Why Timing Is Just Right For Return Of The Special One

[Dorset]

Not wanting to count chickens (be they Venkys or otherwise) but Chelsea fans worldwide must surely be wishin’ and hopin’ en masse that rumours of a Jose Mourinho return to pastures Blue have true substance, sufficient to sink teeth into and chew over to our [be still beating] heart’s content. Encouragingly for the incorrigibles, reports of late have been so flame-grilled and finger-lickin’ good you can almost taste them and CFC anticipation levels are at such sky-high levels they will only ever be fulfilled by a feasting of eyes on the Special One as he nestles back in that elongated box known to us all as the Stamford Bridge Home Dugout.

Food for thought, maybe, but my intention is to leave it to other Shed-Enders to provide all those reasons why an owner’s managerial appetite [bordering on the ravenous] was never going to be satisfied by occasional tasty scraps of play falling off a very rich man’s table, courtesy of a calamitous FSW, and instead go off on a much more interesting tangent - for it is not so much how Chels fans will perceive a re-serving of Jose [let’s face it, we’re bound to love every overdone morsel] but just how others will react to his return and what, far more importantly, awaits him this time that is different from the last.

Put bluntly, Gourmet Mou has always been an acquired taste, never going down well at certain high tables in this country, so it is in this particular neck of hierarchal woods that I’d like to pitch a topic tent - right in amongst the changes that have taken place since those mid-Noughties that were so nice for the Chels fan. For starters there’s the rapid rise of Citeh that contrasts a yearly fall by instalments of Arsene Wenger, both still incomplete in terms of course-running, but nevertheless defining in nature. Any benefit for Jose from the former would be restricted to a quenching of the financial-jibe heat in the EPL kitchen, but the latter’s humbled iconic coaching status and trophy-less torpor, which has [at long last] seeped into Arse fans psyche and Media perception, will no doubt come as quite a surprise to a Portugeezer used to delusion being standard fare at Chez Emirates.

No way, Jose, not in these Premiership times, where posturing practicality and resignation [in everything but actuality] have become the order of the day, especially for coaches like Wenger, his turning of Arsenal into a feeder club for the Mancunians the most obvious proof of his proficiency in both areas. Why only recently, when asked about the title race being over so early and after one big Gallic shrug of his shoulders, he came out with the classic comment…

“And honestly, Manchester United have run away with it, but nobody understands really why or how.â€

…oh yes everybody does, Arsene, it’s just that in your naivety you beggar belief and, even without the Frank Spencer beret as an accessory, that’s never a good look to cultivate if you also take into account, to quote Jim White of the Daily Telegraph, the ’Masonic Management’ structure that pervades the Premier League and the lack of competitive edge that already fosters. For the uninitiated, this Masonic Order reference is to freemasonry, specifically relating to the ’fraternal’ nature of management that has grown up around Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United over the last twenty years and, as a self-confessed fan of the club, it appears that even Jim White is completely unabashed when it comes to admitting to its bias-breeding existence.

Not that there is anything wrong with being part of a Grand Order, of course, as long as it is limited to due deference [acknowledging great managerial ability] and doesn’t degenerate into subservience leading to tangibly unfair advantage on a much grander scale, on a football pitch, with Premiership points at stake. Lest we forget, our current interim manager is noted for believing such standards slipped alarmingly ages ago, when Ferguson-fawning began in earnest and I’m sure Jose is acutely aware of a situation that remains the same as it ever was. No change here, then, with matters best served by distancing himself from the Spanish conspiracy theorist, and it doesn’t take a Jim Beglin-style statement of the bleeding obvious to explain Jose’s strategy ahead of any anticipated return - a renewal of deference, as already seen in action when doffing his Real Madrid hat in the old boy’s direction, before duffing him up [yet again] in a crucial CL game.

In short, Jose can see a much bigger picture emerging in the Premier League and he knows it could be kaleidoscopic for all concerned at Chelsea in a few years time. Whether you believe in the existence of undue influence or not, gone are the days when Big Eck, Big Sam, Big Steve, not-so-big Tony P, Good Old ‘Arry, Captain Marvel and countless others regularly rang up a red-nosed mentor to swap managerial yarns and, perhaps, like Aladdin and his Lamp, rub him up the right way to get new loanees for gold. Nowadays half these acolytes are out of the top flight altogether, while the other half are probably destined to follow shortly, their pantomime seasons either long gone or about to come to an ignominious end playing to hacked [off] houses. In their place Messrs Zola and Poyet knock on the Premiership door and look set to visit Stevie Clarke at the Hawthorns and Brendan Rodgers at Anfield, maybe as early as next season, clear evidence of a potential New Order, stretching the Blue Monday’s connection right through the whole week, another significant change since Jose was last in situ.

