Mourinho at Tottenham: Progress under Jose takes Spurs within sight of top spot

Jose Mourinho is celebrating a year in charge of Tottenham as he prepares for a return to Premier League action. 

The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss was appointed Spurs head coach after Mauricio Pochettino’s previously successful stint came to a disappointing end. 

Tottenham were 14th when Mourinho arrived but could now go top of the table this weekend as they host Manchester City. 

Victory against Pep Guardiola’s side would cap a fine 12 months for Jose, as demonstrated with the use of Opta data. 

IMPROVING ON POCH

Tottenham finished sixth last season, leaving Mourinho to celebrate a place in Europa League qualifying on the final day. 

Spurs had reached the Champions League final the previous season, but securing European football of any sort was a success for Mourinho given their perilous position when he arrived.

The last 3 @SpursOfficial managers have started their reigns against West Ham:

 Tim Sherwood in Dec 2013
 Mauricio Pochettino in Aug 2014
 Jose Mourinho today pic.twitter.com/Bgb9jYGG8x

— Premier League (@premierleague) November 23, 2019

Indeed, since his appointment, Tottenham rank third in the Premier League – behind only Liverpool and Manchester City. 

Spurs have taken 62 points from 34 games over this span, with their league win rate of 53 per cent marginally above Mourinho’s overall mark. 

The Portuguese has won 52 per cent of his 50 Tottenham games in all competitions (26 victories), showing improvement from Pochettino’s final half-century of matches. 

Pochettino triumphed in 22 of the 50 fixtures prior to his sacking but lost a hugely concerning 19. Mourinho’s side have also scored slightly more (94 versus 89) and conceded one fewer (61 versus 62).
 

PROGRESS THIS TERM

If Mourinho’s overall record shows only marginal gains so far, there is at least cause for encouragement for Spurs fans early this season. 

Tottenham began the new Premier League campaign by losing at home to Everton and subsequently dropped points in stoppage time against Newcastle United and West Ham. 

But Mourinho’s squad are second, a point behind leaders Leicester City, and the style and effectiveness of their play has altered for the better.