Dimitar Berbatov insists Spurs have not gone backwards under Jose Mourinho

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Dimitar Berbatov has claimed that it would be unfair to judge Jose Mourinho on his first season at the club.

Mourinho took over from the sacked Mauricio Pochettino in November and initially oversaw an improvement in results, with Spurs winning their first three and six of their first nine under the former Manchester United boss.

However, they have since suffered an alarming dip in form and, prior to the enforced suspension of the 2019-20 season, had lost four and won none of their last six games.

The winless run is Mourinho's longest of his managerial career, but Berbatov is confident that the Portuguese will still prove to be a success in North London.

"Things had gone sour under Mauricio Pochettino, anybody could see that, and I thought Jose Mourinho was a good choice to replace him. Tottenham haven't gone ­backwards. Any head coach deserves a full ­season to bring in his players and implement his ­philosophy," Berbatov told Betfair.

"Spurs are going through a ­difficult period, but Mourinho should be judged on next season at the club. Players take time to adjust to a new ­manager, ­especially when it's one with a different style to his predecessor.

"Occasionally, I get the ­feeling that some players are not playing for the team, and that they are trying to take the glory for themselves. That can ruin scoring chances. When he's back, Spurs should try to r­elease Son quicker on the counter-attack. These small details make all the difference in football.

"They have quality throughout the squad, and the players they have should do better. Mourinho has criticised ­Tanguy Ndombele, but he's young and can still succeed. Steven Bergwijn started well and looks an ­exciting prospect. But I certainly ­expect ­Mourinho to spend."

Spurs currently sit eighth in the Premier League table, 41 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.