Jermaine Jenas has criticised the management of Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks, per MOTDx via FourFourTwo.
What’s the word?
Spurs have struggled in recent weeks prior to the suspension of the Premier League.
They have not won any of their last six games in all competitions, losing twice to RB Leipzig in the Champions League, to Chelsea and Wolves in the Premier League and to Norwich City on penalties in the FA Cup. They also drew with Burnley at Turf Moor.
Jenas spent eight years at Spurs, but he has not enjoyed watching on as the former Real Madrid boss has taken the reigns in north London.
He said: “It’s not a rant but what I will say is I will reserve judgement on Jose until the summer, until he brings in his new players because I think the players haven’t been good enough.
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“What I don’t like about Jose at the minute is the negativity. I think he’s been far too negative in terms of the message he’s been sending out with the players.
“I know we’ve got injuries to [Harry] Kane, I know Son [Heung-min] is injured and now [Steven] Bergwijn. But I think there needs to be a more positive structure going out to the players. And overall I still can’t see what the team are and how they’re trying to play.
“Are they a passing team? Are they a pressing team? Are they a team that plays deep and tries to counter-attack? I don’t see from game to game, and I can’t tell you from game to game, what team he’s going to put out. He had the best part of six centre-halves playing against Burnley.
“He has won everything there is to win in the game, so that’s quite a good reason why you’d want to go and play for him. He is a serial winner.”
Needs help
Mourinho needs some support from the board.
He headed into the January transfer window without Harry Kane, who sustained an injury on New Year’s Day.
Thus, it was clear that the club needed a striker.
The club’s chairman, Daniel Levy, was unable to source one, though, and now Mourinho is also without Bergwijn and Son.
Yes, he has been slightly negative but he is operating with one arm tied behind his back.
He really needs support as the summer transfer window comes closer; next season is the acid test for him.
If he is adequately backed in the transfer market, that negativity could disappear.
Meanwhile, Darren Bent has hammered one Spurs man!