Mourinho's true test at Spurs will be during the transfer window
Jose Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho raised quite a few eyebrows when he agreed to be the manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Despite being hailed as a legend at Chelsea Football Club, Mourinho didn’t hesitate to join a rival London club. But then, it’s not Mourinho if he doesn’t ruffle any feathers during the process.
Spurs were already struggling in their current campaign when Mourinho arrived to take up the reins. Things didn't improve significant post the 'Special One's' arrival either.
Having said that, Mourinho will likely enjoy the benefit of the doubt until the end of the season. However, 2020-21 season will be a big one for the North London club with Mourinho having more than one problem to take care of at the club.
Rebuilding the defence
Mourinho is a manager who builds his team from the backline. If he must replicate his Chelsea success at Spurs, he will have to help the current lot of defenders regroup.
Hugo Lloris hasn’t found a suitable heir to his position yet. There are question marks over the future of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. Japhet Tanganga and Juan Foyth can be the long-term solutions, but for now, Davinson Sanchez is the only experienced centre-back apart from the Belgian duo.
The full-back segment is even more critical. Serge Aurier and Ben Davies are the only full-back options at the club right now. Mourinho will have to really dig deep to find proper full-backs and the goalkeeper’s position and while doing so, also solve the contract issues of Alderweireld and Vertonghen.
Clear the midfield mess
On paper, Tottenham have quite a few midfielders on their payroll, but none of them can fill the void Eriksen has left after his departure to Inter Milan.
Though there is this certain Argentine named Erik Lamela, he spends more time with the medical staff than his team. From Harry Winks and Eric Dier to Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, the midfield department is loaded with box-to-box and defensive midfielders. Mourinho would want to add a playmaker in the attacking midfield spot to share the load with Dele Alli.
Bringing in someone like Mario Gotze can prove to be a shot in the arm for the London club, and Mourinho could just be the right man to get the best out of the soon-to-be free agent, German. What the Spurs need right now in the middle is a creative spark who can turn the game on its head when needed, and Super Mario might provide just that for Jose and his team.
The Kane conundrum
Every transfer window opens with the same question, “Is Harry Kane leaving Spurs?” and ends with “Harry Kane commits his future to Spurs”. Kane is a terrific talent, no doubt. And every special player demands trophies and medals in his career.
Unfortunately, it seems like Kane has outgrown Tottenham Hotspur. However, it doesn’t go unnoticed that, in Kane’s absence, the team’s work-rate shoots up.
Perhaps it isn’t surprising that when Tottenham reached the Champions League 2018-19 final, Kane missed most of the knockout ties due to injury.
All said and done, it is a fantastic opportunity for Mourinho to let Kane go for a hefty price, sign a striker like Wolves’ Raul Jimenez or Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram and restructure their attack with fresh verve and purpose.
In a nutshell
Jose Mourinho is a shrewd manager who can sniff a potent opportunity in a stiff challenge. When the summer transfer window for 2020-21 season opens, it would be a true test of calibre, technical acumen and above anything else, of the reputation of The Special One!