'Great spirit, great football': All the reaction as Jose Mourinho claims debut win as Spurs boss
Jose Mourinho got off to the best start possible in his new job in North London as his Spurs team bested West Ham to claim the club's first away win since January
Mourinho's instant impact at the club has seen them arrest their dire away record which saw former boss Mauricio Pochettino claim just three points from his final 12 away games in charge of last season's Champions League finalists as they beat West Ham by three goals to two in a fiery London derby.
Also on rt.com Jose’s joy: Mourinho makes winning return but Spurs made to sweat at West HamPrior to the game, Mourinho had challenged Tottenham's Dele Alli to arrest his dip in form which has seen him dropped from the England squad and he was rewarded by the Englishman's best performance of the season so far - as evidenced by the cheeky flick he laid on for Son Heung-min which led to Lucas Moura doubling their lead after Son scored the first goal of Mourinho's tenure on 36 minutes.
Despite his limited time with team on the training ground since his appointment this week, several of the Mourinho characteristics were apparent throughout Tottenham's performance. Eric Dier, a figure admired by the Portuguese coach, will be central to his plans for the remainder of the season one suspects and the England international repaid his new manager's faith with a typically industrious performance in the middle of the park.
3 - Jose Mourinho won as many points today vs West Ham, as Mauricio Pochettino mustered in his final 12 away Premier League games with Tottenham (W0 D3 L9). Recovery. #WHUTOT
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 23, 2019
Time to start putting some respect back on the name of Jose Mario dos Santos Mourinho Felix. The disrespect he’s received for “failing” with a bunch of bums was ridiculous
— Kurt (@Kurt0411Fifa) November 23, 2019
Mourinho will still have some work to do to convince the Spurs fanbase that he is better equipped to guide the club forward than former boss Pochettino who remains a popular figure at the club.
Some fans, though, have noted the night and day difference between the performances which mired Pochettino's final weeks at the club and those which Mourinho was able to coax out of the players during the early Saturday kick-off.
A hoarse Mourinho himself told Spurs TV that the team had showed "great spirit and great football," declaring himself "so happy with what we did."
🗣️ Jose: "Great spirit and great football. I'm so happy with what we did." #THFC ⚪️ #COYSpic.twitter.com/A5iJvXFQVM
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 23, 2019
However, despite the clear positives which can be taken from Mourinho's debut some fans remain cautious. After all, Mourinho's latter career at Manchester United and Chelsea was marked for good starts which eventually gave way and saw the club's slide down the table.
Whether or not this happens again will remain to be seen but, for now at least, there will be some smiling faces on the Tottenham training ground come Monday morning - something which appears to have been absent from the club for several months.
No Premier League away win since January?Call Jose Mourinho 😂 pic.twitter.com/870DvfxItE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 23, 2019
Cracking football from @SpursOfficial for the second goal under Mourinho’s tenure. The bus is now set to make its first appearance in the 2nd half.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 23, 2019
"We've shown that we can go on brilliant runs, but there's still plenty to improve - it should never have been that close!"Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min tell @DesKellyBTS that they know there's still plenty of work to come under new boss Jose Mourinho. pic.twitter.com/hh4nDuF0tk
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 23, 2019
It only took Jose Mourinho one match to bring Tottenham Hotspur back into the top 6. #WHUTOTpic.twitter.com/XL7QvWRvwO
— Prince Ngcobo (@Prince_Ngcobo) November 23, 2019