Think Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho will be fired up for this one? The polarizing Portugese returns to Old Trafford, for the first time as an opponent, Wednesday night when Spurs visit Manchester United. Just a couple weeks ago, this looked like little more than a blah match-up between two overpaid, under-achieving big six sides holding out faint hopes of getting back into Europe, some how, some way.
Now it’s a revenge match for one of football’s most intriguing and entertaining figures, and that narrative cannot be over-appreciated this season, with the Premier League title chase almost decided already.
It’s very early, but at this point it looks like Mourinho is a much better fit for Spurs, given where they are right now, than he was for United, during the juncture with which he served at Old Trafford. We’ll see though, if/when he reaches his “third season syndrome” at White Hart Lane.
That all said let’s take a look at who Mourinho may start in midweek in a quest to make it four wins in four at Spurs; and to inflict more pain upon his former employer.
Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction at Manchester United
Kane
Son Alli Moura
Dier Ndombele
Sanchez Alderweireld Vertonghen Aurier
Gazzaniga
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur FYIs
Team News for both sides: go to this link
Starting XI Predictions: Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United
Kickoff: 7:30 BST, Dec. 3, Old Trafford
Google Result Probability: Manchester United win 34%, Draw 29%, Sheffield United win 37%
Form Guide: Tottenham- WWDDL Manchester United- DDWLW
Series history: 91 Manchester United wins 48 Draws 52 Tottenham Hotspur wins
Odds via Betfair Exchange: Manchester United win 15/8, Draw 5/2, Aston Villa 13/8
Prediction: Manchester United 2, Tottenham 2
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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Don’t agree with your back line. Alderweireld has played at Right Back for Belgium and Vertonghen has played Left Back for both club and country so personally I feel Toby would be better suited at a right sided CB with Sanchez to his left and Super Jan as Left back (remember his goal and assist in Champions League when he was deployed as LB? Also, I’d move Dier out for either Sissoko or Wanyama. Dier has been woeful for a long time but Jose does seem to like him.
Google Result Probability: Manchester United win 34%, Draw 29%, Sheffield United win 37%
Try harder! Focus!
Anybody who has watched Spurs for the last two Seasons, who would not have Sissoko as one of the first 5 automatic starting names on the sheet is just football blind. If Mourinho persists with playing Dier the way that Poch did with Eriksen we are only slightly better off with Jose. We still will be playing with ten men. Sometimes you have to put personal likes aside. Playing Eriksen all the time cost Poch his job. And not making substitutions early enough during a match