• Levy was also upset that Mourinho had spent 17 months at White Hart Lane and not produced a team superior to that of Mauricio Pochettino. In fact, the team has been far more negative in its style of football and tactics.
• Possibly the biggest story of the week involves six of the biggest clubs in the Premier League signing up to play in the European Super League.
Image: /REUTERS
I wanted to avoid talking about Jose Mourinho and the European Super League this week because I could write several pages for you as my phone has not stopped ringing. However, I am afraid I cannot avoid the two subjects.
Strangely enough, the two subjects seem to run into each other as rumours circulated that Mourinho had refused to take Monday training at Tottenham as they were announced as one of the breakaway 'super-elite' clubs signed up to the Super League.
After checking this out thoroughly at Tottenham, I can tell you that is not true. Mourinho did not take training because he was already aware that his days at Spurs had come to an end. The training session carried on but he did not attend. Chief Executive Daniel Levy arrived early and summoned Mourinho into his office at the training facility. There, he gave Mourinho the news that he was fired!
Levy was unhappy with Mourinho criticising several of his players following their recent run of poor results. The players were angry that Mourinho had not supported them and in the dressing room, all was not well and Levy became very alarmed.
Mourinho never seems to learn his lesson. He was sacked at Chelsea, sacked at Manchester United and now sacked by Tottenham because he turned on his players and refused to take the blame personally for poor results. Once again, the point is proven that if the players are not happy, the manager has to go. The players were all sent a text informing them that Mourinho was no longer in charge.
Levy was also upset that Mourinho had spent 17 months at White Hart Lane and not produced a team superior to that of Mauricio Pochettino. In fact, the team has been far more negative in its style of football and tactics. Levy was upset that players of the quality of Gareth Bale and Dele Alli were left sitting on the bench despite others struggling to get results.
The biggest factor is that Mourinho has failed to deliver Champions League football for next season and his position relied on a top four finish which is now only a remote possibility. Those are the three reasons why Jose is heading back to Portugal with his family and all that is left for him is to ponder a future which does not look very encouraging. His time in the elite Premier League is over.
Of course, one thing to bring a smile to his face is that Spurs now have to hand over two years salary which represents the time left on his contract. That is a cool £20million!
Good riddance to the Super League
Possibly the biggest story of the week involves six of the biggest clubs in the Premier League signing up to play in the European Super League. However, due to a backlash of fan and media, Chelsea and Manchester City backtracked and the whole deal, which was motivated by money, has now disintegrated.
The inside story in the Premier League is that thousands of fans put their stadiums under siege with Liverpool supporters demanding to take down their banners inside the stadium.
They were supported by manager Jurgen Klopp. Manchester United fans blocked the entrance to Old Trafford and Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea supporters took to the streets in protest. Chelsea supporters even prevented the team bus from entering Stamford Bridge as they demonstrated loudly against their club.
The one big thing the owners of these money-grabbing, greedy, breakaway clubs had forgotten is that they are nothing, worth nothing and have no future without the fans and supporters who part with hard earned money and give their time to supporting their clubs.
Good riddance and may the disgraceful Super League proposals be buried deep, never to resurrect.
Lingard decides on his future
Despite approaches from Arsenal and Tottenham, Jesse Lingard has decided he wants to sign permanently for West Ham where he has scored a superb 13 goals in 10 matches since joining on loan from Manchester United. At the Hammers, manager David Moyes has allowed
Jesse a free role moving across the pitch as a striker and midfielder. He has responded with several man-of-the-match performances. United manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer has indicated that he would like Lingard back but cannot guarantee him a permanent first team place. I have been told that United have set a fee of £21.5million.
West Ham have paid £3million in loan fees this season which means they will end up paying £24.5million which is considerably more than many media outlets have reported.
Welcome back to the Canaries
As I mentioned last week, Norwich City have been promoted back to the Premier League next season. They will replace Sheffield United who were relegated after their loss to Wolves at the weekend. The Canaries broke out the champagne in the dressing room after the game and they partied into the evening with manager Daniel Farke enjoying his best day for three years.
Cavani and Greenwood link up
Uruguayan superstar Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood have formed an elite club despite a slight difficulty with language barrier. Together, they have worked to improve Greenwood and manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer says he is now a natural No.9 and the 19-year-old has developed bodily and mentally.
Solskjaer said this week: “I can see that Edi really appreciates Mason’s talent, his hunger and willingness to learn. And in Cavani, he is learning from one of the very best. I don’t want to see Greenwood playing with his back to the goal.”
