Opinion

Still long way for Mourinho to join the greats

The English Premier League leadership changed hands three times over the extended weekend.

When Chelsea went top on the Saturday, I groaned in despair.

Yes, I can have a whinge when a squad of such talent struggle to play as a team.

There is no pattern of play or style, never mind swagger.

The sight of Jose Mourinho on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets, with a pleading look on his face that says, please God make something happen, is indeed disappointing.

Does Mourinho enjoy his own football?

We have come to understand Mourinho's reactive football philosophy – he is more comfortable with his back against the wall rather than taking the initiative to go forward, chiefly against other top opposition.

Results against teams regarded as "inferior" may go Chelsea's way, but the excitement is sorely lacking when compared with Manchester City and Arsenal's clear attacking intent against any and all opposition.

Does he care? As long as he wins silverware, he is king. And that, at the end of the day is what matters.

Sir Matt Busby he will never be! Bill Shankly he will never be! Sir Alex Ferguson? Nah! Even Bob Paisley won things in style. Brian Clough, what a man he was!

There will not be a monument erected to Mourinho's fame but then again the word "great" is oft over-used in modern times.

So, finally, the central midfield area is being addressed at Stamford Bridge.

The re-signing of Nemanja Matic as speculated is admission of the failures of Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard to hit the levels required.

While Brendan Rodgers, quite laughably, claims to have reinvented Steven Gerrard into a deep lying playmaker, the reinvention of Lampard has been tried and failed.

It will be interesting to assess Steven Gerrard's development in this deeper role; as I had touched on previously, can the mindee adapt and become the minder himself? Only time will tell.

The departure of Kevin de Bruyne from Chelsea is a bit of a shock, maybe a loan spell would have been the better idea for such talent does not grow on trees.

However, if the face does not fit with the manager, then expect also Juan Mata to depart. Although Mourinho could well wait until the end of the season to do it.

The Etihad faithful could do with Mata after the assault on Samir Nasri at St James Park, by Newcastle United.

As Manchester City fought hard to climb to the summit, the words of Alan Pardew post-match to defend Yanga-Mbiwa were pathetic. There is no defending that kind of challenge.

It is a challenge that belongs in amateur football but Mr Jones had messed up by disallowing a Newcastle goal and he was not going to flash a red card no matter what happened.

It also seems like David Moyes' Ferguson-esque outburst at the refereeing recently paid dividends – Antonio Valencia's strike to open the scoring against Swansea City should never have stood, what with Valencia obstructing Ashley Williams while in an offside position when Adnan Januzaj's ball was driven in. – January 15, 2014.

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