The
Portuguese was the leading man in title races during the early part of his
coaching career but has failed to match that success recently.
When Jose
Mourinho arrived at Chelsea in 2004 and proclaimed, “I think I am a special
one” he hadn’t seemed to realise the half of it. His Stamford Bridge unveiling
came at a time when he was European champion and had also led Porto to
back-to-back league titles, but they were to be only the start of his
achievements.
But as
Mourinho stares on at Guardiola’s latest runaway train at Manchester City in
2017-18, the Manchester United boss faces the realisation that he is the
‘Special One’ no longer. While it was a slight misinterpretation of his words
which landed him that most boastful of nicknames, the moniker appeared well
placed up until recent years. Nowadays it is arguable he is just another in a
pack of managers attempting to play catch-up.
He is also struggling to match his
bravado of old. He appears increasingly surly when facing the media and has
contradicted himself so often of late that only Donald Trump could put him to
shame. The latest was his immediate reference to injuries after Sunday’s defeat
at Chelsea, having weeks earlier insisted that he was above the “crying and
crying” that other managers are guilty of over their casualty lists.
United’s successes in the EFL
Cup and Europa League last season were perhaps symptomatic of where they are right
now under the 54-year-old. They are a belligerent bunch who can stifle
opponents long enough to find their way through a knockout fixture or pair of
home-and-away tussles. But keeping it tight away from home is a fool’s game
when the target is not to overcome a hurdle in a cup competition but to force
pressure upon an otherwise carefree league leader.
The
problem there is that Mourinho is no longer at the very top himself, and as
much as United are a footballing force scrambling for a way to return to former
glories, so too is their manager.
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