Despite all these positive remarks, I have learned that Solskjaer will still play Greenwood out wide for the foreseeable future and believes he will move inside during the next couple of years. He added: “Maybe in the future he can play as a central striker but I still think that’s a few years away. Being a centre-forward in the Premier League is probably the hardest position to play. At the moment I think Mason is more suited to playing that wide role, dropping into pockets, finding space and running in behind.” One final note on
Cavani… it seems almost certain that he has decided to return to South America and his agent has suggested Argentina’s Boca Juniors will sign him. I am told the club has reserved both the No.7 and No.9 shirts for him to choose as they are his favourites. It will be a sad day for Greenwood, United fans, the Premier League and football fans when he does leave and we are lucky to have witnessed one of the games’ finest strikers.
Aguero tops lists of big clubs after Haaland
With Sergio Aguero certain to leave Manchester City at the end of season, several big clubs are lining up to sign him. Chelsea are the latest to show interest and owner Roman Abramovich has told the Blues that he will endorse any approach by making the money available.
However, he desperately wants the Blues to sign Erling Haaland and he is making it a personal endeavour to sign the Norwegian. At the same time, Italian giants Juventus have contacted Aguero’s agents to see if he is interested in linking up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Italy.
Barcelona are also keeping tabs on the Argentine and they are drawing up a mouth-watering contract which is performance-based and includes huge win bonuses and appearance money.
Both Chelsea and Barca see Aguero as their fall-back position should either of them fail to sign Norwegian youngster Haaland.
Wijnaldum wants to play alongside Depay
Liverpool’s Gini Wijnaldum’s quest to play for Barcelona at the end of this season is in some doubt because cash is a problem at the Spanish club. Manager Ronald Koeman is trying to sign Memphis Depay from French club Lyon and he and Gini have formed a strong partnership playing for Holland.
Gini’s ambition is to link up with Depay at Barcelona and play alongside Lionel Messi. Wijnaldum and Depay are both out of contract this summer and therefore can negotiate their wages directly with the club.
Gini’s agent has already worked out a deal which suits both Barca and Gini. Depay’s future is still not settled. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants Gini to stay but will only offer a two-year contract whereas Barca have offered three.
Tottenham’s Skipp could challenge for Premier League place
Norwich goes up and down the leagues like a yo-yo but this season, Daniel Farke’s team has been head and shoulders above the rest of the Championship. Unfortunately for Norwich, one of their best players belongs to Spurs. Emi Buendia will probably be voted club Player of the Year but Tottenham’s loan player Oliver Skipp has also performed excellently. The 20 year-old is full of confidence and believes that Tottenham’s current poor displays will give him an opportunity back at White Hart Lane, especially now the ‘Not So Special One’ has departed.
How Guardiola taught Tuchel to beat him
When Chelsea beat Manchester City in the FA Cup last weekend, most fans did not realise the tremendous influence that Pep Guardiola has been on Thomas Tuchel. It mainly happened seven years ago in Munich when both managers were working in Germany. The two were having dinner one night and the talk turned to football. Tactics were discussed and Pep cleared the table. He then used the pepper and salt pots and other items from their meal to show positions on the field and the best way to use players. Pep explained how he changed Barcelona, one of his previous clubs, when he bought Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal and then changed Lionel Messi and used him as a false number nine. He showed Tuchel how to create space on the field with a back three and back four. Until last weekend, the two had played each other five times and Pep never lost. However, last weekend those tactical talks and lessons were not wasted as Tuchel at last came out a winner.
Hey Jude…you are best
It is ironic how fast things move along in football. Twelve months ago, several clubs were watching and thinking about bidding for 17-year-old Jude Bellingham. He was invited and accepted a tour of Manchester United’s Old Trafford and the new Carrington Training
Centre. In the end, Bellingham signed for German club Dortmund because they promised him more first team appearances than United. Fast forward twelve months and Bellingham dominated the midfield for Dortmund against Manchester City in the Champions League. He played with confidence, like a seasoned veteran. He had done the same thing in Dortmund’s previous European match against Spanish club Sevilla so this was no flash in the pan.
Everyone tuned in to watch Erling Haaland but were left talking about Bellingham. Ole Gunner Solskjaer is ruing the day United let Bellingham go as he now needs an all action hero in the No.8 shirt who is strong to tackle and pushes up the pitch with speed and authority.
Jude will eventually end up playing in the Premier League but United will have to pay a fortune to secure his services because Dortmund were smarter just as they were with Jadon Sancho and Haaland when they were relatively unknown youngsters.
Kane’s unenviable record
A sad fact but true: Harry Kane has just broken Liverpool’s unenviable record, held by Robbie Fowler, of having scored the most Premier League goals without ever having won the trophy! That is one reason why Fowler and others have called for Harry to leave Spurs and seek success elsewhere before it is too late.