When the idea for this article was first floated, I was planning to write about how I believed José Mourinho was the right man to turn things around at Chelsea, after a poor first half of the 2015-16 season.
I still believe that he is the right man for that role. However, with events unfolding yesterday, it became necessary to go back to the drawing board. And so now I find myself writing about the “Special One” in a past tense.
As a lifelong Blue and native South West Londoner, I have seen a lot of managers come and go. I have never seen any manager last more than four seasons at the club in my lifetime but, without doubt the most successful, is a certain gentleman from Setúbal by the name of José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix.
In spite of the poor form the side has been showing this season (a record of 4 wins, 3 draws and 9 losses in the league, as well as an early exit from the Capital One Cup), the vast majority of Chelsea fans kept faith with our legendary manager. It’s an old saying but a manager who has had so much success does not become a bad manager overnight. So what’s gone wrong?
A Lean Summer
In all honesty, Mourinho’s sacking is likely to be down to several issues. Many believe that this season has seen an epic loss of form among the players. The reality is that, even though the club won the Premier League title last season, the side limped across the line. In truth, they had not played well since the New Year period and were fortunate to have put together such a good run of form in the first half of the season, coupled with rivals being inconsistent. But it became clear to of those of us who watch Chelsea week in, week out, that the squad was ageing and becoming slightly stale. Changes needed to be made to keep the squad competitive.
Mourinho may have been the one to get the axe, but he was afforded very little support in the summer by the club’s board. While other clubs strengthened their squads for the new campaign, Chelsea’s strengthening came in the form of a backup goalkeeper, Asmir Begovic, a young Brazilian midfielder, Kenedy, an unknown Senegalese centre-half, Papy Djilobodji, an off-form striker in the form of Falcao, and the even more puzzling signing of Jamaican centre-half, Michael Hector, who was loaned back to Reading, from whence he came, with immediate effect. It was later to transpire that only Begovic, Falcao and Kenedy were Mourinho’s choices. Confused?
The way the system works at Chelsea is that a board of five people ultimately decide all footballing matters. One of these is Roman Abramovich himself but, tellingly, only one person who has played professional football - Michael Emenalo. The system was such that Mourinho would suggest desired signings to the board who would then study the merits of the individual player and decide whether or not to sign them. Right away, Mourinho was dealing with a situation where he ultimately didn’t control which players came in or went out of the club. He wanted John Stones from Everton but the club left it late and then offered a vastly deflated sum for the talented England international defender. He then turned his attention to Marquinhos at Paris St. Germain but was again left late by the club and rejected.
And so it was that Mourinho kept a very similar squad to the one that limped over the line at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season. The loss of form continued and got worse and there were precious few options for Mourinho to turn things around. It was hoped that the club would give him January to begin to rebuild things and remove the two or three rumoured “bad eggs” that were affecting the dressing room morale.
"Carneirogate"
Whilst the warning signs came well before the opening game of the 2015-16 Premier League season, the visit of Swansea City to Stamford Bridge on the opening day was expected to be a tough fixture. What nobody was prepared for was being held to a 2-2 draw and twice squandering a lead. This was not the way Chelsea were used to performing at home, Stamford Bridge having always been a fortress under Mourinho’s first and second reigns.
As the game against Swansea drew to its conclusion, Eden Hazard found himself going down injured. Club physio, Eva Carneiro, subsequently took to the pitch when waved on by referee, Michael Oliver, much to Mourinho’s ire. The point Mourinho made afterwards was that the medical staff had cost the side the chance to attack to full potential from the resulting set-piece. Hazard had then been forced to leave the pitch in line with the rules for players receiving treatment. Accusations by both sides were then made, with Carneiro accusing Mourinho of verbally abusing her. She was also suspended by the club.
As has been seen, the case has subsequently gone to court with Carneiro claiming for unfair suspension. This was due to be contested yesterday but the club did not present a defence and Carneiro won by default. However, Carneiro’s suspension reportedly alienated several players and the first cracks began to show in the relationship between them and Mourinho. Never was this more evident than in the lacklustre 3-0 drubbing at Manchester City, when Chelsea looked anything but a tight and well-drilled Mourinho side.
