Premier League 2019-20: 3 reasons why Tottenham have been rejuvenated under Jose Mourinho
Tottenham fans might’ve questioned what their club’s board was thinking in November when longtime manager Mauricio Pochettino – the man who took Spurs to their first Champions League final – was fired and replaced with the controversial Jose Mourinho, but it’s safe to say that a month later, minds are beginning to change.
The Portuguese boss appears to have rejuvenated Tottenham’s fortunes on the pitch, and since his arrival at the club, Spurs have won three of four Premier League games and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a fixture to go.
Here are 3 reasons why Tottenham have been rejuvenated under Jose Mourinho.
#1 The resurrection of Dele Alli
While Dele Alli became a superstar at Tottenham during the early reign of Mauricio Pochettino, in later seasons he’d slowly become the forgotten man. Injuries – most notably a hamstring issue suffered during the 2018 World Cup – and a loss of form forced Spurs to become more reliant on other attackers like Heung Min Son and Lucas Moura.
That’s all changed under Mourinho, though. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss instantly made it known that he wanted to get the best out of Alli again, and thus far he’s been able to do that. The England international has repaid his faith with 4 goals and 3 assists, including two incredible finishes against Bournemouth and Manchester United.
What’s changed for Alli under Mourinho? It’s been a simple change of system for Spurs, with the attacker pushed further up the pitch and Alli once again linking up as essentially a support striker just behind Harry Kane. That’s the position the Englishman played in during his best years – including 2016-17, when he scored 18 Premier League goals.
With Alli’s resurrection under Mourinho, Tottenham suddenly look like a much more potent attacking threat – scoring 12 goals in four Premier League games under the Portuguese – and so it’s no surprise that results have improved.
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