All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur and the Club’s Current Standing

Areview of the latest Prime Original Football documentary as it gives an exclusive look at the state of North London’s Spurs and their trials and tribulations in the 2019/20 Premier League Season under one of the games most successful managers and ‘serial winner’ - José Mourinho

The Harry Kane Fronted Poster for the Series

Bit of an acknowledgement is required here, this’ll be a piece in a number of parts, week by week it’ll see the latest episode reviewed and upon the closure of the series, will give a summary review as well as an examination of the current situation at Tottenham and where they go from here, in similar fashion to my other works on football/sports media, with that in mind, let’s begin.

Mourinho in his First interview for the Docuseries

The Bonus Content - Always a chance of seeing something extra insightful, it’s perhaps the biggest miss for people interested in media to see this kind of extra content die out with the innovation of Streaming and their originals. In all, this is a little sizzle reel for what’s to come. It’s the trailer, opened with a sit down interview with Mourinho and shows a bit of a more joyful side to the manager whilst he speaks to the camera crew.

Episode 1: A New Signing

So, the Tottenham situation as a whole, I’ll cover it in better depth when I get to the breakdown of the club’s current stature though it is something I intend on adding to this piece upon completion of the show’s airing, that said, it is abundantly clear from the first episodes opening credits (roughly the first 4 minutes), Spurs’ situation is a very different and unique focus than what the other football specific docu-series backed by Amazon have to offer. The others that spring to mind: All or Nothing: Manchester City & Inside Borussia Dortmund. The latter example is in itself a bit unique, comparatively speaking it is more long spanning, covering Dortmund’ recent history back to its roots. That said, as interesting as this Dortmund series was, it lacked a little focus - you never really had a grasp of Dortmund’s placing in a sense outside of the context of football and there was little in terms of qualitative data, in a sense it was a little like a bit of an unfinished biography of how BVB survived a terror attack, transitioned back to stability after Jürgen Klopp left them, and how, in many ways, they shook free this tag of them being a ‘selling club’. Though it has its unique spin on the sports documentary, it pales in comparison to the structure given by the All or Nothing brand. The Manchester City series is an interesting piece to consider here, for as much as they do stand on their own two feet as separate products, it will be valuable to see how these shows depict two different states of success in the same division. With contrasting fortunes, the many narrative strands created in both shows will allow the viewer, and likely the fan of the premier league to take nuggets of information from some of the finest managers to grace not only the English game but the sport itself. I’ll expand on that notion later in better depth as there is some genuine content there and some points to be made, it’ll come in time when this show has completed and there’s a clear narrative in place. What I am immediately grateful for, is the cooperation from these clubs and establishments, its been a drama filled year for Tottenham and it would've been just to see Spurs back away from this deal as to not air their dirty laundry so freely in public, yet instead made what is a clever business move on their behalf. Much like when Manchester City opened their doors to the cameras, it gave someone like myself, a man who’s ultimately a Premier League neutral and someone with A burning passion for the sport, something to feast upon and find value within. Seeing the best at work as they conduct a whole array of business and simply getting versed in tactics from some of the games revolutionaries, there’s an almost voyeuristic pleasure, it feels genuinely valuable consumption. And whilst I’m on this wave of what’s essentially pre-amble, it will be something of immense value in time to come and will document how Tottenham/the wider football community, dealt with a crippling global pandemic and as such, this sErie’s might morph into a ‘piece of record’ for the future, a title that captures an element of 2020 and allowing others to draw valuable information from how this industry dealt with the ‘act of god’. Coming back to the content of the documentary, Daniel Levy does come off quite well in this - he’s shown a number of sides to himself and ultimately, for as ‘stingy’ as his public image is, seems to be operating with the best interests of Spurs at his heart. From dealing with the management overall to rebuilding their home base into the ‘ultimate arena’ for multi purpose use, there’s the astute business man on display, just as much as there’s the ‘caring employer’. Generally though, the fickle nature of football has its mask fully ripped off, the dealings of Mauricio Pochettino get little attention from the edit, despite his tangible and measurable success with the club but just as much, we see a few subliminal swipes at the Argentine manager, it’s almost willing to down play his role in what he did to revolutionise Tottenham. Whilst we are focusing on the manager though, that Champions League defeat was immeasurably damaging, I’d like to see something that discusses the paths of both Liverpool and Tottenham after that match and how they’ve fared in the times since