Jamie Redknapp suggests whether Tottenham can make top four

By Jordan Harris

Jamie Redknapp has told Sky Sports News (20/11; 16:21) that Tottenham Hotspur can absolutely still finish inside the Premier League’s top four this season.

It has been a remarkable 24 hours at Spurs. Mauricio Pochettino’s departure was announced on Tuesday evening. And it was confirmed early on Wednesday morning that Jose Mourinho had been appointed as his successor.

(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

While the timing of Pochettino’s departure seemed to catch many off-guard, it did appear, from the outside, that the writing was on the wall for the Argentinian. Tottenham sit 14th in the Premier League and have not won a top flight game since September.

Mourinho takes over with the side 11 points off the top four. And with Manchester City the team currently situated in fourth, it does look to be a daunting task for the Special One.

(Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

But when asked about the Portuguese’s appointment, Redknapp insisted that Mourinho has the tools to ensure that Spurs qualify for next season’s Champions League.

“It is a quality squad that should be doing so much better,” he told Sky Sports News. “They’ve got an 11-point gap to make up on Manchester City who are in fourth.

“Can they do it? Absolutely they can. It’s not too late to get into the top four. They can address that really quickly. In January, he’s going to want to buy players I’m sure. Sometimes, it’s just a way of getting players going again.”

It would certainly not be a surprise to see Mourinho get a positive reaction out of his squad. He commands respect, and, as Redknapp suggests, there is too much ability within Spurs’ squad for the players to not produce some sort of response.

Nevertheless, it would be a fantastic achievement to get into the top four. Liverpool and Manchester City look to be safe bets for two of those spots. And Leicester City and Chelsea are flying right now.

Spurs are just three points off fifth however, so perhaps it should surprise no-one if the table looks dramatically different for Tottenham before too long.