Poyet: Mourinho will justify Pochettino dismissal by winning trophies

Jose Mourinho will bring silverware to Tottenham and justify the club’s decision to dismiss Mauricio Pochettino, according to Gustavo Poyet.

The Portuguese took the helm at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last November after Spurs sprung a surprise by ending Pochettino’s five-year reign.

While Pochettino transformed the club into top-four regulars and reached the 2019 Champions League final, he failed to win a trophy.

Poyet, who finished his playing career with the London club, conceded it was a debatable call to get rid of Pochettino but is confident Mourinho – one of the most decorated managers in history – will bring success.

3 – José Mourinho became just the second non-British manager to win the English top-flight title on three occasions (after Arsene Wenger). Treble. #OptaPLSeasons pic.twitter.com/m9eg015oLf

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 22, 2020

“It’s difficult to say if it was right or wrong [to sack Pochettino] because you don’t know what the board was thinking,” he told Stats Perform.

“From outside, it looks like, okay, they were through a spectacular five years with Pochettino, who did incredible things and the way he made that team play football and the way he was able to keep the momentum and get into a Champions League final in an incredible year, with incredible games. 

“But they decided to change that and go more for a manager [Mourinho] who looks to win things, which is what the Tottenham fans were looking for. 

“Now, if it was right or wrong, time will tell. What I say in the time he did the job is, if you give him three years at the club, I will be surprised if he doesn’t win a trophy. I will be very surprised. 

“Maybe he’s unlucky and next year we don’t have the League Cup and there will be one trophy less to play for, but he knows how to get players to play for important games. 

“Cup competitions, on the day, it’s totally different. I was lucky in certain times to win trophies, but always in cup competitions.

“I was part of teams, like Chelsea, where we were very good on the day. ‘It’s today, or nothing tomorrow’. And that day, I was lucky to participate in teams that were able to win those games.”