From special to troglodyte in 3 days
Dreams?
It was why the great cavernous stadium was silent (but for the Spanish fans) for much of a game in which Seville, as Mourinho put it, “hid the ball”. And why there were boos and whistles when United could not find it. But if that were not bad enough for Devils fans, his press conference defied belief.
Not only did he insult the club by talking up its past failures, he pointedly reminded us of his own successes. Even by his hubristic standards, it was special. And judging by the furious reaction, it could be a turning point.
It was as desperate as United’s performance on the field which came as a shock after three wins in a row had put a certain spring back in their step. But now with only the FA Cup to aim for, could it be that he’s afraid he’s losing his touch?
The stubbornness with which he is sticking to his mantra could have a deeper explanation. There is a whisper in the game that he is still trying to prove his methods are superior to the Pep Guardiola-style passing carousel that is currently in vogue.
The win over Liverpool was a throwback to his heyday at Inter Milan. There he managed to win the Treble in 2010 including the Champions League by beating Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern with little more than 20 per cent possession against each. Three great teams must have made a lot of mistakes and played with lots of fear!
To be fair, his Inter side fought like tigers and took their chances. It was Mourinho’s high-water mark – he was walking on the stuff and got the Real job on the back of it.
Since then, his trajectory has been mainly downward and Guardiola and Klopp have taken over as the stylistic standard bearers – for the attacking game. More and more coaches around the world are tearing up the defensive manuals, getting defenders – and even keepers – to pass the ball out.
Possession may not be nine tenths of the law but it does not have to mean mistakes and fear. On the contrary, defeats can be brushed off as occasional blips as we have seen from City and Liverpool.
That it should be those two, of all clubs, the near neighbours and the deadly rivals, who are the two EPL teams in the draw only twists the knife for Mourinho. But it appears to be making him even more determined - to prove his methods work.
If that is bad news for United fans, at least European football is spared of this negativity for the rest of the season.
No, last weekend’s gloat didn’t last long and it could be a while before Devils gloat again. Even the FA Cup wouldn’t make up for another season of troglodyte football.