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

Tottenham have had a year of Jose Mourinho and - while there is still work to do - they look better for it, as Opta data shows.

By Ben Spratt
Jose Mourninho

London, November 20: 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.

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.

In eight league games this term, Spurs are averaging 55.4 per cent of possession, an increase from 50 per cent in Mourinho's 24 matches in 2019-20.

Crucially, they are also using the ball more effectively and creating more chances. Tottenham have had 13.9 shots per game in the new campaign, with 9.6 from inside the box - compared to 11.3 and 7.2 last season.

The quality of these opportunities has improved too, with Spurs expected to score 1.95 goals per game - up from 1.33 - and converting 17.1 per cent of their attempts.

Mourinho has, of course, benefited from the outstanding form of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. Kane has been involved in 38 goals (27 scored, 11 assisted) and Son in 33 (20 scored, 13 assisted) during his reign.

NO SPURS STANDOUT

For all the talk of a title tilt this season, Mourinho is not yet comparing favourably to his predecessors.

His record might represent an improvement on the end of Pochettino's tenure, but the former Southampton boss finished his Tottenham career averaging 1.89 points per game across 202 Premier League matches.

Mourinho's rate of 1.82 points per game also trails Andre-Villas Boas (1.83) and Tim Sherwood, who finished with an outstanding mark of 1.91 from his 22 games.

The last Spurs manager to oversee 20 or more Premier League matches and average fewer points than Mourinho was Harry Redknapp.

He guided Tottenham away from relegation trouble and into the Champions League, picking up 1.74 points per game.

Story first published: Friday, November 20, 2020, 15:22 [IST]
Other articles published on Nov 20, 2020
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