It wasn’t supposed to end like this, Jose
Although there had been continuous speculation for several months on whether Jose Mourinho would get the chop from Chelsea, when the axe finally did fall on Thursday it still came as something of a shock.
Jose was informed shortly after he and the players had enjoyed the club’s annual Christmas turkey dinner or as the Daily Mirror headline so eloquently put it, “Jose Gets Stuffed”.
Chelsea’s form had been so poor that any other manager would have been given the boot weeks ago, but such was the reputation of the “Special One” there was a feeling that somehow Mourinho would survive.
Indeed even the club’s dismissal statement noted that Mourinho had been “the most successful manager in our 110-year history.” Which makes one wonder how did it fall apart so quickly, with the defending champions currently hovering only one point above the relegation zone?
You get the feeling that owner Roman Abramovich, who had sacked seven other managers during his time at Chelsea, was actually reluctant to pull the curtain down on Jose’s time at Stamford Bridge. After all, Mourinho had just signed a four-year contract, which means a big payout will be forthcoming.
But things had reached the stage where something had to be done, stoked by increasingly bizarre comments by Mourinho, culminating in his claim that he had been “betrayed” by his players after his latest defeat at Leicester. This is a very emotive word and certainly not the right one to use if Jose wanted to spark an improved performance from his stars.
The comment by Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo that there was a “palpable discord” between Mourinho and the players suggests Jose had lost the dressing room. And when that happens there’s only one way to go — the exit.
Much of Morinho’s problems have been self-inflicted. It began with the very first match of the season, a disappointing 2-2 draw against Swansea at Stamford Bridge. But the result was the least of the Blues’ problems. It was this game in which Mourinho publicly castigated team doctor Eva Carneiro, who had been called onto the pitch by referee Michael Oliver to treat injured Chelsea star Eden Hazard.
To most football fans it looked like Mourinho’s outburst against Carneiro and physio, Jon Fearn, was the manager throwing a tantrum because he was frustrated by his team’s performance. The medical team appeared to be scapegoats for simply doing their job.
Carneiro was a popular figure at Stamford Bridge and a polite apology by Jose would have probably settled the situation. But none was forthcoming and the doctor has since left Chelsea and is suing the club.
One also wonders whether this incident had any influence on the way Hazard and many of the other players have subsequently underperformed. The Belgian star is almost unrecognisable from the superb player of the previous season.
After that opening game, it has been virtually all downhill. The self proclaimed “Happy One” rapidly morphed into the “Hapless One”.
Mourinho’s post-match interviews became increasingly embarrassing and vindictive. Invariably he blamed the results on the officials making poor decisions. His comments seemed blinkered and often without foundation. His outbursts, in which he blamed everyone apart from himself, did not seem to work, as the team’s performances got worse as the season went on.
Some of his statements after matches made you wonder if he was on the verge of a meltdown. Newspaper headlines such as “Mourinho On The Brink’’ in October proved to be premature, but were signs of things to come.
The pressure would not go away. To Mourinho’s credit, until last week he had generally defended his players. But then came the “betrayal” speech, which was probably the last straw for Abramovich, although some thought he might have bought a bit of time with the win over Porto, guaranteeing progress in the Champions League.
The players, of course, have got a lot to answer for. It seems incredible that a team which had cruised to the title only six months before with much the same personnel, could sink to such dire straits so quickly. Only Brazilian player Willian has provided any spark with tireless performances.
Hazard’s loss of form has been well documented, but he is not the only one. Diego Costa, Oscar and Cesc Fabregas have all been well below par. The defence, normally Chelsea’s strongest card, has at times looked shambolic, being ripped apart by the likes of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Southampton.
Right-back, Branislav Ivanovic, for years a bastion in the Chelsea defence, has been a liability this season, while the normally reliable John Terry doesn’t look like he’s enjoying playing any more.
Many non-Chelsea supporters will be happy to see Mourinho bite the dust. His perceived arrogance — OK, it isn’t perceived, he is arrogant — has got under a lot of people’s skin and Chelsea have become rivals to Manchester United as the team most disliked by neutrals.
Mourinho remains something of an enigma. Sometimes he behaves like a sulking schoolboy, but he can also be a gentleman, although not often enough for most people. He is often seen on the pitch shaking hands with opposing players — that is, if he hasn’t already stormed down the tunnel in a huff.
Journalists will miss Mourinho, primarily because he was different to other managers and was always good for quotes, even though they often didn’t make any sense.
One thing for sure, this weekend the Premier League won’t feel quite the same without Mourinho… for better, or for worse.