There is no doubting the fact anymore. We, the Chelsea fans, get it. The rest - opposition fans, the neutrals, the casual observers - they all get it too. Yep, everybody gets it by now… so why in God’s name, on the homecoming of Jose Mourinho, do Sky, the BBC [en bloc], along with every other media outlet and newspaper in the country, persist in an ever-growing and unrepentant rewrite of our history, thereafter using the very same tissue of lies as evidence to support further predictions of doom and gloom? Correct me if I’m wrong here, but hasn’t the time come for them to write, or say something, anything, that has the merest hint of sweetness, rather than ever-present bitter intent. And oh how we long for a smidgeon of interest, truth and entertainment at its heart too, as opposed to forever being resigned to the fact that they just don’t have the heart for honest-to-goodness journalism in the first place. It is, after all is said and done, part and parcel of their job, is it not?

Evidence of sheer fabrication was to break out early on Jose’s return journey, embedded in what is ironically called the ’Breaking News’ banner and long before his unveiling press conference was ever thought to be a possibility, let alone a saving grace for a Premiership destined to be devoid of true world class managerial talent, post-Ferguson. All at once we were told, by assorted pundits and hacks alike, that Mourinho had been courting the United job for ages hoping, nay expecting, to succeed the old boy, almost on the nod. Then followed the natural flow of articles eulogising David Moyes, meandering into legitimisation of the complete storyline, after United’s hand was forced, and on into a rapid flow towards Dow Jones declaration, at which point the Chelsea vacancy could be presented as a mere consolation prize, grabbed with alacrity by a grateful Portugeezer. A denial of this claptrap has just been forthcoming, straight from the thoroughbred’s mouth and not a moment too soon.

Such media madness then continued apace, cascading like a waterfall, a torrent of reports announcing Jose’s intention to sell Luiz, Mata, Oscar, to be replaced by thirty-somethings, Sneijder and Alonso, at vast expense and with little regard for the owner’s previous fostering or forward planning. Complete rubbish, of course, but all grist to the mill of potty reportage. Moreover, just to prove that at Barcelona these days you don’t have to have any sort of pottiness training, or be a baby to cry ‘foul’ off the pitch as well as on, Andres Iniesta cushioned sanity on his instep and pumped it high into Row Z by telling anybody daft enough to read his words in El Pais…

“You just have to look at the facts. Yes, [Mourinho] damaged Spanish football, in general more harm than good. But I don’t like talking about that person at all. So if you don’t mind we’ll leave it at that.â€

Enough said already, I think, to show how adept any one of Barca’s little magicians can be at telling a readership to look at facts, before ignoring them in pursuit of yet another cheap historical rewrite. Thankfully, Jose put the ’harm’ lock on this drivel at his unveiling, but had it been said of Sir Alex, by a foreign player, after one of his many globetrotting managerial exploits (….oh) we would never have heard the last of it in British tabloids straining at the byte, aghast at the impertinent slur, and the Spanish slug who said it. Respect for Barcelona only permeates our press during certain pitch battles against favoured Premiership teams and, as anyone connected with our club knows only too well, the Chels will never be in receipt of such reverence, with or without the Happy One.

Of course, there will be those who will say that at least Jose’s star actually remains in the ascendancy, unlike that of Harry Redknapp, after one of the swiftest falls from grace and Sky, at night, early in the morning, lunchtime, or indeed any other time of the day, when SSN coverage would normally film him rolling a car window down, prior to receiving ritual enlightenment of our lives. Only goes to show, ignominious relegation from the Premiership works in mysterious ways its wonders to perform and, talking of wonders, I am reminded of that nursery rhyme - twinkle, twinkle QPR, how we wonder where you are…although not for long, lest we be accused of smug overreaction and a contrived raging against false plight - but what say you, Colin, Anton and Rio?

And what say the pundits on this upmarket change in the managerial firmament? Very little in truth, although there was one hilarious attempt to collide the two media stars, resulting in my favourite Jose quote[?] of the entire prodigal son process. When asked to comment on Wayne Rooney’s current ‘situation’ at United, our master of the Media art was reported as saying, amidst his glowing assessment, ‘I like the boy’, thereby proving, in one shining moment of glorious press buffoonery, that old coaches hackneyed phrases never die, the print announcing them just fades away, reappearing, thick as two planks and purporting to come from the lips of the next Chosen One and bringer-of-mistruth.

I do love a Dorset post!

A delightful read, as always.

You sure know how to pile on the likes, Dorset. Fantastic post as per.

Edited June 17, 201313 yr by Teritus