The Damned Hotspur: Tottenham are out of luck and out of time under Jose Mourinho
By Sean Walsh
From Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - Tottenham have plenty of good players.
Harry Kane - ready to explode. Son Heung-min - Sonaldo Nazario. Tanguy Ndombele - we didn't have a midfield. Dele Alli - the brother of Dele Alli. Gareth Bale - does he want to sit on the bench in Madrid?
And here were Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his Manchester United suit and Manchester United jacket. A United more united than ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. But what have they won?
Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford. Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani. Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw. Won nothing under Solskjaer.
Tottenham have been the antagonists in their own story this season, repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot and playing without the intensity and courage they had become known for. Same players, different coach.
They tried their hand at being protagonists in Sunday's 3-1 loss to Man Utd. They played pretty well at times. Almost like they have good players. Son being an intelligent c*** sparked the game into life.
But there was never any real intent to kill the game (as has often been the case this season). Spurs were happy at 1-0, happy with the chance that Man Utd might implode instead of forcing the issue.
Neither Spurs nor United looked like a team capable of challenging for the biggest honours in the near future, but one is clearly much further ahead of the other right now. It's a belief shared by Kane. Ready to explode.
The billion-pound stadium in north London has scarcely been occupied by a team worthy of calling it 'home' in the two years it's been standing. There have been flashes of brilliance, but nothing substantial. What have they won?
Spurs are a club steeped in the history of style rather than substance, ironically. Two trophies in 20 years, three in 30. More critically acclaimed than tangibly successful. What have they won?
Right now, Tottenham are far away from being either of those things. A blueprint tailor-made by Daniel Levy was ripped up by the same man himself in pursuit of a potential shortcut to the top - but the only fast track to the pinnacle of the modern game comes through squad development, via great coaching or great investment. Same coach, different players.
Hot and cold, up and down, the atmosphere among fans online has been toxic and tedious, nonsense and numbing. There's little redeeming about life at Tottenham right now.
Spurs' hormonal nature is the reason they have floundered in 2021. A quicker race to either the top or bottom would break the stagnant cycle they're stuck in. Without fans present at games to provide a litmus test of the general feeling among supporters, it may be tough for the hierarchy to make a tough call.
But the message on the pitch is now clear - time is up for Jose Mourinho.
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