Ex-Tottenham defender Michael Dawson has warned his former club about Jose Mourinho’s “way of winning things” ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.
Mourinho will be aiming to win his third trophy with Manchester United by the end of his season, while Spurs are yet to win any silverware under Mauricio Pochettino.
On top of that, Tottenham have lost their last seven FA Cup semi-finals, the longest such run at this stage in the history of the competition.
Spurs beat United 2-0 at Wembley in the Premier League earlier this year, but Dawson believes Mourinho’s men will pose a different challenge on Saturday.
“People have been saying how bad Man United have been – they’re second in the league and they’re in the semi-finals of The FA Cup,” Dawson told TheFA.com.
“He [Jose Mourinho] has got that way of winning things and on Saturday, Spurs have to be right at it.”
Dawson, now playing for Hull City in the Championship, was a Tottenham player the last time the Londoners won a trophy – the League Cup success of 2008.
And the 34-year-old believes Pochettino’s side can go on to challenge for more trophies once they’ve got the first one out of the way.
“Where Mauricio Pochettino’s taken them in the last few years, the improvements they’ve made in challenging for titles, now, the only thing that’s missing is silverware,” he said.
“I think the players can perform and everyone’s talking about how good a team they are but now they need to start winning trophies.
“The players are hungry and they’re certainly not a million miles away from adding trophies, and when one comes, I’m sure the shackles will come off and more will come.
“I’m sure then, they’ll go and win many more.
“The club’s building. They’re going to a new stadium and the players they’re attracting, the kind of football they play; everyone’s talking about how good they are but it is about winning things.
“That’s what the fans want and what the players want, along with every other football club, and you have to earn the right to do that.”
Mauricio Pochettino has played down the importance of winning the FA Cup, but the supporters are desperate for silverware.
Check out our predicted Spurs XI to face Manchester United.
