"If a team can lose that many games and get to the final of the Champions League, you'd have to say it was a fluke," says Souness on Spurs under Pochettino
Wednesday 20 November 2019 11:18, UK
Jose Mourinho is a "perfect fit" to be Tottenham head coach and it was "common sense" for him to succeed Mauricio Pochettino, according to Graeme Souness.
Spurs handed Mourinho a three-and-a-half-year deal less than 12 hours after announcing that Pochettino had been "relieved of his duties" as the club's manager.
Pochettino's sacking came as no surprise to Souness - "he's been a very unhappy bunny" - and he has backed Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's swift action in replacing him with a three-time Premier League winner.
"I think it was common sense [for Levy to sack Pochettino] and it was common sense again to go for the guy they have gone for," Souness told Sky Sports News.
"Mauricio Pochettino had appeared to be a man who didn't want to be at Spurs, which I find very strange.
"Jose Mourinho is a perfect fit for them.
Deep inside, [Mourinho] is an angry and frustrated man with the way it turned out for him at United, so I think Spurs will reap the benefit of that
"Spurs are genuinely a big football club and they need someone who can turn what is perceived to be attacking attractive football into a slightly more pragmatic approach that will put some silverware in the boardroom.
"He has won trophies wherever he's been and I would expect him to do the same at Spurs.
"Deep inside, he is an angry and frustrated man with the way it turned out for him at United, so I think Spurs will reap the benefit of that.
"Will they win the league this year? No. But they will be far more difficult to play against.
"He is walking into a job in our league with no surprises, he knows what's ahead of him, he knows the players he is playing against and will have a real grasp of the players he is working with."
Spurs decided to dispense of Pochettino after seeing him manage only three wins out of 12 games in the Premier League this season. They are currently languishing in 14th place.
Their struggle to win games domestically is nothing new, though. Spurs have recorded only six wins in domestic competitions since beating Leicester 3-1 at home in February.
"The poor form goes back to last year and what completely camouflaged that was getting to the final of the Champions League," added Souness.
"Last year, it was 20 games in total they lost. If a team can lose that many games and get to the final of the Champions League, you'd have to say it was a fluke and it camouflaged what was really going on at Spurs."
Tottenham's decision to sack Pochettino is "really strange" and "out of order", according to Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher.
"It's a massive shock. There's no doubt Spurs have made a poor start to the season and had a poor 2019 domestically, but I think the job Mauricio Pochettino has done is miraculous," Carragher said on Sky Sports News.
"The timing is very strange. I'm shocked that it's a sacking and when I first heard the news I thought it may have been a mutual agreement. The fact he's been sacked - I find that really, really strange and I also think it's a bit out of order considering the job he's done.
"I think he should have been given until the end of the season to try and get Tottenham back where they should be and where Tottenham should be really is not actually in the top four.
"I'm not trying to patronise them, but in terms of finances and what Pochettino's done with the financial restraints he's had at that club is just unbelievable. Tottenham should be a top-six club but he's made them a top-four club and also a club who almost won the title, almost won the Champions League.
"People may say he never won anything, but considering what he had at his disposal, in terms of the size of the squad, just shows Pochettino's quality as a manager. He certainly deserved to see out the season and get as close as possible to the Champions League."
Jamie Redknapp, also speaking on Sky Sports News, was left surprised by the decision to sack Pochettino, and gave an insight into what life with Levy is like.
"I was surprised. They've had an awful start to the season, and towards the back end of last season. Pochettino has to take responsibility, he's the manager.
"I was at Tottenham for a number of years, and Daniel Levy is not an easy man to work for, whether you're a player or a manager. That goes without saying, and Pochettino has probably done well to last five years. But Daniel Levy is probably thinking: 'I've given this guy five years, and what have we won?' The answer to that is nothing.
"There are other managers, you would think, in that period, who would have won trophies with that squad. They've got a team full of internationals, from top to bottom."
Meanwhile, the former Spurs midfielder believes Mourinho could end up clashing with the frugal Levy.
"Is he the right fit for Tottenham? It's interesting, as Jose likes to spend money, and Daniel doesn't, and Jose would want to get some really big names into the building," explained Redknapp.
"He likes experience, and isn't really one for playing young players, but you can't argue with what he's done in the game."
