GLEN JOHNSON: BETDAQ Brand Ambassador Glen Johnson discusses Tottenham’s decision to replace Mauricio Pochettino with Jose Mourinho, as well as previewing West Ham v Tottenham, Manchester City v Chelsea, and Crystal Palace v Liverpool.
Jose will bring Spurs a trophy
I was as surprised as everyone else that Tottenham sacked Mauricio Pochettino. It was harsh given that Poch is a top manager and I think he’d have got it right if given time despite a shocking few months for the club. I have no doubts he’ll walk into a job at a big club.
I can understand the decision made by Daniel Levy and Spurs. If Jose Mourinho is available and you have a chance of getting him then that is tempting, and Spurs have decided to make a ruthless decision for the sake of the club.
It’s perhaps better to ask ‘is Mourinho the right man for Spurs?’
If Mourinho does his usual and only stays two or three years, then he isn’t the right man for the job. If Jose surprises a few and stays there for five years or more then I think he is 100% the right man for the job.
He’s a top manager. No doubt about it. However, the difference with his previous jobs at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, etc. was he either walked into a club that had a world class team or he was able to buy whoever he wanted, and he won’t have either of those things at Tottenham.
Most importantly, I think he’ll improve Spurs, narrow the gap between them and fourth spot, and I think he’ll win them a trophy and maintain their Champions League status during his time. And Spurs fans will take that every day of the week.
Premier League MarketsSpurs will get Jose off to a winning start
West Ham would take a lot of pleasure in ruining Mourinho’s start to life at Spurs by beating them at the London Stadium on Saturday. We all know the rivalry that exists between the sides, and with his appointment and both teams in desperate need of a win, this is a massive game.
I believe that a man like Mourinho walking into the club will be enough to give the Spurs players a boost and get the win against the Hammers. It won’t be easy for them, but I can see them getting a narrow victory.
I’m a bit worried for West Ham. While there’s no need to panic and get rid of Manuel Pellegrini, there’s only so much fans and owners can take, so they need results this side of Christmas, and that only comes from the players putting in performances and getting results.
West Ham v Spurs MarketsMust win for Manchester City
This is a big game for both teams for different reasons, but it’s more important for Manchester City that they get the three points on Saturday. They can’t afford to drop any more points and lose any more ground on Liverpool.
The Chelsea camp is in a better state, and there’s a feel-good factor there which is credit to Frank Lampard. Chelsea are enjoying their football, play some great stuff and they have a shot to nothing here.
There’s been further talk about Chelsea’s transfer ban being lifted but for me it doesn’t matter too much. Frank won’t look for multi-million-pound signings as he likes to play players that fit into his system and he’s done that well at Stamford Bridge this year.
Man City v Chelsea MarketsBlistering Blades favourites over Red Devils
It sounds crazy, but Sheffield United are probably favourites for this one based on form.
It’s hard to believe that a newly promoted team have a chance against Manchester United, but Chris Wilder is doing a great job and he’ll fancy his chances of getting a result on Sunday.
Based on what I’ve seen, they are comfortable in the Premier League. However, promoted sides either struggle or surprise everyone and find themselves on cloud nine.
If they stay up this season the bigger challenge will be to establish themselves as a proper Premier League side. They’ve still got plenty to do, but a good result against United will be a step in the right direction once more.
Sheff Utd v Man Utd MarketsWeekly Accumulator
West Ham 1-2 Tottenham
Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea
Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool
Sheffield United 1-1 Manchester United
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
