There has been the perception that Jose Mourinho's stock has been on the wane since his mixed period with Manchester United came to an end in December 2018, but Tottenham Hotspur's decision to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino has provided the Portuguese with a return to the upper echolons of European football. The appointment has naturally divided opinion among Spurs supporters and within the footballing fraternity in general, although the fact that the 56-year-old is a serial winner is not up for debate. Given that the north Londoners have been short of high-profile silverware for sometime, there is logic behind Daniel Levy opting to bring an abrupt halt to the club's development under Pochettino and taking an expensive gamble on a man who has delivered three Premier League titles, all at Chelsea, and two Champions League trophies. However, can fans and the powers-that-be at Spurs really expect success before the end of this season?
When considering your football bets over the coming days, you are going to be presented with plenty of Mourinho specials, but you should focus on the short term and Spurs' upcoming trip to West Ham United. The majority of betting websites have the away side as clear favourites to claim all three points at the London Stadium, likely due to many expecting a reaction from the star men at Spurs. However, the fixture is coming after an international break where many of this Spurs squad have been away with their national teams, and you should not ignore betting odds of 3/1 which are available on West Ham. While the Hammers have performed poorly of late, they have a history of producing their best displays in fixtures against the top clubs in the Premier League, and backing a narrow West Ham triumph feels like the logical choice.
Coincidentally, Spurs are now priced in the region of 3/1 to secure a place in the top four of the Premier League table come the middle of May. Regardless of Mourinho's arrival, that is a remarkably short price for a club who already sit 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City and it is one which should be avoided at all costs. While Spurs have already travelled to the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton, you would still be relying on their home form improving drastically over a relatively short period, something which is far from a certainty.
If you feel obliged to place a Mourinho-related bet, the special which stands out is Spurs' current price of 50/1 to win next season's Champions League. While their participation in the competition relies on Spurs rallying during the last six months of the Premier League campaign or by lifting this season's Champions League or Europa League crown, there is still value in placing a small stake at this stage given that they could drop down to around 20/1 come the summer.
Joe Fish
