Episode 2 of Amazon Prime’s “All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur” focused on the person within Spurs with the biggest dimension of notoriety, Jose Mourinho.
The first episode of “All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur” took fans on a journey that was months in the making from the incredible triumph in Amsterdam through several dips following that incredible high.
The climax of the episode was built around the sacking of one manager – Mauricio Pochettino – and the introduction of a new manager, Jose Mourinho, and the hours and interactions that immediately followed. Episode 1 provided the framework and Episode 2 carried it forward, these are the “new” Spurs under Jose Mourinho.
Episode 2 began just before Mourinho’s first pre-game presser as he was preparing for the questions likely to come his way before the West Ham derby. Who knows how many questions were asked and for many, the response was who cares, as everyone got what they wanted, the Jose soundbite about never going to Tottenham as a Chelsea man, being “before I was sacked.”
Frankly, his initial response of winning three trophies and then getting sacked as being a betrayal was even better, but not appropriate given the wording of the question asked in the presser. Nevertheless, his handling of the media, is something we are all already familiar with, in Episode 2 we also got an inside look at Mourinho off the pitch as a manager and a persona.
Inside with Jose Mourinho
The crew followed Jose Mourinho around as he went about meeting all the different operational teams within the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club at Lilywhite House. Much like a new president or even a celebrity making an introductory tour, Mourinho was paraded from department to department for selfies and some words of self-confidence and appreciation. For the finance team, Jose loves them, he recognized the role of IT in everything, and had one word to say about HR, “dangerous”.
All the while everyone was all smiles as out came the cameras as employees and even families took photos with self-proclaimed Special One. Given the way everyone seems to react to his presence, maybe he really is the Special One and if he wins a trophy or more than one at Spurs over the next season, I imagine most of us associated with the club will call him whatever he wants. The point is, the celebrity of Mourinho is real and it is hard not to notice.
We also got insight into Mourinho the coach, both as a tactician and as a man manager. The intimacy shown in the Eric Dier situation, where one minute he is being told that me “being here can be good for you” and the next where Mourinho, in his own words, is “stabbing him in the back”, is very revealing of what it is like to play at any club and particularly under a man like Mourinho.
Even more revealing is Jose’s frank conversation with Daniel Levy where for the good of the family, he needs to reinsert Dier in the next match and is willing to sacrifice Harry Winks for it. I recollect Jose defending both his decision and Dier to the media after the match, but this was an inside look at how he handled a potentially devastating situation with Eric.
Whereas Jose is speaking Portuguese and thinking about the impact his decisions are having on Dier, alternatively, he is approaching Serge Aurier and Dele Alli quite differently.
With both players, Mourinho is sharing how he feels both publicly and privately with both. His understanding of which button to push to get that performance is impressive. A lot of players would not be able to play after being told he was afraid of being played, but Serge went on to have a heck of a season under Jose and was a mainstay in the lineup.
Likewise, Jose is on Dele nearly from the moment he steps onto the pitch with his whistle. He continues in the film sessions on the practice pitch, and then back in his office in Enfield. I agree with Jose and his proposition that Dele will regret it if he does not give more, and you can read more about Dele here.
But, for Jose to be able to walk in and lay things that plainly so quickly shows just how confident Mourinho is in himself and his read of his people. Given Dele’s initial response, we know he is on the right path.
According to Mourinho, “Football is about trying to win” and there is no doubt Jose is willing to do whatever he thinks it takes to try to win. Whether that is shove Serge way up the right wing and ask Christian Eriksen to cover the space behind or praise a ball boy for a job exceptionally well done, once Jose decides he is going to do it, he does it and does it 100 percent just like he expects from others. It just so happens the other two stars of this episode are on his list.
The Adventures of Serge and Dele
Okay, so this is not the next Dele/Dier bromance of the year, but it is clear the Serge Aurier and Dele Alli are friends and in this instance shared both the ire of the coach and the spotlight of the camera. The two were only together for a couple clips, all from the same basic setting – after Serge spilled a drink on coach’s shoes.
As Dele breaks the bad news to Serge and everyone else that can claim innocence scatters, Serge tries to use his warmup gear to clean up the shoes. Likely did not happen, but I think coach can afford more. Dele shares his insights on proper etiquette in terms of politely asking for his jacket, but it is unclear if Serge was listening.
For Dele, we saw him philosophizing on the depths of brushing one’s teeth, where someone’s apparent disregard for getting the toothbrush wet again after putting the toothpaste on left him quite baffled. However, the clips on Serge were much more personal as the defender visited a local school to bring some sunshine to an otherwise dreary London day.
Serge’s understanding of where he came from and how fortunate he is was real. The idea that he could have gone this way or that, and then worked hard to stay the course is something just about any fan of any team can relate to. Of course, remembering that he lost his brother toward the end of the season back in his hometown from gun violence made the day and conversation even more real for fans.
As a former right back – among other positions – I can appreciate the challenge of the position and everything Serge brings to it. While I know he can divide the fan base with the same recklessness that scares Jose Mourinho, there is no denying his effort, or the real humanity captured in the piece. Hopefully, those that are not big fans, can just relate a bit more and appreciate what he brings instead of focus on what he might lack from time to time.
Fittingly, Episode 2 of “All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur” finished very much the way it began with Jose Mourinho and the press. Instead of it being Jose joking about what had occurred, it was Jose focused on winning, and remembering the six goals conceded more than the 10 goals scored in his first three matches in charge.
Six was important as the episode closed as Spurs were suddenly six points back of Chelsea and the top four. Of course, we all know from the outside what happened next, now with Episode 3 and then beyond, we will see how it transpired.
What did you think of Episode 2? What do you think about Spurs and Amazon, is there more there?