Tottenham Hotspur players will return from the international break to a new manager following Jose Mourinho’s appointment as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor.
Some will be sad to see Poch go, and others glad to see Mourinho in.
Here are three players who should be fearful of a post-Poch Spurs…
MORE: Mourinho Arrival Demands A Mentality Reboot For Some Fans
Hugo Lloris
He could have previously expected to come straight back into the team, regardless of the performances of understudy Paulo Gazzaniga which have so far been impressive, such is Pochettino’s loyalty to the man.
The club captain is currently out with an elbow injury but is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying that he is on course make a January comeback.
However, Mourinho’s arrival changes his long-term security. Lloris will probably reclaim the number-one spot before the end of the season, but, unlike Pochettino, Mourinho won’t be afraid to drop Lloris if he returns in the same sort of form that has made him a liability over the past 18 months.
Danny Rose
As alluded to above, Mourinho will not be as patient as Pochettino with player who make mistakes, and Rose has made a lot of mistakes this season.
The 29-year-old last week told Standard Sport that the club want him out but he will not leave until his contract expires in June 2021. Well, that was when Pochettino was in charge and everybody got a touch of the ball, no matter what they said in the press, or how they performed on the pitch.
Mourinho is a strong enough character to leave a player out if he thinks they are bad for morale, or are not pulling in the same direction as the rest of the team. He did it with Paul Pogba at Manchester United. You could argue that Pogba outlasted the Portuguese so won that battle, but things would have to go badly wrong for Rose to outlast Mourinho at Spurs.
Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld may be fearful too but they only have six months left and could secure a move in January.
Moussa Sissoko
From laughing stock to cult hero, the France international’s rise has been one of few individual triumphs among the Spurs squad in recent times.
As a ball-winning midfielder, Sissoko became one of the players that Pochettino could rely upon. He is second only to Alderweireld in Premier League and Champions League starts since the start of last season.
There will be no great demand for him to lose this regular starting spot, but Mourinho will be intent on rebuilding Spurs as challengers to Liverpool and Manchester City and Sissoko is not a long-term starter in that project.
The 30-year-old is likely to be phased out of the preferred lineup by the end of the season, with Tanguy Ndombele establishing himself as first choice.