We can also add to these the arrival [plus ‘moving on’] of a certain AVB, who may not look upon a potential return of the Special One in the same way as other ex-Chels ladder-climbers, but there is no denying the subservient nature of being a former Dossier-Compiling One. Links do not end there either, because Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton is quick to tell anyone who will listen that he is another acquaintance who, if he keeps the Saints alive and kicking, will only tip the present Alex axis further away from its northern hemispherical imbalance. Rightly or wrongly, believably or not, the Premiership stage looks set for some kind of ‘Masonic Management’ restructuring that‘s for sure…

And a change for the better might also be said to be on its way at the Football Association too. Never particularly friendly towards our club throughout Jose’s first tenure (and under the new chairmanship of Greg Dyke unlikely to be so in the future) some may think we can only be destined for more of their disciplinary ‘balance of probability’ and ‘ball boy baiting’ grief, but a dwindling number of Chelsea players, either presently-in or enamoured-with, the current International squad, is in stark contrast to last time around. This has to be no bad thing when looked at from the club‘s point of view, due as we are for another period of intense International football navel-gazing similar to that seen during Jose’s previous spell with us pre-World Cup, because now the hype and expectation will not involve or engulf so many Chelsea players.

Far from it, because we are already being told by ManU-friendly Media that the likes of Smalling, Jones, Cleverley, Carrick, Welbeck, Young and Rooney will ’carry the flag’ en route to qualification and beyond. Best of luck, is what I say, and I’m sure Jose will too, if he is allowed to cosy along Nathaniel Chalobah, Josh McEachran, George Saville, Todd Kane and Billy Clifford within a Chelsea first team squad next season, while youngsters of the quality of Lewis Baker and John Swift develop just one level below. All this talent will be pretty-much Teflon-proofed from the taint of England major tournament failure for the next few years leaving only Ash, who couldn’t give a **** about the FA anyway, and Frank, who will ease his way to a hundred caps [given some semblance of sanity on Hodgson’s part] before bidding a fond farewell at the first available opportunity and without a single trip to Doha interrupting an anticipated steady flow of congratulations.

Moreover, for those of you who thought they might have slipped my mind, let’s spare a thought too for Messrs Walcott and Wilshere, steeped as they are in Dickensian Christmas’s Past and Future extremes of wunderkind assessment, but both destined to be burnt out, bit-part players somewhere down the line, token references in that periodical entitled ‘Our World Cup Great Expectations‘. Shot to pieces, some physical, most mentally, is how I see the English Medias ‘brave boys for Brazil’ this time next year and sympathy over the fallout on failure will be scant from this quarter. Doubtless non-existent for Jose as well, not only because of his obvious allegiance to all things Chelsea, but also due to the fact that the Media, which is the last ’changing face’ upon which I wish to gaze, will, somewhat paradoxically, have balls aplenty…. in the air throughout Season 2013/14.

Meltdown and apoplexy in print is never far away in football and it will be even closer by the end of a season that has seen United walk away with the title, whilst one of their number has walked away in his country‘s hour of need. Everything to enthuse and explode over, but pundits and scribes can’t because margin of victory and prickly prejudice intervenes in equal measure. They would normally want that triumphal picture of fist-clenching defiance at the campaign’s end, to hang their eulogistic words on, but because of circumstance it will look false and nobody will want Rio Ferdinand anywhere near a photo-shoot anyway. No, what these messengers really want is a fresh, exciting story to set the pulse racing. They badly need a hero to appear just as the curtain is about to be brought down on a season-long revenge-killing tableau. That guy is so obviously Jose Mourinho he cannot be kept below the parapet any longer and even he keeps peeping over it to admire the view.

You cannot blame him, he is already looking at the bigger picture….and he likes what he sees.

[SFL]

  The clues are there , only one piece is missing from the jigsaw and Roman Abramovich has that.

 

 

  Does he want a manager or a puppet?  

 

 

  If it is the puppet we could be back to square one ,around about Christmas time next year .

[JoeyN]

I apologise for my lack of faith in the club but that's exactly what will happen.

 

We will hire a young promising manager that plays good football, but he will be sacked by Christmas. 

 

As much as I would LOVE to see Mourinho back in the Chelsea dugout, I just don't see it happening. 

[buncey92]

Would Jose return without us finishing in the top 4? i highly doubt it! Here is hoping we finish in the top 4 and Jose returns!

[Carefree94]

I'm not so sure. Jose's ego believe it or not has got even bigger and I highly doubt he'll come if we dont finish in the top 4. Even if we make the top 4, Im unsure as to whether RA will suck it up and hand the reins over to Jose. Still would love to see him back at the bridge! 

