The downfall of Jose Mourinho from Chelsea is stranger than fiction

The downfall of Jose Mourinho from Chelsea is stranger than fiction

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Little over a week has now passed since one of the greatest downfalls in Premier League history culminated after Chelsea’s sacking of manager Jose Mourinho last Thursday.

Amid a campaign where the reigning champions sit 15th on the table there was nowhere left to turn for the ‘Special One’, whose fate was sealed after a crisis meeting between Roman Abramovich and other club directors.

There are few figures in world football that can polarise the public opinion quite like Jose Mourinho, the blue faithful standing defiant even in the wake of his dismissal from the club as demonstrated in the past weekend’s win against Sunderland, while detractors rejoiced in the misery that grew with each of the nine domestic losses recorded since the start of 2015-16.

The qualities that could be described as endearing early on soon became infuriating for most other onlookers. Once able to deflect criticism with a certain charm, the well of excuses ran dry and despite the love that Stamford Bridge is said to have for Mourinho, it may be a cursed relationship. This is something iterated by the man himself in his first statement since he was shown the door:

“During his career, Jose has sometimes chosen to leave a club, but only at Chelsea has the club decided that he should leave.”

After a third place finish in his first campaign back at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho would indeed deliver the goods to Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea fans in 2014-15, comfortably taking home the Premier League title for the first time in four years and beating rivals Tottenham Hotspur to capture the League Cup. It was not that long ago that his bravado was at its peak, speaking of his plans to create a blue dynasty in April:

“We are building a team for a long time, for the next 10 years. That is the objective. More important than my team is Chelsea’s future.”

Fans show their support for the departed Mourinho at last weekend's game against Sunderland
Fans show their support for the departed Mourinho at last weekend’s game against Sunderland

In what should have been a worrying offseason turn, while contenders Manchester City added the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling to their stocks, the summer transfer window largely passed-by without any big headline signings coming to South London. A pick-up of Man United castaway Radamel Falcao failed to inspire, Baba Rahman has hardly been given a chance in the first team and the desperation signing of Pedro from Barcelona has not provided the necessary spark, while fans have stopped mentioning the failed transfer-war for John Stones mostly out of embarrassment.

The ‘Special One’ would show faith in the troops that had dominated the domestic league from start to finish in 2014-15, yet these comments given in an interview with the Guardian back in July before the season even began are far-too telling about how Chelsea’s title defence has played out so far.

“It’s a big challenge. To be better with the same people, the players have to be better individually than they were last year. So when they think: ‘Oh last season I did great,’ this season it is not enough,”

“John Terry – great season. This season it is not enough. Must be better. Fàbregas – I don’t know how many assists last year. Fantastic. It’s not enough. Because the others are going to improve with the players they are bringing and we have to improve by ourselves with our work.”

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The lack of evolution that was evident in the team setup was also seen in Mourinho’s tactics, which have changed little from the ‘park the bus’ mentality that is more focused on the individual part, rather than the whole. The likes of Nemanja Matic, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic are expected to be brick walls as opposition attackers are invited to press forward, Eden Hazard’s best is required to steal results when the team is not at their best and Diego Costa needs to be pouncing on every ball that comes close to the six-yard box. None of this has happened since August and it did not take long for the Premier League’s other managers to find and expose the weaknesses that may have always been present in Mourinho’s approach.

The first cracks in the 52-year-old’s hold on the team came on the opening day of the season, which ended in a 2-2 draw with Swansea at home that at the time was not such a menacing result. Late in the match Eden Hazard went down hurt, seeing first team doctor Eva Carniero and her assistant take to the field to treat the Belgian, subsequently forcing him momentarily out of the game in the dying minutes. Mourinho would blast the actions taken by his staff long after the match had finished and chose to implement heavy punishments on Carniero particularly, immediately ending the long-serving club doctor’s work and contact with the first team players. Looking at it realistically, Carniero was forced to quit Chelsea and the display was almost tyrannical by the ‘Special One’. Any attempts at a title defence have quickly gone out the window after comprehensive defeats to Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool, with the likes of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth piling further embarrassment on Mourinho by taking full points home from the once-feared grounds of Stamford Bridge.

The downturn in the team;s form saw Chelsea slide rapidly down the table this season
The downturn in the team;s form saw Chelsea slide rapidly down the table this season

In his final post-match press conference as Chelsea manager, the Portuguese threw down the last card he could and turned the finger on the team that he had always gone to bizarre lengths to protect from criticism, stating the players had “betrayed” him. It was clearly the end of the line and the fatal blow dealt by Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester could not have been more of a Shakespearean twist for a man whose presence adds drama to every football match.

With rumours about a switch to Manchester United already dominating the landscape, it seems as though we may not have to wait long to see Jose Mourinho back on English sidelines, left treading water just above the relegation zone, however, the recovery process may not be as smooth for Chelsea.

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