Paul Merson critical of Jose Mourinho impact at Tottenham

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Paul Merson insists that Jose Mourinho has failed to improve Tottenham since his arrival in November and even claimed that it’s a “disaster waiting to happen”.

Spurs have qualified for the fifth round of the FA Cup, reached the Champions League last-16, and most importantly closed the gap to the top four of the Premier League since Mourinho stepped through the door.

The North London club certainly aren’t playing the most attractive football, but they are now fifth in the league table just four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

But pundit Merson believes that manager Mourinho is already beginning to get fed up in his position at Spurs and can’t see them finishing in the top four this season.

He claims there has been a change of mood with the Portuguese boss and is worried about where they will go from here.

“I said when he (Mourinho) went there it would give them a lift and there would be a charm offensive – and he was all smiles for a while,” Merson wrote in the Daily Star.

“But everyone knew it wouldn’t last, didn’t they? He’s gone back to being Grumpy Mourinho again. And I don’t see how he’s improved them at all. Not one bit.

“Spurs are a million miles away at the moment and they don’t have much money to spend. They didn’t buy him a striker and they won’t be breaking the bank in the next few windows either. Chelsea are in the driving seat to finish fourth and I can’t see Spurs catching them right now.

“It all just smacks of a disaster waiting to happen because he might have looked happy when he went there but he certainly isn’t now, and Spurs won’t be either if he doesn’t get them in the top four.”

TBR’s View:

Spurs may have been outplayed in wins over Manchester City and Southampton during the last week, but ultimately they got the results and that’s what Mourinho specialises in.

It’s a completely different shift from what supporters were used to for a number of years under ex-manager Pochettino, but change is not always a bad thing.

Spurs are still firmly in the race for the top four and it seems bizarre to rule them out considering the inconsistency of teams in the Premier League this season, aside from runaway leaders Liverpool.

Mourinho has a tough task of rebuilding a new Spurs side and fresh blood like Giovani Lo Celso, Japhet Tanganga and Tanguy Ndombele can help do that but it will take time.