Jose Mourinho has made Tottenham smiles better by ditching his tough guy image and becoming a training-ground joker.

Mourinho has a 100 per cent record at Spurs since replacing Mauricio Pochettino and has transformed the gloomy atmosphere at the club.

And Heung-min Son says the players want to pay him back by helping him put one over his old team Manchester United this Wednesday.

He said: “He’s very kind. He’s smiling, making jokes with the players. I like it, of course. I think the results changed a lot, the positive vibe.

“Everyone is positive before games. The gaffer is doing a great job and we are really happy with him. The atmosphere changed a lot with the positive vibes.

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“It was a sad week. You don’t want to see your manager sacked. But we are professional enough. Three games, we won. The results are really positive.

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“The lads, with positive energy, with smiling. I think this is the most important thing. I think this is what changed.

“He was at United for two years, I think. We just want to keep smiling after the game when we see the fans. We want to get the best result for him and for ourselves as well.”

(Image: REUTERS)

Meanwhile, Eddie Howe insists he is ignoring all talk linking him with West Ham, Everton and Arsenal to focus on Bournemouth’s survival fight.

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The Cherries have lost three in a row to put themselves back in danger and Howe has warned his players to expect their season to go right down to the wire again.

Asked about the speculation on his future, the highly-rated Bournemouth boss said: “I ignore it. It has no relevance to me at all.

“We have been here before. Every year we have had to fight to stay in the Premier League. In no season have we achieved anything comfortably, it is always down to the last couple of games.

“We have to be prepared for that again. We have to fight, scrap for everything we can get. We have to draw encouragement from the spirit of the group, the determination, the fight we showed.”