'Mourinho hasn't lost his way, players have more power now' - Tottenham boss can still get results, says Carvalho

Jose Mourinho hasn't lost his way, players just have "more power" now, according to Ricardo Carvalho, who says the Tottenham boss is still more than capable of getting results at the highest level.

Mourinho quickly established himself as one of the best managers in Europe when he took the top job at Porto in 2002.

He led the club to an unlikely Champions League triumph in 2004, before being snapped up by Premier League outfit Chelsea.

The Portuguese guided the Blues to back-to-back domestic crowns, while endearing himself to the English press with his suave persona and unique philosophy on the game.

Mourinho went on to enjoy hugely successful spells at Inter and Real Madrid, where he added another European Cup and thee league titles to his collection, before returning to Chelsea in 2013.

The 57-year-old managed to deliver the Premier League to Stamford Bridge for a third time, but his powers started to wane towards the end of his second spell in west London.

Chelsea sacked a cult figure after a disastrous start to the 2015-16 season which saw the team lose nine of their opening 16 top-flight fixtures.

Despite the acrimonious nature of his exit, Mourinho wasn't out of work for long, as Manchester United drafted him in to replace Louis van Gaal in the Old Trafford dugout.

The Red Devils won the Community Shield, Carabao Cup and Europa League during the ex-Chelsea manager's first season in charge, but he was eventually dismissed in December 2019 amid reports of unrest in the dressing room.

Mourinho now finds himself in charge at Tottenham, where his methods are once again being called into question, with some experts of the belief that he is now out of touch with the modern game.

Carvalho, who played under a fellow countryman at both Chelsea and Madrid, admits that his old boss needs to accept the fact that players have far more authority than they used to, but still sees him as one of the best in business on the touchline.

"Urm... no, I don't think he's lost his qualities," the former Blues defender told the Daily Mail.

"I think now the football is very different. The players have changed and they have more power. The players changed how they act and Mourinho now has to accept that's the way it is. 

"Sometimes, the problem comes from the way in which the players don't accept who he is - he is like that because he wants to achieve and wants to win trophies. 

"You have to accept the way Mourinho works. So, I think he knows his own way and he has been successful every year. I think it's more a question of time in the beginning... and then he will get results."