Selection Conundrums
As the trickle of defeats became a flood, there were the variety of excuses at after match press conferences. Referees, linesmen, opposition players all began to take the brunt of Mourinho’s criticisms and frustrations, much as had happened towards the end of his first spell with the club in 2007. There were rumours of breakdowns in personal relationships with several senior professionals and increasingly erratic selection policies.
Senior players who were constantly under-performing on a weekly basis continued to be picked for the starting eleven while promising youngsters such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Bertrand Traoré were left on the bench or out of the squad altogether. There was also the customary substitute role of Loïc Rémy. The French striker has looked every inch the goalscorer when given an opportunity but was often forced to play wide-right when he did start, or else given 10-15 minutes here and there for the out of form Diego Costa who continued to start games when eligible.
Mourinho himself was beginning to look jaded and a pale shadow of his former self by this point, leading to more rumours of civil war within the camp.
Still A Favourite
Despite the poor form and questionable selections this season, Mourinho retained the support of the vast majority of the fan base at Stamford Bridge. This was never more evident than in the 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace when the stadium stood as one to serenade the manager with his trademark chant. Mourinho would later comment that he sometimes felt embarrassed with such recognition because he couldn’t give the fans the performing squad they deserved.
Go to Stamford Bridge on match day and you will see a long banner that hangs from the upper tier of the Matthew Harding Stand, inscribed “Jose Mourinho - simply the best”. That is how revered the Portuguese is by all Chelsea fans.
When the announcement of the sacking was made public on Thursday afternoon, social media and the club’s TV channel went into overdrive with supporters voicing their dissatisfaction. Yes, the club would likely not have persisted with the poor form for any other manager, but Mourinho’s dismissal has still rankled with the club’s fans en-masse.
Very simply put, José Mourinho is a legend among the Chelsea faithful. His first spell was brought to an abrupt halt after a home draw with Rosenborg in the Champions League. In his first two seasons with the club though, he had won back-to-back Premier League titles - our first top-flight title win since 1955. But more than that, he’d also built an extremely competitive squad and one that went on to break the Premier League record for the least number of goals conceded in a season (15). That defence included the ex-Porto duo of Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho. The latter is still considered by many to be the best centre-half that has ever pulled on the Chelsea shirt. Added to that wins in the League Cup, FA Cup and Community Shield, as well as two semi-finals in the Champions League and Mourinho became the first coach to win the major prizes for the club and sustain it.
When Mourinho returned for his second spell in 2013, it was as if the prodigal son had returned to the club. Mourinho even labelled himself “The Happy One” and stated his intention to build a dynasty at the club. The vast majority of Chelsea fans had never wanted Mourinho to be dismissed in his first spell, so the return was a second chance of sorts to put things right and build the club for the long-term.
The initial signs were of Mourinho rebuilding the side with a third place finish and, last season, the trophies returned. A League Cup win over London rivals, Tottenham, and the league title gave the club a familiar feel again. It was almost as if Mourinho had never left at all. But now, Chelsea fans are waking up to a familiar scenario again, as Roman Abramovich has reluctantly wielded the axe a second time.
What Now?
What most of us Chelsea supporters realise is that there will be no third spell for Mourinho at Chelsea. This was always going to be his make or break time with the club. We also appreciate the fact that our club has just sacked arguably the best manager in the world for a second time. And so is there anyone else that has Mourinho’s aura who can take us forward as a club?
Every big name (and some not so big) has been mentioned in the press in the past 24 hours and it looks very much as though Dutchman, Guus Hiddink, will fill Mourinho’s shoes until the end of this season. Mourinho, on the other hand, has had no shortage of links to jobs himself.
Manchester United has been mooted as his chosen destination, but that would of course depend on Louis Van Gaal’s reign coming to an abrupt end. A return to Real Madrid has also been mentioned. Despite issues towards the end of his time in Spanish capital, Mourinho is still very popular among a lot of the Madrid support who would welcome him back with open arms. Ironically, it would again mean replacing Rafael Benitez, whom he took over from at Chelsea.
One thing is for sure, wherever Mourinho does end up, it will be that club’s gain and Chelsea’s loss. Was he a victim of player power? Poor recruitment policies that left the squad vulnerable? Insider politics with the board? Whatever the reasons for his current unemployment, José Mourinho is, in the words of John Terry, “The very best I have ever worked with.” Considering the Chelsea captain has played under some of the best coaches the world has to offer, that tells a story.
by Paul Gellard
