When Jose Mourinho first arrived in English football in the mid-2000s, the Premier League was being dominated by teams who were still using the more conventional 4-4-2. The likes of Arsenal and Manchester United were at the top of the tree and sticking to the tried-and-trusted set-up.

But Mourinho's emergence on the scene heralded a new wave of tactical blueprints, with the Portuguese man favouring a 4-3-3. In fact, speaking to Zonal Marking, the current Tottenham boss delivered a damning verdict on why the old-school 4-4-2 just wouldn't stand a chance against his approach.

He said: "Look, if I have a triangle in midfield—Claude Makelele behind and two others just in front—I will always have an advantage against a pure 4-4-2 where the central midfielders are side by side.

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"That’s because I will always have an extra man. It starts with Makelele, who is between the lines. If nobody comes to him he can see the whole pitch and has time. If he gets closed down it means one of the two other central midfielders is open. There is nothing a pure 4-4-2 can do to stop things."

His early domestic success of winning Premier League titles and multiple cups certainly vindicated his thinking.

But with Spurs struggling at the moment - prior to football being postponed they were seven points off the top four - and reports of a sensational swoop for Erling Haaland in the pipeline, Mourinho could come full circle to really bring the best out of the Lilywhites.

Landing the £72m-rated Borussia Dortmund star would give the north London side two bona-fide strikers (if Kane stays), and there surely wouldn't be any talk of either one of them being on the bench. As such, Mourinho could line up with a formation with a pair of centre-forwards who feed off each other.

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Haaland's time at RB Salzburg showed that he could do exactly that too. His former side played a version of a two-striker set-up, and the most goal involvements the Norway international had, was with his fellow strike partner in crime, Hee-chan Hwang. In the 17 matches that they were on the pitch together, they had 11 joint goal participations.

At Spurs, it wouldn't have to be a case of Kane and Haaland getting in each other's way and not being able to form an understanding. The former has already shown particularly in the last couple of seasons that he is more than capable of dropping deep and creating chances for others as well as finishing them himself.

As per Whoscored, the England international has averaged at least one key pass per game in four out of his five last seasons in the Premier League. With Haaland alongside him, Kane could drop into the number ten role at times and play off him.

Mourinho may have changed the game in terms of tactics when he first arrived. But if Spurs do sign Haaland, then it is surely time for him to revert back to way things were at the beginning.

Meanwhile, Spurs can fill their Paul Mitchell gap by hiring this man.