Ex-Chelsea manager was ‘victim of own success’ and belittles Manchester United and Arsenal counterparts
by stresster on April 15th, 2008 363 words | 5 commentsSir Alex Ferguson takes the right approach when it comes to dealing with Jose Mourinho. The Scot readily admits that the former Chelsea manager was a breath of fresh air in the Premier League but also humours him in the same way a parent laughs at their child as they hang upside down on the monkey bars.
The Daily Mail report that Jose Mourinho has got bored of thumb-twiddling and not seeing himself in the papers, sat down for a few hours and thought of some ‘outrageous’ comments which should make the headlines. Does anyone detect that the loveable man from Portugal is still a touch bitter about his treatment from Chelsea. The poor lamb:
“Do they know that the percentage of wins by Arsene Wenger in the English league is 50 per cent? And that Alex Ferguson, in the same number of games, barely managed to achieve three points in half of them?
“And my Chelsea beat those numbers completely, reaching well over 70 league wins, winning two championships in a row without blinking and leaving the directors of the Premier League on the verge of a nervous breakdown? Does that make me a better manager than Wenger or Ferguson? No. But I also don’t think it makes me a worse manager than them.”
“Perhaps I won too soon. I felt, at times, that I was the victim of my own success, that the victories in championships and cups have a special meaning in my career, but perhaps came too early.
“People tend to look at Chelsea as a rich club, thinking the owner’s money can buy this world and another, if need be. That could be turned against Chelsea on the pitch, as a powerful weapon from outside the club. Because nobody knows the conditions in which we had to build our victories, because they happened against all expectations and the wisest commandments in football.”
Somebody get the violins out for the greatest manager that has ever lived. It’s amazing that he’s not been hired since he left Chelsea, what are the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal doing by persisting with their current managers when Jose is on the market?
Related Posts:
Chelsea charging towards third Premier League title
tim - April 15th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Only a glory hound like Mourinho would trundle out stats like that. Wenger and Ferguson have been at their respective clubs for many many years, seeing their sides through numerous cycles and rebuilding phases, and it’s a testament to their abilities that they’ve been able to remain at or near the top of the Premiership throughout.
The Portuguese wonder boy comes along with a side that’s already been put more or less in place by Abromivich’s wealth, has a winning run for a couple of years, then unceremoniously gets dumped/pushed. This scant two year run is what he wishes to hold up in comparison to the lengthy tenures of the Arsenal and United managers? What an egotistical and self-promoting blow hard. Only an idiot would even think that there’s any validity to such a comparison.
Joel - April 15th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
He also went on to say it took Wenger and Fergie 5 years to win their first titles. Check your facts, mate – Wenger won the double in second season (in fact, his first “full” season).
Otherwise, just agree with tim. Mourinho was obnoxious. He wasn’t a breath of fresh air, he was symptomatic of the problems with English football (ironically) – arrogance, lying (“I was in Italy talking to Adriano…”) and shameless gamesmanship. The EPL is better off without him.
tim - April 15th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
What I neglected to add is that if one were to selectively highlight a two or three year run from either of Arsenal or United’s championship–laden eras in the EPL one could come up with stats as impressive as Mourinho’s. Think of Arsenal’s back to back championships, including the unbeaten season. Look at United’s run last year and the way it’s flowed on into the current season.
Funny how Jose didn’t think to look at things from that perspective.
Eujen - April 16th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Mark Twain once said
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”
Spladerunner - April 16th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Still the premiership is a little duller now the special one has moved on. He was like the nasty hated manager in a WWF show. Everyone loved to loath him and he got results which made him even more loathsome. Credit where credit is due. Cyclone Jose played his part well.