[Scott Harris]

I think it's as simple as this, if he doesn't return next season then sadly he will never return.

[Alan]

As much as I love Jose, I'm not sure him coming back would be a good thing. I've got my doubts.

[evissy]

If he is leaving Real he doesn't really have loads of teams he can go to. Not because he is not wanted but because of the level of challenge. We can offer it among with City and PSG but that is it IMO.

[Scott Harris]

If he is leaving Real he doesn't really have loads of teams he can go to. Not because he is not wanted but because of the level of challenge. We can offer it among with City and PSG but that is it IMO.

 

He did say his next job will be in England so unless he has a change of heart it's only us or City. I pray that he chooses us.

[Uno]

Even PSG wouldnt be a challenge for him. It would be like going back to Porto.

I think it will be between us or City. To be fair if he joined City i couldnt blame him.

If he joined PSG we will all know its for the money.

[stevo]

We are more convenient than City for him. He is a family man and his daughter is studying in London.I feel if Roman makes the terms right,he will return to us.The ball is in Romans court.

[SurfCFC]

If he were to join City, would that not scupper his chances of being (eventually) manager of Utd? 

 

The only thing is, is Abramovic man enough to let Jose hold the reins?  Otherwise there is no point in him coming back.

 

Enjoyed reading your post, Dorset :)  Some very interesting points.

[Uno]

If he had the City job why would he need the United Job?

[SurfCFC]

If he had the City job why would he need the United Job?

 

I think he has always wanted to take over from SAF, hasn't he? 

[Uno]

So it says in the papers. But didnt he say recently that he wouldnt take over the United job.

I think if City came in for him he would be there for quite a few years. He wouldnt need the United job.

[SurfCFC]

So it says in the papers. But didnt he say recently that he wouldnt take over the United job.

I think if City came in for him he would be there for quite a few years. He wouldnt need the United job.

 

I am worried this may happen.  If he goes to City I don't think I would mind too much - not sure how I would feel if he went to Utd! 

[c3blu2]

Why on earth would anybody want the Utd job after fergie, your on a hiding to nothing if you ask me. Better of letting someone else have it for a couple of years,failing, and then coming along as the savior IMO.

 

We have to get Jose, his demands that he be given control of football affairs is something the club desperately needs to happen. It cant carry on being run like it is. Let the manager manage, buy the players HE wants for the positions HE has identified needs strengthening and sell the players HE wants. The boardroom can still take care of transfer fee's and contracts etc when deals are being done but we need this change to happen and Jose knows it. He is strong enough to handle the boardroom, the players and the media and he has genuine affection for the club and fans(like Robbie did, real shame that) and unlike FSW (Disaster that). 

 

He's the best manager in the world, is available, has blue in his blood. Ticking all the boxes for me. If the board do one thing right in their useless lives pleeeaaase let it be this. Get Jose back.

And to all those idiots who say Jose's teams play boring football i say the only thing boring about it is the predictability that CFC will win nearly every week. Nothing Boring about Robben,Duff,Crespo,Drogba,Gudjohnson,Cole,Lampard. Scoring more goals than any other in a prem season and conceding just 15 in an entire season(that will never be beaten), some of which were scored against us in meaningless games once the title was won. Yeah well boring that, bring on the boredom, i'm ready, i can take it, bore me all over again Jose.

[BLUENUT]

Why on earth would anybody want the Utd job after fergie, your on a hiding to nothing if you ask me. Better of letting someone else have it for a couple of years,failing, and then coming along as the savior IMO.

 

We have to get Jose, his demands that he be given control of football affairs is something the club desperately needs to happen. It cant carry on being run like it is. Let the manager manage, buy the players HE wants for the positions HE has identified needs strengthening and sell the players HE wants. The boardroom can still take care of transfer fee's and contracts etc when deals are being done but we need this change to happen and Jose knows it. He is strong enough to handle the boardroom, the players and the media and he has genuine affection for the club and fans(like Robbie did, real shame that) and unlike FSW (Disaster that). 

 

He's the best manager in the world, is available, has blue in his blood. Ticking all the boxes for me. If the board do one thing right in their useless lives pleeeaaase let it be this. Get Jose back.

And to all those idiots who say Jose's teams play boring football i say the only thing boring about it is the predictability that CFC will win nearly every week. Nothing Boring about Robben,Duff,Crespo,Drogba,Gudjohnson,Cole,Lampard. Scoring more goals than any other in a prem season and conceding just 15 in an entire season(that will never be beaten), some of which were scored against us in meaningless games once the title was won. Yeah well boring that, bring on the boredom, i'm ready, i can take it, bore me all over again Jose.

 

 

I all for being bored sh*tless!