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Jose Mourinho: The "Special" Successor?

Matthew O'Connor
Mar 24, 2009

My first recollection of Jose Mourinho was just afterย I had been at my friends house during the week, winding down after a longย day at school. Entering my home aroundย nine,ย I remember hearing my family laughing and jeering at the television. I had forgotten that Manchester United had been playing in the Champion's League semi-final.

Allow me to explain: My father is a Chelsea fan, my mother is a Tottenham fan, and my sister an Arsenal fan. The only time we ever agreedย in clubย football was when Manchester United lost.

I myself beingย a Chelsea fan, rushed into the front room to find out what had happened. I got there just in time to see the scoreline that confirmed United would not be in the final.ย However, the image that reallyย stays with me the most is that of Jose Mourinho.

The first timeย Iย sawย him was ironicallyย an image ofย the back of his head; he wasย striding down the tunnel, followed by the camera,ย extravagantly pointing his fingers either side of him, celebrating the amazing feat he and his teamย had just accomplished.

I then remember the media's reaction to himย was to label him asย being somewhat arrogant and lucky. From whatย I remember of the highlights, Manchester United were beaten quite fairly and most definitely squarely.

The critics had lost their voices when Porto went on to win the Champion's League final.

The rest, as they say, is history.

All the Manchester united fans whoย treated him with sheerย hatred when he was Chelsea's manager are singing songs of Jose Mourinho becoming either the next England manager, or indeed the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

Whilst he is doing a very good job at Inter Milan,ย I worry thatย his timeย is shortly toย come to an end. He has them on course to winning Serie A for the fourth consecutive season.

However, many will say that Robertoย Mancini could quite easily have masterminded another league triumphย as he masterminded the first three.

Whatย I keep hearing from people in the know is that Mourinho was brought in to compete in the Champion's League. Having gone out in theย last sixteen, albeit to a very strongย United side, the board will (apparently)ย point to him forย the failure to finish top in their group, which would have allowed them to avoid teams with suchย quality at such an early stage of the competition.ย 

If he finishes with Inter at the end of the season, will Alex Ferguson take the opportunity to step asideย and allowย Mourinho to fill his shoes? He has heaped praise on Mourinho (albeit mostly since he left Chelsea), andย Alex is always oneย toย drop hints but never confirm anything. Mourinho has said he would expect to be considered as Sir Alex's Replacement when he leaves.

Being aย lifelong Chelsea fan,ย this would be aย nightmare for meย if he was employed as United's next manager.

But knowingย Mourinho, he would like the idea of being considered for theย United job, but he would love even more to turn them down (as he basically did with the England job).

He has said on many occasions this year he stillย has a great deal of love for Chelsea and the fans.ย One of hisย closest friends is Didier Drogba, and many other members of the Chelsea squad such as Lampard, Terry, Carvalho, the list goes on.ย 

He has even admitted it would not surprise him if he found himself managing Chelsea in the future, and thatย heย even likes the idea.ย 

I think he would prefer to wait until a vacancy inย West London opens up.ย