This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Jose Mourinho joining Tottenham Hotspur has been the big talking point of the week and what better time to appoint the Portuguese man than just days before a derby match against West Ham United.
However, the game shouldn’t be seen as a topic of interest purely because of Mourinho’s arrival or even the rivalry between the Hammers and Spurs.
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Another layer of intrigue can be added to the weekend context when you consider the feud between Mourinho and West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini.
The pair have faced off 14 times in their careers so far, with Pellegrini coming out on top in four games, Mourinho winning seven and three other matches ending in a draw.
There has been a war of words between them in the past, as The Express quoted Mourinho as saying: “If Madrid were to fire me, I wouldn’t go to Malaga. I’d go to a top-level team in Italy or England.”
He then followed that up when both were in the Premier League by stating: “Because I wouldn’t. Because I’m in a situation where I can choose. Some people can’t choose.”
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Pellegrini has also taken a shot at Saturday’s opponent in the past, saying: “I don’t like coaches who are only interested in results. The concepts of spectacle and creativity are fundamental to me.”
There was even a time when he refused to shake the Portuguese tactician’s hand because he “didn’t want to” after Jose Mourinho jumped in the crowd to celebrate a Fernando Torres winner in 2013.
Both managers are in the top 10 in Premier League history for points per game from those who have taken charge of more than 50 matches.
The most recent time the two managers met was at London Stadium last season, when West Ham beat Manchester United 3-1.
West Ham are on a run of 7 games without a victory in all competitions and Spurs are enduring a winless streak of 5 matches in the league, so there is another added incentive for the two managers to outdo each other.