Date: 15th March 2014 at 8:05am
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Asking that question to a Chelsea supporter would probably elicit an answer along the lines of “are you mad?” Even if Jose had not returned at the start of this season, the esteem in which he is held by Chelsea supporters would not be diminished. Put quite simply he is the best manager Chelsea FC have ever had, and the best they are likely to have. Special? Not half!!

When he first graced Stamford Bridge with his presence we immediately knew we were on to a winner. Chelsea had been knocking on the door of a Premier League title but just didn’t seem to have the mentality to cross the finish line until Jose turned up. Single handed he instilled the winning mentality in to the players and the supporters as we won our first title in 50 years. Trust me it was just as special winning it the following year to give us back to back titles.

My abiding memory of Jose’s first tenure at the club was that we just didn’t feel that we would lose. Especially once we were a goal up. His tactical mastery and desire to win would give you the confidence that the game was sewn up. Of course when we did occasionally lose it seemed all the more shocking as a result, and of course led to one or two tantrums – tantrums not just from the ‘Special One’ but by the supporters and the owner. Perhaps the sublime comfort in which we settled caused the peremptory parting of the ways – apathy at winning or taking it for granted perhaps.

To analyse why Jose Mourinho is the best manager in world football one needs to look at many factors.

The first and the easiest is to look at the trophy haul. After all, unless you’re Arsene Wenger or an Arsenal fan, football at the top level is all about winning trophies. Here Mourinho’s record is quite simply staggering.

He first came to attention as manager at Porto winning the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, and UEFA Cup in 2003. Mourinho guided the team to victory in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, to the top of the league for a second time, and won the highest honour in European club football, the UEFA Champions League. At which point with a run down the tunnel as his players were celebrating he joined Chelsea and announced that he was the ‘Special One’ or something about bottles anyway. Those that like to point out that he only has success at mega-rich clubs with burgeoning cheque books to buy ‘galacticos’ would do well to remember his success at a club like Porto.

At Chelsea he secured 6 titles and cups in 3 years (as he pointed out after winning the FA Cup in 2007) including the Premier League (in his first season with a record 95 points) in 2005/06 and 2006/07; the League Cup in 2004/05 and 2006/07; the FA Cup in 2006/07 and the Community Shield in 2005. Not to mention being runners up in the Premier League in 2006/07 and successful Champions’ League campaigns where arguably Chelsea were unlucky not to reach the final or even win it.

After Chelsea came Internazionale and the trophies continued to mount up. Within 3 months he won the Supercoppa Italiana, and then followed this up with back to back Serie A titles; a Coppa Italia and his second Champions’ League title beating Barcelona ‘the best team on the planet’ in the process.

Where do you go after that? Well how about joining a club more endemically insane than Chelsea and arguably the biggest and most demanding in the world, and one that has to compete and beat Barcelona ‘the best team on the planet’. Jose took the reins at Real Madrid and many commentators would snipe that his time there was a failure. Less one-eyed commentators would perhaps argue that at Real Madrid managers come and go with regularity and the internal politics, Presidential interference and player power make them the most difficult club in the world to manage. Also do not underestimate the pervasive and destructive influence of the ‘Real Madrid’ press many of whom took an instant dislike to Mourinho, arguably due to his Portuguese roots. The Spanish and Portuguese are not the best of friends!

It is perhaps salient to consider the context when reviewing Mourinho’s relative failure at Real Madrid in winning the Copa Del Ray (the clubs first trophy in 3 years) and then in 2012 winning La Liga with the most games won, most away wins, most points obtained in any of the top European leagues and topping the league 9 points clear of runners-up Barcelona, breaking their dominance in the process by winning their first title in 4 years.

And do not forget the 32 individual honours he has been awarded in his relatively short time in management, including the FIFA and UEFA manager of the year. If it were measured in trophies alone, there would be no doubt as to how special Jose Mourinho is. But we can draw on further evidence.

Tactically, he is arguably the best in the world at actually doing what as football supporters we expect our managers to be able to do. Namely, affect a game. His preparation is second to none, and he will select a team to get a result no matter the opponent or occasion. The recent away win against Man City was a classic Mourinho display. Who else but Jose Mourinho would leave out Oscar, his appointed playmaker and number 10, a man who Juan Mata, Chelsea’s two times player of the year was sacrificed for, in the biggest game of the season? Furthermore he brought David Luiz in to the midfield having said that he would not consider doing it! Of course his plan worked and Chelsea walked away with a victory and a prized scalp – the only club to do so at Man City this season. The thing that strikes you most about a Mourinho team is that every player seems to know exactly what his role and purpose in the team is. Jose’s communication skills are unrivalled, and this makes a difference on the pitch.

