envisaged but they’re not actually that far off where they need to be.
Going into Saturday’s showdown with West Ham, they’re just three points and a three-goal swing away from being level with fifth-place Sheffield United.
If Jose Mourinho can get them off to a winning start at the London Stadium, there’s no reason Tottenham can’t make it three wins on the bounce with Olympiakos and Bournemouth up next.
A winning run would help propel Tottenham up the Premier League table and guarantee their place in the Champions League knockout stages.
Tottenham suddenly becomes a more enticing place to be if they’re still in Europe and, should Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen stick around in January, they should have one eye on reaching the final.
The FA Cup also offers Tottenham a chance of securing silverware during Mourinho’s first season and you can bet he’ll go for it to make a statement.
Should Tottenham force their way into the top four come May, it’ll help Levy loosen the purse strings for Mourinho to spend in the summer.
Then it’s up to Mourinho to prove his worth but, given his track record and recent plight, he’ll be determined to get it right at Tottenham.
Worst case scenario
Realistically, Tottenham shouldn’t be in any danger of losing their status as a Premier League club this season.
However, if results don’t improve soon, they could be in for a campaign not too dissimilar to the one Chelsea endured in 2015/16.
The Blues – led by Mourinho until December that season – ended up finishing 10th in the Premier League and failed to win any silverware.
Such a woeful performance would ensure Eriksen and Tottenham’s other contract rebels head for the exit door, while other stars would be scratching their heads.
Harry Kane would surely be thinking about those Real Madrid rumours and what he might be able to achieve in Spain.
The same might be true for Dele Alli and Son Heung-min, who’ve both previously been tipped to call time on their Tottenham careers.
Replacing any of the aforementioned sextet would be difficult enough if Tottenham were flying, but even more so without Champions League football.
Mourinho’s famous volatility could be witnessed again, grinding down his relationship with his squad and, ultimately, making his position untenable.
