José Mourinho led Tottenham Hotspur to their first away win in the Premier League since January on Saturday.
Spurs managed to defeat West Ham United 3-2 but beyond the result, several traits can be learnt about Mourinho and the tactical plans that may lie ahead for his team.
The Portuguese is renowned for having an immediate impact, and based on how the visitors performed on the weekend, it’s reasonable to suggest that he has a clear vision for progress.
4-2-3-1 was Mourinho’s formation of choice, but that shape became somewhat asymmetric whenever possession was secured.
Serge Aurier is a much more attack-minded full-back than Ben Davies, and the new Spurs boss seemed to appreciate that and adjust accordingly.
Aurier regularly advanced to play on the same line as the team’s attackers, while Davies instead tucked inside to form a situational back three as a means of offering insurance against counter-attacks, shown below.
The formation essentially morphed into 3-2-4-1 with possession, with the Ivorian defender supplying an assist for Harry Kane to finish in the 49th minute as a consequence of his offensive role while Davies remained disciplined by contrast.
The Welsh defender is slower than Aurier and he's less of a threat in possession, so rather than instructing the player to influence what he can in the final third, Mourinho instead appeared to recognise his profile and use him appropriately.
Spurs always appeared to have five players ahead of the ball trying to score, with five players behind to provide assurance for whenever the ball was lost. The players ahead all possessed attacking qualities, whereas those behind held attributes better suited to the defensive side of the game.
Dele Alli was another whose role seemed to change.
The English talent initially burst onto the scene some years ago as a highly effective no.10, but he’s since become a multi-functional midfielder due to Mauricio Pochettino’s tendency to make adjustments, as well as the team’s struggles in deeper areas of the pitch.
Dele was gradually required to fulfil less decisive responsibilities that took place away from the final third, due to a lack of investment combined with the sale of Moussa Dembele, and his output suffered.
Mourinho seemed to showcase a desire to restore Dele’s original influence. The 23 year-old was deployed behind Kane and consistently linked the play by operating in pockets of space, while also making late runs into the box to find a goal.
Those actions don’t seem too elaborate, yet Dele had previously refrained from performing in such a manner for around 18 months.
Beyond those tactics, Mourinho’s style of play seemed very apparent.
The former Manchester United manager is a master of adapting based on the tools at his disposal.
He once stated: “You can compare my Porto team with Liverpool. We lose the ball, we bite like mad dogs and recover the ball in two seconds. In Real Madrid I had my best team in direct counter-attack. In Inter I had my best team in a defensive low block.”
On Saturday, Mourinho exhibited his preference to use the mobility and direct nature of his new set of players, rather than encouraging long and safe passing sequences.
The likes of Dele, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min in particular have qualities that are useful when the play is fast and forward.
Pochettino’s brand of football is founded upon control and dominating the final third, and that naturally requires more careful and sideways moves.
By contrast, Spurs demonstrated an intent to quickly move from A to B against the Hammers, with vertical passes fired into the feet of Dele, allowing him to turn before feeding a teammate running beyond.
The prospect of Tanguy Ndombele executing such a style is exciting, as he’s a midfielder who’s previously developed a reputation for his ability to progress the ball successfully with incisive passes.
The Frenchman is accustomed to playing as one of a midfield pairing, so it's likely that once fit, he'll enter the fray alongside Harry Winks or Eric Dier. Ndombele will be highly valued by Mourinho because of his physically imposing traits combined with his technically prowess, and he'll surely help the team in regard to advancing up the field swiftly rather than opting for easy options on the ball.
Mourinho’s signature ability to recognise the strengths and limitations of his team before devising a plan is remarkable and it doesn’t seem to have dwindled despite the negative reports that often surround him.
It’s early days, but the Portuguese has already employed a formation that complements each of his players, as well as instilling an offensive approach that appears better suited in comparison to the possession-orientated game from before.
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