On Wednesday, Tottenham will travel to Man United for an interesting clash. The most exciting aspect of this game is the return of Jose Mourinho to Old Trafford almost a year after he was sacked by the Red Devils.
After rumored clashes with key players, namely Paul Pogba, and a downward spiral in the results department, the 20-time Premier League champions parted ways with the Special One. Now he returns with a new club with the sole aim of winning.
The three points at stake is the most crucial thing but given the way his Man United reign came to end, many feel Jose is seeking revenge in his first return to Old Trafford since his sacking. The Spurs boss was asked about this issue but the Special One insisted he holds no grudges.
Instead, he quoted the iconic Nelson Mandela when describing his spell at the Theatre of Dreams, admitting that his time there taught him lessons. He said (as per the Evening Standard):
"This is a closed chapter for me. I left the club and took my time to process everything that happened. I took my time to prepare myself for the next challenge.
"Honestly, Manchester United for me now is in my history book. Like Mr. [Nelson] Mandela was saying: 'You never lose – you win or you learn'. At United I won and I learned. No regrets."
"Going back to Old Trafford is to go back to a place where I was happy. I have a great relationship with Manchester United supporters. I went back as a pundit [and] was really humbled by such a beautiful reception.
"Tomorrow I go back as the coach of the team that is going to try to beat Manchester United. I expect this respect that they always show towards me, but I understand what they want is exactly the opposite of what I want. I want Tottenham to win, they want Manchester United to win. During the match I expect them to forget me and I expect them to support their team to get the result they want."
He added: "I'm not a villain, I'm not an enemy but I am the coach trying to win against Manchester United – that's how they're going to look at me. They're not going to support me, they're going to support [current boss Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer."
Victory over Man United would be crucial for the north London giants. Since succeeding Pochettino, the Portuguese tactician has led them to three successive victories in all competitions but their immediate goal is to return to the top four.
They currently trail fourth-placed Chelsea by six points. The Blues have stumbled to back-to-back defeats in the league and might struggle without top scorer Abraham when they host Aston Villa. Tottenham must win and hope for a slip-up from Lampard's men.
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