then. Generally though, it seemed as though Pochettino had really took a major hit as a man following his supposed failures, delivering a speech on anticipating a falling house. It’s a metaphor that covers the end of his time at Tottenham but the delivery of it and the nature of what he’s saying is really nihilistic and it was sad to see a once enigmatic figure, completely dejected. His demise followed a dismantling from eventual winners Bayern Munich in the champions league and the VAR controversial game versus Sheffield United, the rot couldn’t be stopped and it meant Levy donned his executioner hat and gloves to do the job - cutting ties with the Argentine. Whether or not you believe it, it does appear as though Levy struggled to make this decision and the departure seemed to rattle the club from top to bottom, though the players appeared to have a staged a little mutiny, Levy pulled the trigger and the staff as a whole really had a connection with the prior establishment, it’s subjective where you fall on the matter but it does put out there, a number of possibilities and ultimately gives the viewer the chance to see how the club see themselves and their identity which is around the elites of England and so they had to act as a means of remaining competitive. Though I‘ll cover the situation of Tottenham as a whole in its own dedicated light upon the closure of the series, I wholeheartedly believe the former PSG Star, doesn’t get anywhere near as much credit for his works at Spurs. He revolutionised the club and demolished the hegemonic ‘top six’ of the Premier League. Though his closest brushing with domestic success was vested by the 5000/1 underdogs - Leicester City - ran by Ranieri, Pochettino ushered in this new age of quality and deserves a lot more notice for providing the league with a lot more quality, essentially levelling the field for perceived ‘lesser clubs’. With a play style fitting of the modern age and bringing through a number of stars at Tottenham who have become bona fide national stars (See: Kane, Winks & Dele for instance), Pochettino should be looked upon with fondness. I appreciate the depth behind what’s been ’memed’ - those shocked reactions are quite refreshing and indicate a lot about the men who make up the squad, they’re all a bit heightened emotionally as they’ve lost what one would imagine is a father figure/close friend in their old manager and some state their trepidations as well as excitement about playing under new manager Mourinho. As he’s signed and begins to move himself into the club, he gives the interview seen in the trailer for the show and as a whole, it’s a different side to the man which is something we’ve not seen over his continued, long spanning love affair with the English top division. Generally, it opens up his image and allows the viewer to delve into his psyche after breaking through the bravado he’s often shown in his stunts at Chelsea and that honesty is refreshing, from his first, self-aware, jovial interview to his dismissal of Sky Sports with the shutting down of the TV and exclamation of ‘Fuck Off’ - as entertaining as that is, he does seem like for the first time in an era, he now has to prove himself once more, a theory of mine that is somewhat supported by again, a moment of awareness when he’s accepted that he needs to get back in the saddle and ride to the challenge once more. It is honestly what you’d want as a viewer, there’s a revealing look into the man behind the mask and it’s heartwarming, you can see him forging these bonds with the stars, learning names and implementing his coaching philosophies, he’s almost like a ‘well written character’. I find this matching of Jose with Tottenham to be very interesting, its almost like joining together two wounded animals and training them to fight again, the future for the club is really bright. Though one gets a look at the man behind the front, it’s also incredibly deep when it comes to covering his his management abilities. From his sit down with club captain Harry Kane where he calms the storm and lays out his aims for club and individual, its so valuable to see how he works, be it from training to employing tactics mid match or psycho-analysing the men at his disposal its really eye opening and offers so much mode than what you could get from the pages of a book or even punditry at times. Often videoing the tactical debriefs he delivers, the Mourinho style can be summed up simply: ‘You need to be Bastards’. The closing line from an expletive rant, he encourages them to almost shed their off pitch personalities and play the villain for 90 minutes, throw their weight around, be physical, embrace the dark arts of football. His rhetoric is valid and it’s something that is evident in Mourinho’s history of success. As the episode nears its end, we edge closer to seeing the Lilywhite make a maiden bow under new management in a London Derby. With Kane donning the armband and delivering a rousing speech the first episode covers a lot of ground in the recent history of the club, largely via the voice over from Tom Hardy. Additionally we see a lot in terms of how Spurs work as a business and typical football club. Though I’d typically not quantify a title by a ratings metric, this is something I’d consider as an 8 out of 10 if you will, it’s a strong base to build off going forth as it clearly sets up a narrative ready to be fleshed out and explored in following episodes. Incredible, high quality TV that’s suitable for both the average viewer and the ‘football head’, it’s something I’d recommend regardless of where you fall in those two categories.

