Jose Mourinho’s new lease of life with Spurs has all the hallmarks of his last title-winning campaign

Mourinho has been branded yesterday’s man of late but Tottenham’s strong start to the season combined with a successful summer window has returned ‘the Special One’ of old that we have missed for too long

Jose Mourinho has a spring back in his step after a successful summer and strong start to the season (Reuters)

After a vintage Gareth Bale goal, it was a flash of vintage Jose Mourinho.

“When I have five minutes, I am going to go on Safari, to see the Real Madrid websites and what they say.”

The wider reference is of course to the criticism Bale has got from the Spanish press, but it is the specific reference to the very type of internet explorer he uses that somehow raises it and adds that bit more spike.

Not Google Chrome or Firefox, or even just “online” - but Safari. That kind of attention to detail is actually a regular piece of Mourinho’s rhetorical style, and often elevates his unique brand of mischief.

It is also a reminder that, when it comes to this kind of thing, the Portuguese really remains the master. When he’s on form, he’s exceptionally funny. He knows how to deliver a line.

The issue is that was easy to forget because it’s been a while since we’ve really seen it. The majority of his time at Manchester United saw a figure who seemed prickly and grouchy, as if he wasn’t enjoying the job.

The last time we really saw him in this kind of form was probably six years ago, at the start of the 2014/15 season. That is not a coincidence, and carries a few parallels with this season.

It was his last true title challenge, and the last league championship he won, but also the last time he got exactly what he wanted in a transfer window - until now. That seems key to this.

As in the summer of 2020, the summer of 2014 saw Mourinho get all the signings he wanted, and almost forensically sort remaining issues in his team to really take them up a level. Chelsea secured the signings of Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Filipe Luis and just took off. The football played in the first four months of that season was among the best of Mourinho’s entire career - until now.

That isn’t a coincidence either.

In contrast to the attacking ideologues like Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola that rule the game now, Mourinho believes in “guided discovery”, and likes attackers to figure out problems for themselves. This can pay off spectacularly when everyone is on form and in a good mood - not least the manager himself. It means they instinctively interchange, executing attacks that seem so integrated. Again, you only have to look at Son Heung-min and Harry Kane for proof.

This was Eden Hazard and Costa in 2014/15.

Mourinho was thrilled with Levy’s work in the transfer window (EPA)

It reflects a content working environment. We are in that stage where Mourinho is in total command of a dressing room. Even some stories of players dissent - like those unhappy they have been dropped - hasn’t led to the usual stories of division, or unrest. They instead reflect his power.

This all feeds into his own contentment. He was generally thrilled with the business Daniel Levy did for him in the summer, which marked such a contrast from the frustration of so many windows with United.

Some would argue that was all that was really missing from his time at Old Trafford.

It seems all the more conspicuous as his side develop a rhythm and an ability to get results that sees them now run Liverpool closest.

We just shouldn’t run away with that theory either. While the first half of 2014/15 saw Chelsea build up enough of a lead to claim the title, it’s also true too many rivals were in transitional periods to properly challenge them.

The same factors that saw Leicester City win the title in 2015/16 were actually in play the season before.

The same factors that saw Mourinho suffer such a fall in 2015/16 were also seeded the season before. That is actually relevant to their current title challenge and - crucially - its sustainability.

That 2014/15 campaign was genuinely a season of two halves. Chelsea looked completely different in the last four months, and so much more constrained and cautious.

The real story of that season is that Mourinho lost his spell over the players when he started to endlessly go on about referees, and to try and convince his squad to push this line in the media. They found it unusually “obsessive” for a team soaring clear at the top. The 5-3 defeat at Spurs - coincidentally enough - also spooked him to the point he locked everything down.

Chelsea lost their momentum and thereby lost their verve. The main problem was that, when they lost form, they lost all attacking impetus. Without an ingrained system to fall back on, they looked predictable, and dull.

That wasn’t such an issue in what now feels a transitional period for the league around 2014. It became a real problem when the new super-managers began to arrive, and figures like Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte and a developing Mauricio Pochettino started to assert the influence.

The game had changed.

The wonder this season is how Mourinho and Spurs will react when the dynamics change, when they encounter problems and a drop-off in form. That is something this congested calendar will really test.

Right now, everything is going their way and almost everyone is happy. Mourinho will no doubt allow himself a smile when he goes through the Madrid sites on his search engine of choice.