Could Tottenham have Fulham manager Scott Parker in their sights to replace Mourinho?
It’s been a crazy week or so at the sharp end of the Premier League, with all the drama over the short-lived plans for the European Super League and Tottenham announcing that they would be dispensing with the services of beleaguered manager Jose Mourinho. Fulham have been dragged squarely into the middle of the latter story with growing media speculation that manager Scott Parker could be in the frame for a move to White Hart Lane.
Tottenham experience
Given that relegation from the Premier League is all but assured for The Cottagers, it might seem at first glance that their manager would not be an obvious target for a Big Six team. However, Parker ticks many of the boxes. At just 40, he has youth on his side, and he showed a knack for making last year’s team greater than the sum of its parts in achieving promotion.
His progressive management style and his consistent faith in young talent have earned him plenty of admirers. Even more importantly, though, he’s a familiar and respected name at White Hart Lane, having played 50 games for Tottenham between 2011 and 2013. He’s also been full of praise for Harry Kane, describing him as “the best striker in the world.”
What do the bookies think?
The season is still not over, but already, there seem to be almost as many football bets flying around about who will go where are there are about match results. Unsurprisingly, the question over who will be next in charge at Tottenham is one of the hottest topics, and Parker has attracted 33 percent of the bets over the past couple of days.
The bookies’ favourite, however, remains RB Leipzig’s head honcho Julian Nagelsmann, at 7/2 odds. No doubt Tottenham would love to land the German, but there are growing rumours that Bayern Munich are set to make him an offer he can’t refuse – assuming he goes anywhere at all, which is by no means certain.
Another strong possibility is Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman’s achievements with Leicester City this year have been plain for all to see, and while his time at Liverpool was not filled with glory, he has surely made his case for another chance with one of the top sides. Bookmakers currently have him at 8/1 for the Spurs job, and Scott Parker is third favourite as a 12/1 shot. There’s also been plenty of media speculation about Nuno Espirito Santo, although he is adamant that he is remaining at Wolves, and interim manager Ryan Mason could even be given the job permanently, and seems a compelling shout at 20/1.
Two of the more outlandish ideas that are nevertheless gaining popularity in the sports betting community are a return to the Premier League for Rafa Benitez or a return to Tottenham for Jurgen Klinsmann. They are currently quoted at 16/1 and 33/1 respectively. Neither are in the first flush of youth, but they would certainly bring experience to the role.