Dele in action Vs West Ham - Mourinho’s First Game

Episode 2: A New Start

Begins with a press conference, an example of frequent jumping through time, ahead of his first match in charge vs West Ham. The match footage is a unique take and then some, as it is to my tastes, I’ve seen a lot of football related documentaries, compilations etc. And while there can be things drawn from this type of footage, it is a very limiting and shackling base of content. Whether you’re examining footage for scouting purposes, analysis or incorporating it in a documentary, there’s often little aside from basic highlights but this iteration of All or Nothing has a lot more identity in its visuals. With footage from the sidelines and around the nets, with isolated audio of solely players and staff, it further compounds the amount of tactical knowledge you can gain from the show and marks it as unique from its peers and competitors. There are a few sub plots raised in this episode, namely José and Dele’s forming relationship as the manager digs him out for being a bit of a lazy player in training, begging him to ask for more from his performances And boy does it work - as shown in the Derby after a goal was scored from a moment of sheer genius via a prone Dele. Overall the manager further reveals a passion that wasn’t noticeable in his prior jobs as the media somewhat demonised him. The duality of the manager is often emphasised, the Spurs won the game 3-2 overall and we see his emphatic bursts of joy, juxtaposed with his level headed and full blown breakdown of the squad and their performances in the confines of the dressing room at half time. Generally, Hardy’s voice over is enchanting and weirdly cold at the same time, doesn’t really detract from the content but something you stans of the man might find interesting. Episode by episode, a new player takes the forefront and this time it’s Serge Aurier. The Ivorian right back has either fell out of favour or slightly down the pecking order, especially with the arrival of Matt Doherty, but given his strong community ties, willingness to improve on criticism and decent output for the club, one wonders, can they afford to lose him? Dier does mesh well with Mourinho, he’s been perennially linked with the Portuguese manager and they have an immediate connection. Under the microscope is the Olympiacos game which is one of the highlights of the season. Eriksen, now an Inter Milan employee, does move more to the forefront of the narrative, though they have a good bond, the manager subs Dier off in favour of the iced out Danish playmaker Eriksen and it appears the Englishman took it hard. While the game was changed via some magic from their stars and a clever ball boy, it only really added to some of the internal drama at the club, the substitution was a headline maker and for as tactically astute it was, these players weren’t really bought on side by the choice to say the least. The following ball boy reward was a nice story to see, the players seem to appreciate his efforts and they give him a warm welcome which is nice to see and adds to the image of the club who want to be a social institution and benefit the area of Tottenham. Following this brief saga, we get to spend some more time with Dele, he’s introduced via a ‘profile video’ which charts his rise from MK Dons to Tottenham and international stardom. Again, it shows the concerted effort to make the series accessible to all and it does a great job at doing so. At times though, spinning these plates of different audiences can become difficult and often generic or uninteresting, perhaps to someone like myself who’s aware of the footballing world. To not labour the point too much about the quality of the game footage, it does a good job of contextualising the importance of game days and communicating how these games flow together in their attempts at rising back up the ranks of the league. Though it might not be fully linked, it does a good job of showing how Mourinho’s man management has a direct impact on his players, with Dele’s effort rising and regaining confidence. Upon closure, this episode as a whole spent more of a focus on the ability and undeniable quality of the exceptional Portuguese manager and makes a micro point of highlighting his desires to adjust and fix the defence and it’s unsteadiness showing his area of expertise.

