In praise of the Special One

JOSE Mourinho is already a success at Manchester United, but don't tell that to some who want him to fail.

It's been strange to watch how the Special One has been covered this season, almost through a prism of him constantly being under pressure.

What did we expect? A league title in his first season? The Red Devils don't have the squad for that just now.

But at a trophy hungry club, Mourinho has already plonked the League Cup on the sideboard and realistically should add the Europa League to the cabinet by the end of May.

All the while keeping in touch in the league, a difficult task for English clubs who often struggle with the Thursday night to weekend turnaround required.

The draw with Manchester City on Thursday keeps United well in touch with a Liverpool side attempting  to treat triumph and disaster the same each week.

Yes they have drawn too many games but United have dominated many of those stalemates without reward. 

If just four of those games had ended in victory for Mourinho's men United would be joint second and four points off the top.

Of course he has spent a lot of money, but which Premier League manager isn't afraid of waiving the chequebook in a cash rich league? 

And the excuses and bizarre comments such as claiming Middlesbrough would beat them? Come on everyone, we are dealing with the master of deflecting attention here.

Remember Mourinho was the man who named Barcelona's team 24 hours before a game. The result? Everyone was talking about Jose the next day not the challenge awaiting Chelsea....

The spectre of Sir Alex still looms at Old Trafford at a club which went 26 years without a league title and arguably without the continued success the Govan guv'nor delivered.

A period of change was almost certain, but had Moyes or LVG put a trophy on the table in year one they would be there now.

Mourinho has brought himself time with the League Cup but knows the owners want Champions League football.

Should he achieve that then it will be a job well done in his first year. The expectation level will rise again at Old Trafford I am sure.

But if anyone can meet the challenge it's the Special One. 

By the way, any chance of a smile Jose?

Blue Moon rises to see off the Reds revival

So there you are, the end to yet another Premier League season, Manchester City triumph, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and Spurs are booking the plane tickets for a Euro excursion while the trapdoor closed on the heads of Cardiff, Fulham and Norwich.

It's been an enthralling, captivating, surprising and dramatic season in the top flight, Manchester United's manager didn't get the six years he was promised and Crystal Palace and Sunderland went from doomed to mid-table comfort.

It was the year of the sack as everyone seemed to change their manager - some did well (Crystal Palace) while others left it too late (Norwich) or changed too many times (Fulham).

Ultimately it was a season where the best team overall won the top trophy. Manchester City have been consistent, threatening and capable of stunning runs of form and deserve their honour.

A lot was made about Pellegrini when he arrived, particularly he had not won the league and 'blew £200million' at Real Madrid to finish second to Barcelona.

The fact that Barca won the title that year with a RECORD La Liga points total seemed not to concern the scribes and opinion makers.....

The Chilean has united a squad full of egos and honed them into a potent outfit, a team capable of going even further next season. It's a season though where Yaya Toure and Aguero must have competent understudies as both world class players have been playing through the pain at times this year.

As for Liverpool, this season has not been a 'failure' despite what Alan Hansen said. Ask any Liverpool fan if going from seventh to second and within two points of a title is failure and I suspect you might get a rather sarcastic response!

Liverpool's only mistake this season was naiveity - Brendan Rodgers told his team to go for it against Chelsea when he should have played tactically, got a point and moved on.

But Liverpool's approach was understandable, they thrashed Everton 4-0, Arsenal 5-1 and beat Man City 3-2 by 'going for it' so why change?

Perhaps if the same happened next year, we may see a new more cautious Liverpool but if I was an Anfield regular I wouldn't be sad at the conclusion, I would be looking ahead to next season.

It's been a season to remember again, congratulations to Manchester City!

What happened to the ‘Happy One’?

When Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea in the summer, he told the world he was now the ‘Happy One’ more than the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’.

It certainly seemed to be based on truth, hounded away from Madrid, not adored in Milan despite winning the Scudetto and a Champions League trophy – the Special One returned ‘home’.

But lately, the happy one is more ‘Mr Grumpy’ and it shows a side of Mourinho which has proven very unpalatable to many but overlooked by his many fans, including me.

When he arrived in England, I became a fan instantly – yes he was arrogant and cocky but my god did English football need someone like that!

Certain aspects such as his behaviour with Anders Frisk and Frank Rijkaard could be brushed to one side because he was good value and mostly charming.

But time in Milan and the frying pan which is life as a Real Madrid manager has made Jose bitter, angry and yes, a somewhat unpleasant man.

I stress, I am a fan, but in the last few weeks I think Mourinho has behaved pathetically and drew the wrong attention to himself and to Chelsea.

I normally back the British teams in Europe after Arsenal have been eliminated but tonight I could not wholly back Chelsea.

My opposition to a few players in the team is probably well-known but generally I did not want Mourinho to succeed tonight.

The exertion of pressure on referees, the bitter interviews, the search for malice in otherwise innocent questions in post-match interviews is frankly boring.

I hope Jose has a holiday this summer, I hope he shapes the Chelsea team to his way – at the moment he is dealing with a AVB, Rafa, Carlo Ancellotti hybrid of a team.

But I hope he remembers why he was so loved first time around and relaxes a little more next season and shows a little more respect to opposition managers.

Jose, this is not Madrid, our press pack are great fans of you, your supporters are totally behind you, let’s see the happy one next season hey?