Manchester United and Mourinho set for fiery Old Trafford reunion

In a shocking turn of events, former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was appointed as head coach by Tottenham hours after Mauricio Pochettino was sacked.

Several fans would have been expecting a change in North London, but probably not in such an abrupt manner. With the international break barely over, Spurs wasted no time in changing managers after a very poor start to the season, with former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho taking charge.

They’ve struggled to replicate the form that took them to the Champions League final last season, leaving them in 14th place going into Gameweek 13.

After more than five years at the helm, Pochettino has left the club with no trophies to his name, but a tangible sense of progress.

The lack of silverware has always been an issue for fans though, which might be one of the reasons why Daniel Levy has turned to Mourinho.

Generally, the Portuguese boss would be one of the last people you would associate with Tottenham, but he does have a track record of providing assured short-term success.

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Just under a year ago, Mourinho himself had just been sacked by Manchester United, after a 3-1 defeat at Anfield to Liverpool. He’s been linked to other clubs since then, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but the appeal of the Premier League might have convinced him to go with Spurs.

His first match in charge will be the London derby this weekend against West Ham United.

His fourth match as Spurs boss will see him back in the Old Trafford dugout for the first time since he left the club, on December 4th, in what promises to be a mouth-watering reunion.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Mourinho’s successor, oversaw some impressive wins during his honeymoon period, before everything seemed to be derailing for the Norwegian.

But there’s been an improvement in recent performances, helping the Red Devils climb back up to 7th place. If Mourinho can improve Spurs in a similar way, the match against United could turn out to be crucial in deciding who finishes in the European places this season.

Mourinho has been spotted at Old Trafford a couple of times after his sacking, and the fans have always welcomed him at the stadium, but there’ll be no love lost on the pitch.