Some fans keep banging-on about how successful Jose has been [the inference of ‘was’ being the operative word] throughout his career. However, Arsene Wenger was successful once, so was Pellegrini, Ranieri and a few others; where are they all now?
When I used to manage a sales team I used to bring all those, who thought they were brilliant sales-people, down to earth by reminding them that they were only as good as their last sale, and the longer they went without one the more humble they became… I’ll gladly blow Jose’s trumpet when he wins something or, at this early stage, he even looks like winning something.
I’ll even shout his praises if he can get us playing like a proper team for more than one game in every four. But, apart from his previous record at other clubs, and a lot of the edge of the seat wins with us recently, I don’t see much to shout about.
I desperately hope I am wrong about the current situation, but I am beginning to fear that JM is looking more like a snake-oil salesman that has run out of patter the longer this torture goes on. The same fans are also saying: ‘give him time, he hasn’t had a preseason, and he needs to buy -in his own players’.
Well, we have just had a winter break where he has supposedly worked-with the players – which could have been longer if we had beaten Southampton the first time around in the F.A Cup – and he had the chance to loan or buy players in the January window as well – especially a striker.
Others are saying that the problem is we are missing Harry, Son and Sissoko, well my reply to that is, were we missing them over the Christmas break? And let’s face it we only played one supposedly hard team [on paper that is] in that period, and we were at home to them.
Please understand this is not me kicking the cat, this is me looking for answers, as I know a lot f you are too. All I see is Jose in the media all the time: He should be in the dressing room and on the training ground fixing things.
The media got wise to his PR stunts a decade ago, and yes, although they still know a Jose story sells newspapers, they also realise it isn’t going to win matches. The proof of the pudding is not the results – and I agree he does need time to turn things around – it’s the tell-tale signs of improvement on the pitch. And I don’t see much of those after nearly four months in charge.
Anyone who cannot see that under Mourinho we have been lucky, very lucky in fact, is blinkered. Yesterday was a wake-up call and I fear it may have come too late to gain a Champion’s League slot. Moreover, I do not mean a wake-up call to Levy and Lewis or the players. Daniel and Joe have had their chance to save this season by buying, or loaning, players, and they missed the boat. Furthermore, at the end of the day, the players have to play in the positions given them and employ the strategies that Jose decides upon.
Therefore, the responsibility lies firmly on his shoulders. Some fans must take off the rose-tinted specs in their desperate hope of winning silverware with a proven winner like Jose, and also realize that this season could all end up in tears just as easily as it could in glory. I have supported Spurs for over fifty years and my loyalty is to the club, not an interim manager who probably won’t be with us in three years time. Wake up and smell the coffee, Jose, You’re only as good as your last win and the publicity stunts are not fooling me – a good many others as well.
COYS
