The bookies are a strange bunch when it comes to pricing up certain markets and their odds for finishing top four and the next manager to leave are proof of that.
Jose Mourinho remains the second favourite behind Steve Bruce (7/4) to be the next manager to leave their post.
Now, let’s analyse that a little.
Mourinho (6/1) is seen as more likely to leave Tottenham than Sam Allardyce (13/2), who is set to be relegated with West Brom, than Mikel Arteta (25/1) who is likely to guide Arsenal to their worse position in 20 years or more and Paul Heckingbottom (14/1), who is only an interim manager at Sheffield United and almost certain to be replaced in the near future.
Considering that Tottenham is fifth and in a cup final, that really is an achievement to only have Steve Bruce at lower odds.
What of top-four? What are the chances that Spurs can finish in a Champions League place?
The odds are not outrageous at 4/1 but certainly a lot higher than Chelsea at 4/5, Liverpool at 4/5, Leicester City at 1/3 and Man Utd at 1/25.
Remember, Spurs are just two points behind Chelsea in fourth and ahead of Liverpool with just 8 games to play. They are also seven points behind the Foxes, who must still play Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham and eight points adrift of United who also have a tricky run-in which includes a game against us.
But let’s for argument sake leave Leicester and United out of the picture, it is still a little skewed when Chelsea and Liverpool are both odds on and neither team is in any better situation than us right now.
The only reasoning in the disparity in the odds that I can think of, is confidence. The bookies obviously have far more confidence that either Liverpool or Chelsea will have a better run in than us and I suppose if you ignore the humiliation Chelsea suffered at the hands of West Brom yesterday and that Liverpool were everyone’s whipping boys until recently that the odds are justified.
Did I mention that both Liverpool and Chelsea have Champions League commitments as well? No, I never, what’s the point, fixture congestion will not affect them, not if the odds are accurate.