Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho set for Manchester United return but how does the Special One fare against his

Jose Mourinho has made the perfect start to life at Tottenham by winning his first three games in charge of the Premier League side.

Victories against West Ham, Olympiakos and Bournemouth have certainly lifted the mood around the club after a difficult start to the 2019/20 campaign, which saw long-serving boss Mauricio Pochettino axed last month.

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Next up for the Special One is a familiar foe in the shape of Manchester United, the side who relieved him of his duties after a two-and-a-half year stint at Old Trafford last December.

The two teams meet at Old Trafford on Wednesday with United struggling under the tutelage of Mourinho’s successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has picked up just 26 points from 17 games since the former’s departure.

Nearly a year on and the former Cardiff City boss HAS to win all of his next top-flight games or else his own 17-game record will be even worse than Mourinho’s.

Below, talkSPORT.com has taken a look at how the Portuguese boss has fared when he’s faced clubs that he’s previously managed.

Mourinho’s stint at Benfica was a brief, yet hugely beneficial one right at the start of his managerial career.

He was only in charge for 11 games after his request to be granted a new contract midway through the 2000/01 was denied by club president Manuel Vilarinho, so the Portuguese boss resigned from his post immediately.

Vilarinho would later admit he made a mistake in not offering Mourinho an extension, expressing his frustration at losing him.

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Mourinho landed a new job in the summer of 2001, with Uniao De Leiria appointing him as their next manager.

This spell proved to be the catalyst in propelling his attention among other sides, with Porto eventually calling for his services in January 2002.

While in charge of the Portuguese giants he remained undefeated against Benfica, winning and drawing his other encounter.

As Manchester United boss, Mourinho also picked up two victories against the Primeira Liga outfit in the 2017/18 Champions League group stages, recording a 3-0 aggregate victory.

Mourinho enjoyed great success at Porto, winning the Primeira Liga twice, a Taca de Portugal, the UEFA Cup, and the Champions League; the latter being Porto’s first European Cup title since 1987.

His first meeting against his former side came in the Taca de Portugal in August 2003, a game which Porto won 1-0.

A month later and Mourinho’s men reigned victorious again with a 3-1 victory on the road in the Primeira Liga.

And in February 2004 Porto recorded yet another victory over Leiria, triumphing 2-1 on home soil.

Mourinho’s trophy-laden spell in Portugal secured him his big move to the Premier League with Chelsea. During his first stint with the Blues he faced his old side four times, losing just one of those encounters – a Champions League clash away in Porto in December 2004.

The Special One returned for a second spell with the Blues, winning one and losing the other game against a side then managed by Julen Lopetegui in the group stages of the 2015/16 Champions League.

Mourinho has come head-to-head with Real once since his departure from the Bernabeu at the end of the 2012/13 season.

That came prior to the start of his second season in charge at Manchester United, with the LaLiga giants running out 2-1 winners in the Super Cup final on August 8, 2017.

It’s been very much a mixed bag for Mourinho when he’s come against up his beloved Blues since leaving the club not once, but twice.

His Inter Milan side recorded back-to-back victories against them to advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the 2009/10 campaign, but his fortunes fared somewhat differently when he was United boss.

The 4-0 thumping at Stamford Bridge in a Premier League clash back in October 2016 was one of the low points of Mourinho’s tenure, which was followed up with another defeat – this time 1-0 – when the two teams met in the sixth round of the FA Cup four months in the west London.

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While Mourinho did record home wins against his former side in the league in both the 2016/17 and 2017/18 season, United lost on the road to Chelsea in both of the reverse fixtures.

The last time Mourinho came up against Chelsea was in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in October 2018, two months before his eventual sacking by the Red Devils.

And below is Mourinho’s overall record against his former sides…

Mourinho will fancy his chances heading back to his old stomping ground – with United winning just one of their last four league games.

It must be said it would be rather ironic if the Special One could land the final blow in his predecessor’s coffin.

Roll on Wednesday night we say…