One of the greatest qualities of any manager is to be able to spot when a team needs to be rebuilt.
This is surely the end of an era for this generation at Tottenham but it begs the question as to whether Jose Mourinho is the right man to overhaul an ageing, fading group of players.
Mourinho has never been in charge long enough at any of his previous clubs to oversee a rebuilding job but has inherited a Spurs team in decline and facing a period of transition.
Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Hugo Lloris are all into their 30s and arguably past their best, even Harry Kane has become injury prone and Giovani Lo Celso is their only standout signing in recent times.
Mourinho has a track record of winning trophies and has delivered at all of his previous clubs but Spurs have not won anything since the League Cup in 2008 and appear to be as far away as ever.
The Spurs fans may also take some convincing especially after Mourinho’s brutal public put down of £55m midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.
Challenging players probably worked in his first spell at Chelsea, but times change and Tottenham players do not appear ready to run through brick walls for him like Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba back in the day.
Former boss Mauricio Pochettino warned Tottenham needed an overhaul and they did not listen so now, with the squad looking tired and stale, it will only be a bigger job.
This is arguably Mourinho’s biggest test with his reputation firmly on the line with a chance to show the magic is still there.
Great managers, like Sir Alex Ferguson, built three or four different teams and enjoy consistent success and now Spurs have to accept this team needs reinventing.
There will be big money to spend this summer, they must buy well to convince Kane his future is at White Hart Lane because he is desperate to win trophies but they must also be ruthless with players coming to an end.
They want another striker, right back, centre half and it will need serious investment to get the club back on an upward trajectory.
Tottenham are now six without a win in all competitions after crashing out of the Champions League at RB Leipzig, they face Manchester United on Sunday and another defeat would be a serious blow to morale and their chances of finishing in the top four.
Spurs forward Lucas Moura admits they are “missing something” but getting it back will be tough especially in the next few weeks while Kane and Son Heung-Min are still out.
Moura said: “I don’t think there is a lack of confidence. We know that we have good players, we have a good squad and we can do better. It is just football.
“Sometimes you can try everything you play well, you don’t win. It is just something that is missing. We will find the winning way again.
“What happened last season showed that we are a very good team, a very good club, that we have great players, but now is a new season, a new moment.
“I cannot tell you what happened if it is about mentality, about confidence, but we know that something is missing. We need to keep fighting and working.
“Every season it is our objective to get into the Champions League. We know we need to be better. The last few results were not good and we have to improve our game.
“It’s true that it’s a very difficult moment for us. But the only way that we have is to keep fighting, keep believing. Now we have only the Premier League and we need to be in a better position.
“Our objective is the top four, the Champions League next season. I believe, I believe that it’s possible. We will try.”
