The greatest myth about Jose Mourinho is that he is incapable of appreciating flair players; that he jettisons creative midfielders entirely. Assess Mourinho’s career and an entirely different pattern emerges: this is a manager capable of guiding No 10s to the peak of their career.

Look at his experience with Deco, an unheralded, unremarkable Brazilian-turned-Portuguese midfielder at Porto, who was transformed under Mourinho. Usually playing as the number 10 in a 4-3-1-2, Deco starred en route to Porto’s unlikely Champions League success in 2004, and ranked second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind Andriy Shevchenko and in front of Ronaldinho.

Frank Lampard was a different type of player – a hard-running No 8 rather than a silky No 10 – but his form also dramatically improved upon Mourinho’s first appointment at Chelsea in 2004. He scored five and then six goals in his first two Chelsea campaigns before Mourinho, then hit 10, 13 and 16 under the new regime. Just like Deco, Lampard came from nowhere to finish second in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2005.

Also significant is Mourinho’s work with Wesley Sneijder, an exciting but somewhat inconsistent playmaker upon joining Mourinho’s Inter in 2009. Used as the No 10 in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-1-2, Sneijder briefly became Europe’s most revered attacking midfielder under Mourinho, providing a stream of assists as Inter lifted the treble. After Mourinho’s departure, Sneijder’s form never recovered.

Then there’s the case of Mesut Ozil: an exciting prospect with Werder Bremen beforehand, sporadically brilliant for Arsenal afterwards, but unquestionably world-class during his three seasons with Mourinho at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013. The fact that Ozil was nominated for the Ballon d’Or four times — in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 — rather tells the story, and when Ozil’s autobiography was released in 2017, after four years of playing under Arsene Wenger, he asked Mourinho to write the foreword.

And then remember, upon Mourinho’s return to Chelsea, how much freedom Mourinho gave to Cesc Fabregas, a player whose positional indiscipline was such a problem at Barcelona that he fell out with his childhood idol, Pep Guardiola. Mourinho used him as a No 10 in big matches, deeper in less challenging games, and Fabregas collected 18 assists as Chelsea won the Premier League title in 2014-15, often playing in the same side as Oscar, another playmaker.

Manchester United was a slightly different story — Mourinho never seemed to truly appreciate Paul Pogba, perhaps more for off-field reasons than his tactical performance; his best position is arguably still a mystery. But Mourinho did incorporate Juan Mata in his starting XI more frequently than expected upon his appointment, having happily sold him at Chelsea. Mata didn’t show his best performances, but his decline had started long before Mourinho’s arrival.

Overall, the pattern is clear: this is an elite group of midfielders who found their careers transformed by Mourinho, and enjoyed their peak campaigns under his leadership. It’s particularly intriguing considering the recent slump in form suffered by Tottenham’s two main attacking midfielders: Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.

Eriksen’s malaise seems inextricably linked to a contract stand-off — it appears likely the Dane will run down his contract and depart in the summer, which means a rehabilitation might be beyond Mourinho. But the transfer market can change quickly. Eriksen seemingly favours a move to Real Madrid but if Mauricio Pochettino turns up at the Bernabeu, would he want Eriksen again after their apparently frosty relationship at Spurs in recent months?

It’s worth remembering that Ozil was in a similar situation at Arsenal two seasons ago, seemingly on the verge of a Bosman exit before signing a new deal and remaining at the club. Perhaps Spurs will learn from that lesson and avoid committing to a huge new contract but it’s not inconceivable that Eriksen might find his options are more limited than he expected.

Under Pochettino, Eriksen was generally used either as a No 10 or drifting infield from wide. Under Mourinho, only the former role would suit him. Pochettino’s focus on regaining possession quickly meant he was tasked with pressing in advanced positions, something he was accustomed to from his days with Ajax, and therefore spent the majority of the game in the opposition half, with license to drift infield.

