Tottenham take on Manchester City in Sunday's League Cup final and former Spurs striker Darren Bent believes the club are in a better position now that Jose Mourinho has been sacked.
Mourinho was given his marching order by Daniel Levy on Monday morning with 29-year-old former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason placed in interim charge of the club until the end of the season.
Mason's second game in charge of Spurs will be in a Wembley show piece occasion as Tottenham aim to end an over decade-long wait for a major trophy.
Former England international believes that now Mourinho has been replaced by Mason his former club have more of a chance against the champions-elect Manchester City.
"I think it might give them [Spurs] that bounce only for the reason that with Mourinho at times he was so negative even just the look on his face it and filtered onto the pitch to the players," Bent said on Sky Sports.
"But when you have got a new manager who is young and exciting, he is untested, he is unknown it might just give them that little spark. People are unaware of what team he is going to pick how he is going to play and it might just give them that edge."
Bent might believe that Tottenham are in a better position now they have replaced Mourinho with Mason but he still thinks Spurs go into the game against City as outsiders.
"They are still going to be underdogs against Manchester City, but I give them more of a shot against Manchester City with Ryan Mason in charge than with Jose," Bent said.
Fellow Sky Sports pundit and former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp added his voice to the debate about Mourinho's sacking.
Redknapp said: "I’m not surprised by the timing of Jose’s sacking. Having watched Spurs this season you could see Jose was a manager who wasn’t happy. I could see it in his body language, sitting on the sidelines at Goodison Park, not interested.
“Once things went wrong, he started to blame the players and was that usual divisive character in the dressing room.
“Once Jose gets to that point there is only one way it’s going to go. Spurs probably looked at it and thought they couldn’t have him taking the club for the next seven games.”
One thing that did surprise Redknapp however was the choice of untested Mason to take the reigns: "It’s a complete surprise and shock that Ryan Mason is charge," he said.
"I bet Ryan cannot quite believe the position he finds himself in. He’s got a Cup Final and still has the possibility of getting into the top four. These are seven huge games which could shape the rest of his life.”
