I was actually going to post my article yesterday with the title ’Mourinho: The Rolling Contract’ when news broke from Cobham about the sack of one of the greatest managers we would ever see in football.
Was it the obvious? Was it the inevitable? I would say yes to both questions. Short of sacking up to ten players at Chelsea (and that is the minimum number considering several of them can’t even get on the bench, talk less of the first eleven) there really wasn’t any other option but for the Special One to go.
I have read and heard several fans and people say the Chelsea hierarchy was too harsh and rushed, but when you really think about it, the board has backed the coach publicly (something unprecedented in Chelsea’s history) and Jose’s record in the past actually laid a precedent that may be tough to follow at Stamford Bridge, or even any top football Club in Europe for a very long time.
So what went wrong? I think we have to start with whoever holds the title of ‘decision maker’ on transfer policy plus Jose Mourinho himself.
I have written since August, criticising the club transfer policy and stressing how shambolic it was. How can you win the league and refuse to strengthen the squad?
How do you maintain continuity and high standards in a squad that dominated so strongly the previous season?
How do you avoid complacency in a dressing room full of such egos?
You strengthen when you’re strong and you get rid of fringe players at the same time as well.
Jose didn’t, Chelsea didn’t and they paid the price for that initial own goal and in my opinion, that was when the Mourinho lost his job.
There is talent no doubt, but what is missing in that team is a combination of LEADERS, WARRIORS and CHAMPIONS. When you look at Chelsea transfer policy recently compared with the past: Loic Remy vs Didier Drogba, Oscar vs Michael Essien, Pedro vs Arjen Robben, Wayne Rooney/John Stones saga, something is clearly wrong somewhere.
No disrespect to fellow professionals and internationals but how do you strengthen a Premier League Championship winning team with Papy Djilobodji, Baba Rahman, Michael Hector, Falcao and Danilo Pantic? Which of these players would give any of the first eleven players a run for the money?
Now we see the fallout of the summer inactivity don’t we?
Finally to Jose and his ego. For a man who has won so much and achieved so much in the game, I think he should have avoided all the media conversations he had up until the last one he gave after the Leicester game. What prompted my title of ‘Mourinho: The Rolling Contract’ was his interview after the Leicester game. I played before as well, and I know when you go that direction with your players, its only one way either way; your loyal players respond but the ones who don’t care would not and that would bring a big divide in the dressing room.
Jose would be back, his pedigree speaks for himself and the most painful part of the story is that Chelsea has been another laboratory for him to experiment and improve as a person, a man-manager and a coach.
I believe this experience would only make him a BETTER ONE with his next employers and would make him more determined to prove himself again in Europe.
Chelsea? Well no more excuses for the players, and as for the board, clear long term and short term objectives need to be quickly set out.
When the team crumbled, there were no Drogbas, Makelele, Gallas, Ballack, Malouda, Lampard, Cech, Cole and Terrys in abundance. No characters no leaders no warriors and no serial champions, for Chelsea FC to go back up a notch, they need that profile of players that stand up and be counted when the chips are down otherwise it’s not so easy to climb out of the mud fight.
In the short term, each game should be a cup final up until when the transfer window opens and then, decisions that were not made in August need to be made, otherwise the club would slide back for two years (no Champions League, no European football and there is talk of Guardiola taking over in Manchester)
Whatever the case may be, the soap opera continues for now and we watch intently.
The losers? Chelsea FC and the fans.