Mourinho, though, wants his wide players to track back into deeper positions, play a more linear role, and focus on springing forward quickly at transitions. That’s not Eriksen’s game — the same way it wasn’t Mata’s game during Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea — and therefore in a 4-2-3-1, there’s surely only one possible role for him, as the No 10.

Alli, however, is a different case — and might be the prime candidate for a Mourinho rejuvenation. Like Pogba, he’s another player whose best position is often questioned, but this could actually prove very useful for Mourinho.

“For me, the No 10 is a very special player in my team,” Mourinho explained when manager of Chelsea in 2015. “In a system of two midfield players and a No 10, I demand a lot from a No 10. Every position is important, but it is an important position. I like a No 10 to score goals. I like a No 10 to get in the box… No 10 for me is a No 8-and-a-half when the team loses the ball and a No 9-and-a-half when the team has the ball.”

That’s a perfect description of Alli, who shines either when bustling and scrapping in midfield, or when bursting forward into the box as a support striker just off Harry Kane. He’s a No 10 who isn’t actually a No 10 in terms of the traditional No 10 things: receiving the ball between the lines and slipping the ball through for the forwards.

Instead, at his best, when he has the energy to perform both roles, he’s a box-to-box midfielder and a free-running goalscorer. His average position is that of a No 10 but he specialises in the position either side of that role. The above quote, at the time referring to Oscar, should be music to Alli’s ears.

Spurs might not play so deep compared to other Mourinho sides — his Chelsea and Inter centre-backs, for example, simply weren’t geared to playing in a high defensive line like the likes of Ajax-schooled Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and David Sanchez, and Mourinho is ultimately a pragmatist rather than a strictly defensive manager. This is a particularly important issue for the wide players, as a deep defensive line means then being forced to retreat into their own third and shield the full-backs.

Lucas Moura has proved capable of that previously in his career, while Son Heung-min is a hard-working player and wouldn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities, but would hope that Mourinho would make the allowances for him that he made for Cristiano Ronaldo, who was given license to remain high up the pitch for Real Madrid, with others covering for his advanced left-sided positioning. Eden Hazard sometimes enjoyed that privilege at Chelsea, and won PFA Player of the Year as Chelsea won the title in 2014-15, although his defensive lapses — particularly in a European Cup semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid the previous season — infuriated Mourinho.

The tenacious Erik Lamela will be well-suited to a wide role under Mourinho, Tanguy Ndombele should be used in an all-action role like Michael Essien or Sami Khedira in previous Mourinho sides, while functional midfielders like Eric Dier, Moussa Sissoko and even Victor Wanyama might find themselves with more opportunities.

Perhaps the biggest mystery is Harry Winks. There are few examples of Mourinho working with a deep-lying passer like him. Thiago Motta at Inter Milan was a more physical player, capable of being a ball-winning defensive midfielder. Perhaps Xabi Alonso is the closest in terms of style — Mourinho hugely admired his intelligence and vision, and Alonso responded well, although became a more aggressive player than beforehand or afterwards. But Winks is much less experienced and wily than Alonso, and it’s not difficult to imagine him being sidelined, which would worry Gareth Southgate, just as Winks has seemingly established himself in the England side.

One player who shouldn’t need to worry is Harry Kane. Whereas other top managers — most notably Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp — often seem intent on turning non-strikers into false nines, Mourinho unashamedly loves a proper No 9. From Derlei to Didier Drogba, to Diego Milito, to Diego Costa, to Zlatan Ibrahimovic; Mourinho loves old-fashioned centre-forwards. Kane, who has increasingly contributed in deeper positions over the past year or so, might be encouraged to focus upon goalscoring.

But it’s the supporting cast whose future is most interesting. Mourinho’s recent history of man-management has understandably been questioned given the nature of his departures from Chelsea and Manchester United — and his personal relationship with Eriksen and Alli will be crucial if he’s intent on improving their performances. There’s little to suggest, however, that he won’t appreciate them as footballers.