Tottenham Hotspur vs AS Roma
It may be a stretch to say that Roma boss Jose Mourinho is the most popular figure at Tottenham Hotspur, but he knows plenty of people at the North London Premier League club, having managed there between 2019 and 2021.
Even Jose couldn’t break Spurs’ long run without opening their trophy cabinet; he’s picked up 30 titles in a glittering managerial career, including league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain. And now, as AS Roma boss, he was gutted to lose the 2023 Europa League final to Sevilla on penalties.
Mourinho was due to take I Giallorossi to Singapore next week to face his old pals at Spurs for a club friendly tie; but the meeting won’t go ahead after Roma cancelled their pre-season tour to Asia over missed payments by their tour organiser. Mourinho may not be too bothered as it means his team has less travelling to do and more work on the training pitch; and I bet there are a fair few Spurs fans happy that their old boss has lost the chance to beat them in pre-season.
The Whites have filled the gap in their schedule by teeing up a game with Singaporean Premier League side Lion City Sailors and I guess they should win that one!
So, with no Mourinho vs Spurs match to preview, let’s take the chance to run the rule over the two teams, and assess their chances for the upcoming season.
Postecoglou has his work cut out at Spurs
In contrast with Mourinho, Ange Postecoglou has a rather modest coaching career. The amiable Australian has managed at Melbourne and Brisbane in his homeland and the Australian national team. He moved to Celtic in 2021 and won two Scottish titles and a domestic treble last season. Spurs fans may have been hoping for a bigger name but Postecoglou will become a club legend if he can win a competition for the Whites. He follows big names Mourinho and Antonio Conte into the job, but the minimum expectation is to improve on last season’s eighth placed finish.
While north London rivals Arsenal have been making the big Premier League 2023 news, signing England midfielder Declan Rice in a record switch from West Ham United; Tottenham’s movements have gone a little under the radar. They have turned Dejan Kulusevski’s loan into a permanent move from Juventus at a cost of £25m and have signed Leicester City star James Maddison for £40m. Both are fine players but the new boss needs more star quality in his ranks.
It looks like he is going to miss out on Olympique Lyonnais wonderkid Rayan Cherki. The 19-year-old has been in sensational form for the Ligue 1 club, and he has already made 80 appearances in the French top flight. Tottenham have been in touch with the player’s agents but they look likely to lose out to big spending London neighbours Chelsea, who are reported to be ready to table a bid of £34m for Cherki.
Of course, the player Spurs fans are most concerned about is their talisman Harry Kane who has been reported to be inching closer to a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Sources at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium suggest Kane might be happy to stay with his boyhood club as he enjoys playing under Postecoglou, in the belief that the new man has the capability to win trophies. But these are tense times for the Tottenham faithful and a cheeky German journalist recently publicised a Bayern shirt with Kane’s name on it.
One player who looks more certain to be on his way out of the club is left back Sergio Reguillon, who has failed to impress the new boss and is hoping to get a move back to La Liga. The 26-year-old started Spurs’ friendly against West Ham, a 3-2 defeat, and while he is lively in attack Reguillon showed some defensive vulnerability.
Roma to be Kings of their city
While Spurs have little chance of finishing above Arsenal in the Premier League, Roma may well be the top team in their city by next May. I Giallorossi played second fiddle to Lazio last season in the battle of the Rome giants as Maurizio Sarri led I Biancoceleste to the runners up spot. The Serie A 2023 betting odds here at SBOTOP price Roma at 11.00 to win the 2024 Scudetto, with Lazio outside at 15.00 and bragging rights in the city is Mourinho’s second most important objective.
The first, of course, is to win more silverware.
With players of the quality of Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham up front and a well organised defence and midfield, not to mention Mourinho’s tactical genius, this will always be a tough team to beat. He has already added more defensive recruits, with Rasmus Kristensen and Diego Llorente both arriving on loan from Leeds United.
My prediction for next season? I think Spurs will be watching the top four race from below, and finish seventh, while Roma will battle hard for a Champions League berth, fighting it out with Atalanta and Juventus.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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