BORING ONE: Jose Mourinho has become the next manager of Tottenham Hotspur. AFP Photo.
Paul Kennedy
Waking up on Wednesday morning I was greeted by a barrage of memes and messages announcing the news that Tottenham Hotspur had sacked their manager, Mauricio Pochettino.
I was shocked at first but after giving it much thought, I think it is the right decision.
Tottenham this season have been nothing short of awful. Their league position is testament to that – 14th.
Remember it wasn’t that long ago they were facing Liverpool in the final of the Champions League in Madrid.
But since that match, it is plain to see tat last season Spurs were well and truly boxing above their weight.
Pochettino is a good manager, but with virtually the same squad of players he had last season, he finds himself looking up at the likes of Burnley, Sheffield United, Brighton and Crystal Palace in the Premiership.
Not good, and time to go.
The Argentinian will not be short of suitors and his departure will surely spark a merry-go-round of managerial changes.
Last season it was rumoured he was in line for the Manchester United job, and that’s something I would still not rule out.
Arsenal too are having problems but would Poch really make the switch to Tottenham’s greatest rival? I think yes, as there is about as much loyalty in professional football as there is in a one-night Tinder hook-up.
Tottenham moved fast to find a replacement. Not long after Pochettino cleaned out his desk, Jose Mourinho was standing at the door ready to fill his shoes.
For me, this is a bad move.
It was 15 years ago that Jose arrived in the Premier League and immediately declared himself "the special one".
And he lived up to his moniker, taking a bang average Chelsea team to the top, and then some.
He also did well in Italy and Spain, but after his return to west London, things started to become, well, not so special.
A poor stint at Manchester United followed and since then, Jose hasn’t worked, except for the odd appearance on Sky Sports offering his expert opinion.
And for me, that’s where he belongs. Sat on a couch talking about football, and not on the touchline managing a top team.
He is, in my mind, past it. His methods are outdated and the football he plays is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
They needed a fresh face, a young and hungry manager with modern methods and a winning mentality.
Finding such a candidate is no easy task which is why it seems they have opted for the easy route and given the job to Jose Mourinho
Eddie Howe at Bournemouth? Maybe. Brendan Rodgers would have been a good shout but he seems settled since taking over at Leicester.
Thomas Tuchel would have certainly been a possibility before he moved from Borussia Dortmund to Paris Saint-Germain, but he was unlikely to leave.
It’s obvious to see that having moved so quickly to bring him in, they must have been in discussions for quite a while.
I might be wrong, I have been in the past and no doubt I will be in the future, but I just don’t think it’s a good fit.
The game has changed since Jose joined Chelsea in 2004, and I don’t think the man himself has moved with the times.
I feel for Spurs fans as they can expect untold dullness, boring football and tactical play that will send you to sleep, although at their fancy new stadium, at least they will be comfortable nodding off. VNS
OVietnam