Damn.
I could end this article with those four letters and it would be an apt deduction of Chelsea's current malaise. They are sitting just above the relegation zone, are playing like a bunch of strangers and for the first time in his career, Mourinho is really feeling the strain. The Special One is now the The Lost One, wandering through the woods of management obscurity looking for the light to show him the way....or a special potion to make Hazard remember how to actually play football again.
And so it's the time to takes shots. This dog is down and because this canine has bit others, it's time for them to bite back. Capello has come out and said he isn't surprised by how Chelsea are doing. He uses the example of Mourinho's short stays at clubs and how they tend to decline once he leaves. Although, Ancelotti lead them to the Champions League in the subsequent season of Mourinho leaving his enemies at the Bernabeu.
There is a pattern though. Short stays, a quick burst of success and onto to the next challenge rather than sustained dominance like Ferguson. So Capello is perhaps pointing to this, and revealing that no one should jump up and call the Pope with what is happening to Chelsea now. Well, the Italian spectacle-wearing one (who is at the job centre by the way) is not completely right. To explain, we need to look at the circumstances that followed Mourinho's arrival into Chelsea for the second time.He was forced out of Real Madrid rather than leaving after this customary three year stint. The players had turned on him, with Cold War-like leaks of tactics seeping out of the dressing room and the fans not enjoying his brand of football. You should recall the interview in which he gave after Champions League failure where he stated he wanted to go to place where he was appreciated. It was being spelled right out for us, without the use of Edward Nigma to help crack some Morse code. He didn't feel the loving tender care that he did at Madrid and felt Chelsea was where he was appreciated and adored.
So when he was coming into Chelsea for the second term, it was with a whole new mentality. This wasn't about proving himself in a new league, he'd already done that. But now, with older age and the experience of Italy and Spain, it was about following in his idol's footsteps of building an empire. Mourinho's intention for Chelsea now is to build a dynasty and cycles of continued dominance in the Premier League just like Ferguson had achieved. That is why when you see the spot they are in, this is some new ground for Mourinho and worrying because it's not like he has any intention of packing his bags and leaving. If he does go, as he said in his post match interview, he will have to be sacked.
I think though, where Capello has a point is how Mourinho is not used to this. Because of the way he has gone around clubs, he's never been in the mindset of staying for the long term. Other coaches who may have lasted a season or two have always had the intention of being around for some time. Like Rodgers and Liverpool. When you see how he brought in players from the youth team and bought young, his thinking was he would be with Liverpool for a while and build a ten year structure. Mourinho was always about winning titles from the jump-off, and not waiting two or three season to do so and be given time. Now that it's about trying to build a dynasty with the might of and cash of City, it's hard for him because he's never had to do this before.
New ground.
But as I have said, the season has never ended in October, at least give him till January to see where the cards lie. If Abramovich lets him last that long...
HH
