Jose Mourinho 'thanks god' that he's not the manager he once was
Jose Mourinho has backed himself to arrest Tottenham's slide, and thanked god that he's not the manager he used to be.
Spurs were beaten 2-1 by West Ham on Sunday as their miserable form continued, and reports are beginning to emerge of dressing room unhappiness and that the club are targeting RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann as a replacement.
But Mourinho - who won two Champions League titles in his first decade as a coach but is trophyless since 2017 and now ninth in the Premier League table - was in defiant mood ahead of Tottenham's Europa League tie with Wolfsberger, and insisted he's a better manager now for the experience he's gained.
"Thank god I'm not the manager I was. We all evolve. Sometimes I had problems, not in terms of results as I didn't have many bad results, but day to day problems and I reacted in a much more emotional way. Instead of helping myself I was creating more conflicts.
"We are calm. I am not happy but maturity helps and I am feeling very confident. I believe that we will win through and that I will be in Tottenham's history through good reasons rather than bad."
A return of 81 points from his opening 50 league games is Mourinho's lowest at a club he's managed, and it was put to him that he has rarely been in a situation as bad as the one Spurs currently find themselves in.
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"It's positive in the negative that you say I'm not used to this, but I want to know which coach has always had blue sky and never cloudy or a bit dark," he said. "Perhaps only a coach who is always at a dominant club in a league. It shows how beautiful my career has been. Does it make me depressed? No. It's a challenge.
"I work for the club, the players and the supporters. I always feel I have to give them so much. It hurts me and it's a great challenge for me and I believe I can give it. I give it everywhere I've been and I'm more motivated than ever.
"Everybody [at Tottenham is] in the same boat. Nobody is happy but nobody is depressed. I feel positive. Maybe a bit weird for you after losing so many matches but I'm positive. I'm not happy but I wake up wanting to come here. Everybody is loving training and working hard with so many matches."
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