Jose Mourinho’s “nastiness” will help to turn Tottenham into serious contenders for the Premier League title, says Jurgen Klinsmann.
The highly-rated Portuguese tactician has reached the one-year anniversary of his appointment at Spurs.
He was asked to succeed Mauricio Pochettino in north London due to the enviable list of trophies he boasts on an impressive CV.
Mourinho was tipped by many to bring long-awaited silverware to Tottenham, with his methods delivering tangible success wherever he has been.
It could be that he forces Spurs into contention for the English top-flight crown in 2020-21, with a positive start made to the current domestic campaign.
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Klinsmann believes the 57-year-old is capable of replicating the triumphs he previously enjoyed across London at Chelsea, with his no-nonsense approach proven at the very highest level.
Former Spurs striker Klinsmann told ESPN FC: “Yeah [they're challengers] and I think rightfully so.
“They're dreaming about finally maybe getting to that point of winning this amazing trophy. I think it's a logical path.
“I think over the past couple of weeks, months, we see something is growing stronger and stronger. Obviously Jose Mourinho has a strong hand in this whole development and he's a competitor.
“He will give everything he has to make that dream come true, so it's exciting times for Spurs fans and I keep all my fingers crossed.”
World Cup winner Klinsmann added on Tottenham’s ambition: “I think a successful season is always to get in the top four of the Premier League.
“I think qualifying for the Champions League is now a must for Spurs, it's a must for the big teams there.
“But when you have a season starting like this, every team is a bit all over the place and there's nobody running away right now, and that's an opportunity.
“At the end of the day, if you kind of take advantage of that opportunity because the others are not picking up a rhythm, they're not winning 10 games in a row and running away from you, then throw yourself in there and build that belief and build that culture of winning.
“What Jose Mourinho definitely does, has done really well over the stretch of his entire career, is he has this piece of nastiness and he transfers that type of nastiness, that type of aggression to his players.
“He's always saying that you're not winning a championship with good guys, you've got to be determined, you've got to be tough, you've got to be able to sacrifice certain elements over the stretch of a season.
“It's a marathon and as long as no one runs away in that marathon, which it looks like this season, then there's a chance for Spurs.”
Tottenham have taken 17 points from eight games so far, putting them second in the table, and will see their title credentials tested to the fullest on Saturday when returning to action with a home date against Manchester City.