Positive Pochettino gives Mourinho a lesson in crisis management

The spotlight is on Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to deliver a positive response to a week of negative publicity when faced on Monday with an opposite number who has adopted a very different attitude to similar off – field frustrations .

While Mourinho appears at odds with the club ’ s executive vice- chairman Ed Woodward and key players like Paul Pogba , Mauricio Pochettino has kept Tottenham on track to travel north with a 100 percent record in the Premier League .

The Argentine is likely to have little sympathy for Mourinho’ s complaints about not being backed enough by Woodward in the transfer market after spending over £ 70 million ($ 90 million ) in the off season on Brazilian international Fred and teenage full – back Diogo Dalot.

Tottenham became the first Premier League side since the introduction of the summer transfer window to fail to sign a single player despite Pochettino delivering a third season of Champions League football on a significantly smaller budget than his competitors .

Pochettino has also had to cope with delays to the club ’ s new 62, 000 capacity stadium that will see Spurs play at least their first four games of the season at Wembley .
Yet , unlike Mourinho’ s consistent outbursts against his superiors and expensively assembled squad , Pochettino ’ s pleas for a united front have so far been rewarded in victories over Newcastle and Fulham .

How Woodward may now regret not testing Tottenham’ s resolve by trying to poach him instead of hiring the combustible former Chelsea boss two years ago .