Ok, there seems to be a bit of confusion with the press lately. Maybe someone can help me out with it?
There’s the odd headline suggesting Carlo Acelotti expects the sack if we don’t win the Champions League this year. Not uncommon for Chelsea I know, given that that’s the sort of headline we see most seasons and also given that Roman Abramovich doesn’t even have the patience of a good Christian, nevermind a saint. But still, I can’t really see from the interview where Ancelotti ‘hints’ at his imminent sacking.
What the Chelsea boss says is: “I am thinking about the Champions League and fourth place at the minimum in the Premier League. I have drummed it into the team: think about the Final at Wembley. I am working a lot.” He then goes on “I count on staying where I am. Here is where I feel good. I think I still have some bonuses to earn in England. I am still Italian, but I appreciate the English. I will return to coach in Italy, but when, I really don’t know. Meanwhile, I send my best wishes to Montella.”
No real suggestion he’s worried about the sack as far as I can see, so I can only guess this is just the usual media circus we have to endure most seasons, with a little bit of help along the way thanks to Jose Mourinho playing games.
With speculation as ever surrounding the Portugeezer, he whips it up declaring “I love Chelsea. I was the happiest man (when there). I was thinking to be there all my life and a few months later, I was out. So you never know.” But before those who still hanker after a return of TSO start wetting themselves with excitement, it might be worth considering whether it’s actually Jose Mourinho who’s really feeling the pressure of his position?
For a start, he’s not running away with La Liga, not to mention being at yet another club where his boss has his own ideas about who should come and go in terms of transfers and that doesn’t sit well with Mourinho. Wasn’t everything hunky dory with us until transfers were either forced upon him or he resorted to bargain basement signings? If Mourinho’s not happy with that at Real Madrid, he certainly wouldn’t fancy a return to the same with us.
Besides, Chelsea are going through somewhat of a transitional period. Whether we want to admit it or not, the side we have right now isn’t one that can win titles anymore. Come the summer, we’ll be needing a bit of restructuring and that was never Jose’s forte. In fact, if we really wanted to look at ex-managers capable of putting together a title winning side, we’d need to look a bit further back than the manager who actually won back-to-back titles.
Mourinho wasn’t responsible for players like Lampard, Gallas, Duff, Robben, Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson, Crespo, Makelele and Cech. Nor can he take the credit for nurturing players like Terry, Huth and Carlton Cole but his predecessor can. In fact, whilst we can credit Jose with players like Drogba (previously recommended by Ranieri), Essien, Ashley Cole and Carvalho, we also have the likes of Del Horno, Kezman, Tiago, Jarosik, SWP, Sidwell and Boulahrouz to thank him for.
Carlo Ancelotti meanwhile, has already brought us Ramires, Luiz and Fernando Torres, so, with a lot more work still required on the squad in the summer, is it really Jose Mourinho we should be hankering after?
Blue is the colour
