Benitez Costs Portuguese Immigrant His Job
Well, let's face facts, that's pretty much what's happened to poor old Jose.
On two separate occasions he was denied the chance to make his position as Chelsea manager pretty much 100% secure and on two separate occasions he was denied - by Rafa Benitez.
Make no mistake about it, if Chelsea had won a European Cup under his stewardship Mourinho would not be spending this morning signing on at the job centre on Kings Road (that's if they even have such a thing in West London).
The European Cup has become a holy grail for Abramovich and not winning it meant he could dispense with the man who has brought him two league titles.
Forget about this talk of Chelsea not playing football that is easy on the eye. That's just a smokescreen to cover the fact that Mourinho did not win the trophy that his paymaster coveted above all others.
And the fact that he didn't is largely down to Benitez.
In both 2005 and 2007 Mourniho took charge of a team which was clearly more talented than the one Benitez had at his disposal and on both occasions he was outwitted tactically and his side was dumped out at the semi-final stage.
Do not underestimate the damage this did at Stamford Bridge and to the relationship between Abramovich and Mourinho.
These defeats made the Portuguese look much less special than he thought he was. He could try and shift the blame to the apparently failing eyesight of a linesman and a resultant "ghost goal" the first time around, but the second time it happened the excuses were no longer going to wash.
Just as Benitez's reputation was enhanced by such heady victories, so Mourinho's stock fell as he was made to look distinctly second rate by a manager who could not call upon the same resources as his rival.
Mourinho once famously shushed the Liverpool fans at Cardiff but it was to be they who ultimately had the last laugh at his expense.
And today they're laughing louder than ever.
Nice one Rafa.
Older/Newer
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Benitez Costs Portuguese Immigrant His Job.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/cgi-bin/mt421/mt-tb.cgi/59364
10 Comments
Leave a comment
Profile
Tony Barrett
Job's a good un Rafa. Amazing what damage a manager of such a 'small club' can do, eh Jose!
Well who's the special one now hey?
I must say the news Mourinho had quit/been sacked (this mutual consent just means they're sorting the pay-off out) brought a smile to my face.
I know people may say he was good for the game, and he seemed to get on with managers of so called lesser clubs that were no threat to him, but the disrespect he shown to Rafa Benitez and Liverpool was appalling. He was afraid of us and rightly so.
I for one won't miss Mourinho, but Im sure he won't be out of work for long and I can imagine there are a fair few managers worried about the jobs today.
I'll finish with a few simple words: The ball was over the line now f**k off Mourniho!
For all you bitter reds that hated the special one, WHY?
What has Rafa won with his 180 million and what as Jose won with his 180 million.
No comparrison!
To win back to back Premiership titles is an amazing achievement, something Rafa and all kopites can only dream about.
It's a shame he is going because like him or loathe him he breathed life into what used to be a very tame fixture for Liverpool.
We never really disliked Chelsea before Mourinho arrived and games against them lacked real passion.
Sadly there are few games that get my juices flowing these days and we have Mourinho to thank for letting us be passionate against Chelsea.
I thought I was dreaming when Sarah Kennedy whispered in my ear this morning that Jose was no more.
Yes, I remember the Millennium Stadium match when he turned to the Liverpool supporters with his finger on his lips.
I joined the rest of the Reds in giving him advice which I'm delighted he's finally taken.
I'm now hoping for meltdown at Stamford Bridge prior to Abramovich also getting the message when Chelsea miss out on a UEFA Cup place.
Or am I still dreaming?
Good riddance. Great manager, but a vile person. Even going back to his Porto days, i hated him even then. He encourages cheating and was the reason why Chelsea are hated by all.
yeah, cos Rafa got him sacked didn't he ... behave yourself, you've never been competitive in the league with them while he's been here, always loadsa points behind come crunch time ...
Eh, i see Rafa won this match eh!
Not on penalties either, which makes a nice suprise.
HA HA HA HA another foreigner taking an Inglish job and taking the Inglish millions. POUNDS this day's are worse a hell of alot in europe, what's inglish football without the 4eners in it ? Who was the last inglish maneger to win anything and when ? If you take the 4eners out of the premier league it will take 20 years b4 you make it back to europe.
I'm just happy that even the most sycophantic sections of the press had seen through his 'special one' nonsense before he went.