However, the best laid plans can often go pear shaped. Special managers affect the game whilst it is in progress, when things don’t go right, when the opposition may have the edge. 4377879-675x425For me this is one of the key reasons why Jose is so special. If he doesn’t like what he sees, or spots a weakness in the opposition he will act quickly. A good example occurred in the last gasp win against Everton at Stamford Bridge when seeing that Oscar was having no effect on the game, Jose replaced him at half-time with the energetic Ramires. With the side desperate for a goal he brought on Torres to join Eto’o in attack, going 4:3:3 in the process. Everton began to exploit the space left by this change, so Jose hooked Eto’o and brought on Schurrle. These were tactically astute substitutions with absolutely no indecisiveness. In fact, Ramires was a key sub in that his runs forward repeatedly caused Everton problems and it was the foul on Ramires in the last minute that led to the free kick which created Chelsea’s winner.

Compare this to the much loathed and derided (by Chelsea supporters) Rafa Benitez. Urban myth has it that Chelsea supporters were so vociferously against the appointment of Benitiez because of his Liverpool connection and comments aimed at Chelsea as a result. Whilst that is partly correct, one of the key reasons was that they knew he was not in the same league as Mourinho as a manager. One of their main frustrations with Benitez was watching a game in which Chelsea were either struggling to win or to hold on to and Benitez (always on 65 minutes) would make a like for like substitution which had no effect at best and a deleterious one at worst! All this in the knowledge that we once had a manager who would actually change the game to our advantage, namely Jose Mourinho! It was management by numbers or management for dummies if you prefer. And don’t get us started on the ridiculous rotation policy or leaving our best players (Terry and Lampard) out on a regular basis. Benitez, quite simply, is not fit to lace Mourinho’s shoes as a manager – and every Chelsea supporter knows it.

I was lucky enough to grow up in an era when English football had some of the greatest managers we have ever seen. The likes of Don Revie, Sir Alf Ramsey, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and the peerless Brian Clough to name but a few. In terms of personality, man management, tactical ability and will to win, Jose Mourinho is without doubt closest to Clough.

In many respects Jose Mourinho is the modern embodiment of Brian Clough – occasionally boorish, spikey and charming in equal measure, highly intelligent, and most important of all an absolute genius in the art (for it is an art) of man management.

Cesar-Azpilicueta-2Ask the players who played for Brian Clough who the best manager they ever played for was and they will answer “Brian Clough”. Ask the same question of players who have played for Mourinho and they will say “Jose Mourinho”. One of the key reasons here is not just his innate ability to know which players to cuddle and which to kick, it is his unrivalled skill in improving players whether they be average players or some of the best in the world.  Who but Mourinho could make a difference to Eden Hazard, already one of the brightest young football stars? Who but Mourinho could convert an underperforming right back in Azpilicueta and turn him into one of our best players of the season to date. And we would not have Frank Lampard one of the greatest midfielders the English game has ever seen, and Chelsea greatest ever player, without the formative influence that Jose Mourinho had on him.

But Mourinho is not just about the individual. Mourinho gets everybody – and I mean everybody at the club from the biggest star to the tea lady to the supporters who follow the club over land and sea to buy in to the team ethic. Everything he does, and everything he expects everyone at the club to do is for the team. And the team’s main objective is to win, and to win together. The way to do this is to work hard, work hard for each other and be prepared to make sacrifices.

His performances in press conferences are a subterfuge for this. He will create controversy, which the media lap up, but usually the motive will be to deflect attention and criticism 4328172-675x425away from the ‘team’. The message to the ‘team’ is let them all focus on me; I am your leader and have broad shoulders and will take the pressure away from you. It works, simply, but effectively. All of this adds up to a great leader, and Jose Mourinho’s consummate leadership lies at the heart of his special talent. Many aspire to be leaders, but few carry the mantle as well as Jose Mourinho, and this ultimately is what makes him ‘special’.

But, for the supporters, there is one more thing. Jose Mourinho has created a bond with Chelsea supporters. He seems to ‘get’ us and in many ways appears to be ‘one’ of us. No matter how true or untrue this may be, Jose Mourinho makes us believe that it is, believe that we will win, believe that we will win great victories laden with trophies. Belief is a powerful thing. If it were only for that then Jose Mourinho is indeed very very special, but there are many many more reasons.

 

2 responses to “Is the Special One really that special?”

  1. Umar says:

    101% correct. I’m Apsolutely agree with ur comments.I call Jose SUPER GREAT Special one.In Nigeria we call him LAMIDO translates THE EMIR
    i.e the LEADER

  2. Andrew Ejeh says:

    José the best of all time. most tactical of all