Jose s still a serial thriller WOODGATE: THERE’S MOUR TROPHIES TO COME

MIDDLESBRO v SPURS

Clive Hetherington

JOSE MOURINHO will continue to pick up trophies at Tottenham according to Jonathan Woodgate.

Middlesbrough boss Woodgate is just starting on his own managerial journey and admits he is “miles and miles away’’ from Mourinho’s double Champions Leaguewinning status.

But he is relishing pitting his wits against him when Boro take on Spurs at the Riverside this afternoon in the third round of the FA Cup.

Woodgate was not surprised Mourinho took the Tottenham job, despite having twice managed rivals Chelsea.

Easier

And he reckons former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino “made it easier’’ for Mourinho to accept the challenge by laying sound foundations.

It was Woodgate who scored the winner when Tottenham last won a major trophy.

Within a month of joining from Boro in an £8million deal in

January 2008, the centre-back secured

Juande Ramos’ side a

2-1 Carling Cup extratime triumph over

Avram Grant’s Chelsea. But Woodgate said: “Pochettino was an incredible manager and Mourinho was the only one who could really have come in above him. He’s another incredible manager, a serial winner.

“If you’re going to sack Pochettino, you replace him with another world-class manager in Mourinho. He’s a serial winner – I’m sure he’ll win a trophy at Tottenham.

“Pochettino, on a limited budget, did all sorts at Tottenham. He got them to a Champions League final and did an amazing job. The job he did made it a bit easier for Mourinho to accept the position. I wasn’t surprised he took it as Spurs is a massive club.

“I don’t know him, but all I hear are really good things – a top manager, a really nice man. When he was here, Tony Pulis spoke really highly of him, said he was fantastic.” And Woodgate revealed that another ex-boro boss – Aitor Karanka, who was Mourinho’s No.2 at

Real Madrid – told him the Portuguese is on the training ground first thing each day.

Woodgate said:

“Aitor was a fantastic manager for this club

– he got us promotion to the Premier League.

Standards

“When I spoke to

Aitor, he would always tell me stories about the standards Mourinho kept… he was first on the training ground at seven o’clock. If Jose

Mourinho is in at seven o’clock, I should be in as early as possible.”

Championship side Boro go into today’s tie on a high, having won their last four matches – as many as they managed in Woodgate’s first 23 games in charge in league and cup.

And Woodgate concedes he is “lucky’’ to have a chairman such as Steve Gibson.

He said: “The chairman has been supportive all the way.

“I’m really lucky to have him as chairman – he plays by the rules.”