Chelsea’s disappointing ninth defeat of the season saw Jose Mourinho being shown the exit route from Stamford Bridge on Dec 18, but will the football world witness his camply presence in England again? Knowing Jos Mourinho’s tendencies, I’d say yes.
The magic dust and planet-sized ego are the two mutually exclusive qualities that make Mourinho’s narrative such a compelling one, but it looks like the former has lost its charm.
Where next for Mourinho?
There is little promise in the offer from Ibis Sports Club, a Brazilian club who are being wishful in trying their luck with the ‘Special One’. Little do they know that Mourinho would have actually considered their offer an insult to his stature.
Fiorentino Perez’s concern at Real Madrid is justified, as he knows it is highly unlikely that los Blancos — or anyone for that matter — can dethrone Barcelona. From Real Madrid’s perspective, perhaps the only way to do so is by appointing the best manager in the world.
Considering Mourinho’s history and personal rivalry with Barcelona, one would imagine that the Portuguese would have been smacking his lips when the Real Madrid offer came up again. But Mourinho displayed for the umpteenth time his unpredictability, and reportedly rejected the deal.
Without a win in eight matches, Louis van Gaal is clearly feeling the heat at Old Trafford. Unless the Dutchman can pull a rabbit out of the hat, his departure is certain, sooner or later.
This can only draw us to one inevitable conclusion : Jos Mourinho is eagerly waiting to pounce on Manchester United’s hot seat.
Why Manchester United?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who carries an attitude of similar nature to that of Mourinho’s, reveals in his autobiography that after a pep talk from Mourinho at Inter: a The adrenaline pumped inside us and we went out like rabid animals “
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Kaka, one of the greatest footballers Brazil will ever produce, played under Mourinho at Real Madrid. And he too, heaps praise on Mourinho, insisting that the 52-year old is a great manager and any player would die to play for him. Kaka said, “His ambition for victory sets Mourinho apart. He wants to win every game, so he prepares all the smallest details in training, at the game, everything. I loved to work with him.” The 2007 Ballon d’or winner was never a regular starter in Mourinho’s team, but even so, he thinks highly of the former Real Madrid manager.
When this is the sort of response one gets from the world’s best players, what are the odds that a man will admit to the possibility of a negative in his life?
Jos Mourinho is a winner. He has a competitive courage that will never let him believe anyone can possibly outdo him. He loves being in the limelight, and antagonism from anyone except the club that he’s at, acts as rider to his achievements. The only place, perhaps, where he was unable to snatch headlines week in-week out was at Real Madrid, when a rampant Cristiano Ronaldo was taking the La Liga by storm.
After getting his ego hurt at Chelsea, Mourinho wants to stay in England and is eyeing a move to Manchester United. Make no mistake, he has no soft corner for United. In what is an afterthought for others, he can foresee his success at Old Trafford and even if he will not publicly admit it ( because of his relationship with the Chelsea fans ), he would love to see the Chelsea management’s hapless condition after he proves himself as the best manager in the world yet again.
What’s in it for the Red Devils?
Manchester United are far from the perfect match for Jos Mourinho. In fact, Mourinho is an expert in taking down teams that follow Man United’s current philosophy of possession football. But one of Mourinho’s many attributes as a coach is to get the best out of his players (atleast for three years, taking into consideration his “third season syndrome”) and only Chelsea would bet against him not killing it at Manchester United.
After Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year dream reign, Manchester United find themselves in a huge crisis. David Moyes was a humongous flop, and Van Gaal doesn’t look like he’s able to comprehend the English game. With that in mind, its a win-win situation, as the Red Devils are desperate for silverware after a relatively long draught by their standards, and Mourinho guarantees adding to Manchester United’s illustrious trophy cabinet.