L - R: Winks, Kane & Dele celebrating Vs Olympiacos

Episode 3: No More Mr Nice Guy Beginning with the squad on a plane and a joke argument at expense of Dele’s abysmal driving ability, it’s another case of excellent chemistry between the squad. Covering the first defeat under the tenure of Mourinho, there’s a heated debrief where Mourinho once again urges his boys to find their ‘bastardness’ or ‘Mamba Mentality’ to channel the late Kobe Bryant. Surprisingly the Eriksen saga gets a lot of air time and a lot of perspectives too which was surprising, hearing from the Staff side of things as well as directly from the player which was a shock I wasn’t expecting in the slightest. Here we once again see a lot of the business side in the day to day running of a football club, from this whole, somewhat bitter saga with the Danish midfielder to the dealings with contracts for both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, giving all sides of the story adds a touch of dramatic irony, especially for those viewers who’ll be aware of the current situations of the professionals in question. Following the Spurs legend, Vertonghen on his community duties, while it is to an extent ‘Pro Spurs Propaganda’ its another case of showing the community ties and with the Belgian defender seeming to really be committed to his extra curricular duties and with him now plying his trade in Portugal, he’ll be sorely missed on and off the pitch. If this show does only one thing, I hope Mourinho’s image is restored, or has some greater respect in the weight of the game. The first trio of episodes really showcase what exactly made him a great of the sport and the under seen aspects of how he’s sustained such a prolonged and successful, decorated career. Even in defeat he manages to make something from it and make sure his teams do the same - with episode four promising to be a juicy affair, the Champions League places are in touching distance, Kane faces an injury, Japhet Tanganga is introduced to senior football and the Lilywhites face the unstoppable force that is contemporary Liverpool, a bit of a ‘filler’ episode in comparison to the first two episodes, it is still a worthwhile affair but next week can’t come fast enough!

Some Genius Marketing from Amazon

Having a brief breakaway from the show itself, Amazon -judging from social media reception - have another hit on their hands! Its took the the football world by storm, has seen stellar levels of engagement and ultimately reached many, I’m sure it’s ticked a lot of boxes for the staff at the streaming giants and thought I’d bring your attention to their clever marketing stance. Hosting billboards in Manchester, the city of Mourinho’s former employers, and around North London to shadow over their rivals, it’s a glimpse at some innovative and clever moves on behalf of those behind it.

Episode 4: Season’s Greetings

The FA Cup is now the focus, Mourinho highlights the difficulty of winning the tournament and the dangers underestimating lower tiered opposition. With Christmas prep underway on and off the field, Tottenham suffer from a slew of injuries and problems ahead of a number of key fixtures. Coupled with a suspension and growing problems, a dejected Mourinho is forced to turn to the academy, promoting to senior level: Japhet Tanganga, Oliver Skipp and Troy Parrott. Tanganga is a Tottenham native and seems overjoyed to be part of the setup, his emotional investment pleases Mourinho and his attitude is positive on the whole. The team check in for Christmas Day training and all are upbeat ahead of a trip to the south coast to face Brighton on Boxing Day. Looking to avenge the defeat again at the sea gulls earlier in the season which saw Hugo Lloris - World Cup winning club captain - break his arm. Ryan Sessegnon makes his Premier League now for the Lilywhites and things couldn’t start worse with Adam Webster putting Brighton ahead. Kane levels and his goal is followed up by an audacious chip from Dele, Tottenham won the game and bounce back from defeat to Chelsea. 2 days later, Spurs languish in 6th spot after a disappointing draw with Norwich before their trip to Southampton to break in 2020. After spending the turn of the year in a hotel, the boys head straight back to work, the main flashpoint of the match being a hamstring injury to Harry Kane, the star boy. His injury further opens the rift and damages Tottenham’s chances as fans, ”professionals“ & staff alike are desperate to seek effective cover. The squad are reeling and in high alert after this blow and it highlights the risk of congested fixture lists with 75 injuries league wide. Tottenham are served with 5 key injuries across the pitch which opens the door for the youngsters. Tanganga makes his bow against runaway leaders (and eventual champions) Liverpool. Starting at right back, the academy product makes a number of impressive and vital, stops and imposed himself even in defeat. With the replay of Middlesbrough next on the calendar, we get more of a look into Tanganga rather than his on the pitch play and it reveals his analytical side, as he reflects upon his debut and then show stealing man of the match performance vs Middlesbrough. Towards the closure of this episode, Eriksen signals his intent to leave and take on that new challenge and it honestly feels jarringly amicable.

