Spurs legend Chris Waddle analyses Jose Mourinho's move to Tottenham

For Tottenham Hotspur to get a manager of the calibre of Jose Mourinho is an incredible achievement and while the ride under him might be a bumpy one, it will also be successful.

There will be a few players out of the door sooner rather than later and he isn’t there to make friends.

Supporters might remain uneasy because the style of football is going to change.

But the bottom line is that Mourinho is a winner and Spurs can only benefit from that.

Tottenham have won 24 trophies in their entire history - Mourinho has won 25 in his career. Tottenham have won one pot this century - Mourinho was regularly winning two per year.

That’s what Spurs have got and no, he won’t win over everybody, and yes, there will be times when his side might be difficult to watch. But the fact is that they are investing in someone who is about to transform a nearly club into a winning club and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he hits the ground running.

I have no doubt that Mourinho will be targeting the FA Cup this season, which is probably more winnable for them with Manchester City and Liverpool fighting it out for the Premier League.

I also have no doubt that Spurs will soon be skipping up the Premier League. Top four? I wouldn’t bet against it. They have some catching up to do but if he gets them on a roll they will be flying in no time and we know the importance of confidence in football. Get that restored and players start to really believe.

But as I say, I don’t imagine for one minute it will be a walk in the park.

Mourinho does rub people up the wrong way, especially the media, and he got a bit grumpy during his time at Manchester United.

He’ll have an idea of the players he wants to build his team around. He says he’s really happy with the squad at his disposal and I’m not surprised – Mauricio Pochettino has handed him a seriously talented group.

But he’ll demand loyalty and that immediately means sitting down with the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen and asking them if they are in it for the long-term.

And if he doesn’t get any sort of commitment then I can see them being out of the door in January. That makes good business sense for the club and then Mourinho would be able to bring in the players he has identified.

Mourinho demands total respect in the dressing room and will install a bit of fear in his players. He doesn’t suffer fools and he knows what he wants. And if players aren’t prepared to buy into that he’ll leave them out.

I’m not sure Mourinho and Eriksen is a great fit anyway. Eriksen has made it pretty clear he wants a move away from Tottenham and I can see Mourinho not picking him regularly.

Don’t get me wrong, Mourinho isn’t afraid of flair players, but an Eriksen would never be the cornerstone of his team.

I think Mourinho gets something of an unfair press over his style.

He’ll focus on organisation, fitness and work ethic more than anything else, but he will also adapt his team every week depending on the circumstances and the opposition.

He’s not going to go toe-to-toe with City or Liverpool, so he’ll park the bus and try to hit them on the break. But then he’ll attack other opponents very differently. I remember seeing games in his second stint at Chelsea and also at United where his teams were brilliant to watch. And there were other times when they were dire.

I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed playing under him and that’s an issue that is clearly bugging Tottenham fans.

All the football Spurs have played down the years, even when I was there, was about risk. It was ‘wow’ football and when it came off it was unbelievable and when it didn’t it was awful. He’ll cut the risk out of it.

This is a meticulous manager who will treat every game differently with the long-term goal of winning trophies. And if they do start winning cups but the football isn’t great to watch then he won’t care less and nor will the board. That’s why they’ve taken him there.

Pressure now on Solskjaer with Pochettino on the market

Mauricio Pochettino won’t be out of work for long and there’s a game at Bramall Lane this weekend which could be massive for his future.

Sheffield United take on Manchester United in a game which has far bigger implications than just the three points.

United have never made any secret of the fact that they wanted Pochettino and he’s now suddenly available.

Their problem is that under Solskjaer, United are showing signs of turning a corner. Dan James is blossoming, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford are starting to dominate games and Nemanja Matic is fit again.

Things are looking up for Solskjaer – or they were until Spurs sacked Pochettino.

Defeat at Sheffield United on Sunday suddenly ratchets up the pressure on Solskjaer, there will be a feeding frenzy from the media and it will be interesting to see if United’s board reacts.

Not that United would be alone in wanting Pochettino. Bayern Munich have to be tempted, he has links with Paris Saint-Germain and obviously there’s the lure of Spain.

I’m a big fan of Pochettino who was a massive figure at the club, changing them from a moderate side into a good one, a team who could win a cup into one who could win a league.

The problem for Pochettino is that they never quite managed it though he’s not the first well-regarded Spurs boss to consistently come up short.

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