Mourinho consulting Tanganga

Episode 5: New Blood

January is here and the window, with all its joys is in full effect. Mourinho however almost quells the drama with a calmness and pragmatic approach. Davies, Eriksen and Kane discuss the topic of transfers, prices and the apparent need to strengthen at every turn. Captain Lloris is back in training, Gedson Fernandes was on the manager’s radar for some time and he’s joins on a loan to buy deal. Gedson debuts against Watford, they have a chance to jump up the league and Gazzaniga saves a penalty but the month without a win continues on. Doncaster’s finest Danny Rose gets a highlight, he confronts Mourinho on his lack of game time in a tense discussion. Mourinho later dubs it the ‘Impossible Task’ - the job of trying to keep everyone happy. This little saga highlights the defensive troubles Tottenham face, they lack a strong base that can be consistent and suffer from recurring injury niggles. Eriksen‘s saga bears an end as Inter Milan meet the valuation, the Dane now I’m the company of Luka Modric, exceptional midfielders who were excellent servants to Spurs. Lloris returns to the eleven and dons the armband as they easily dispatch the Canaries in the home fixture. Rose pushes for a move away and a Steven Bergwijn enters Spurs’ scope - a real coup as they secured him ahead of some elite competition. As the Dutch man arrives, Eriksen heads to Milan and Rose the North East. Mourinho debriefs on City, his management is meticulous and he perfectly adjusts to the upcoming challenge. With the need for his team to find their inner bastard, they attack the cautioned City players resulting in a red card for Zinchenko. In a following play, Bergwijn takes a chance to rifle home on his debut and endear himself to the fans. Son tucks home after him and Mourinho tops Guardiola once more.

Bergwijn unveiling his celebration

Episode 6: Running on Empty

Opening with another charming Mourinho press conference, it’s incredibly clear to see he’s an Elite manager - comes as no real surprise - and his philosophies get a lot of the screen time, shown no better than his on the fly adjustment to fix his system to better accommodate for shorter, quicker forwards in Kane’s absence. The club is incredibly well connected, from top to bottom and it functions in this almost symbiotic sense which wasn’t something I expected to see on screen. Lamela and Lucas anchor this episode, you can see both want to play consistently for Tottenham and morph into club legends but neither have really managed to hit that form just yet. Generally at this stage, the club seem to be taking two steps forward and then three steps back, plagued by an injury crisis, enduring cup replays etc. If Mourinho gets a fit squad and a number of additions he desires, I’m of no doubt they’ll be able to contend and perhaps win on a number of fronts. Davies returns to the first team after an injury lay off thanks to a freak accident with clogging boots that caused Ankle ligament damage. His plight highlights a big criticism I have, where the Manchester City documentary was rounded in its content presentation, I find here that one gets more of a look at the intricacies of day to day workings but in a trade off for chronology - Dates are only really made explicitly clear on a matchday and sometimes events are just relayed in a fashion that would confuse Christopher Nolan - it’s lacking a bit of awareness in presentation of sub plots and can be a bit jarring when you end up lost in it at times. Back to the football, we see the fitness strain on the squad: whilst players like Lloris have returned and returned to form, there’s no much on pitch chemistry and the fatigue makes them their own worst enemy at times when they stop functioning as an eleven. They nearly make a pig’s ear off their game away at Aston Villa, involving a penalty, own goal and general struggle whilst man in form Heung-Ming Son lands awkwardly and injured himself, launching another spanner to the works. With struggles to maintain fitness and keep players functioning, the club struggle to have a fighting chance in the upcoming round of Champions league fixtures and that’s where episode 6 bows out: Leipzig come to town, the squad look to have fought through pain and got themselves ready, only episode 7 will show the truth.

General Review

White vs Blue: Comparing the Series

Contrasting the successes and qualities of the Amazon original series on Premier League teams.

The Tottenham Situation

A look at how the Spurs might fade under the management of Mourinho

James Allcott’s Review - A Jovial Take on Some of the biggest points for conversation, from the opening three episodes: https://youtu.be/0l6TuqkzO0o