Jose Mourinho: Why the Chelsea Boss Is the Best in the Premier League

In the three complete seasons of Jose Mourinho's first stint at Chelsea, his side averaged 90 points a season. They won two Premier League trophies along with a host of other silverware.

In the last two seasons, they managed an average of 75. And, while the cups came, they were well off the pace in the league.

On current form, Chelsea side are again on target to that 90-point height by the end of the season.

Before, he contended for a share of the limelight with the Old Trafford legend of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Now, there is simply no contest—Mourinho is the best manager in the Premier League.

But what gives him that extra edge?

Reading a Match

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Nobody reads a match better than Mourinho.

He can see things happening—trends, battles, tactical ploys—that seem to be invisible to most viewers of the game.

This skill enables him to stop most sides in their tracks and change a game to benefit his own side.

There are certain signature plays for which he has become known. Key among these is the momentary exchange of a fullback for a forward when chasing a game—usually for enough minutes to level or take the lead—then using an additional substitute to switch things back.

While Mourinho was away, a common complaint of Chelsea supporters was that his successors made like-for-like changes.

Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas-Boas, Roberto Di Matteo, Rafa Benitez—the same issue was raised in regard to each of them.

The fact of the matter is that those supporters have largely been spoilt by prolonged exposure to the man who is rightly lauded as the best tactician in the game.

Languages

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At Barcelona, Mourinho is still known as "the translator."

It is part historical reference—that was, after all, his job title there—and part mocking put-down.

But the Chelsea manager's incredible linguistic ability clearly gives him an advantage when it comes to dealing with both players and the press.

He speaks Portuguese, Spanish, at least some Catalan, Italian and English.

I was once in a press conference where a French journalist asked a question in his own mother tongue, and Mourinho's fluent response led an English colleague to turn to me and say, “He's just showing off now.” (Here he is speaking French just to prove it.)

He has also responded to the odd press question in German, and you would bet he can probably share a few words of Russian with his present employer.

Communication

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No better a reference was ever written by an employee for his manager than that which came from Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Jose Mourinho.

In his book, I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic (serialised here in the Daily Mail), the famously self-confident striker sets aside all hint of ego to write what is effectively a love letter to his former boss.

He talks about the little comments to his girlfriend, the thoughtful text messages and the personal manner that has made Mourinho a firm favourite with pretty much all he has managed.

Those exact same methods of communication have been employed with Chelsea's players—both while at, and away from, the club.

Can you imagine Arsene Wenger sending a player a text message?

Harry Redknapp even admitted last year that he had never sent one in his life.

But for Mourinho it is a vital channel to ensure his payers are so loyal, they will walk through walls for him.

Never Say Die Attitude

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The incredible home record, one of the most famous achievements in modern football, is not a reason for Mourinho's greatness, but merely an indicator of it.

It is how he has maintained that record that makes him great.

Mourinho's teams simply never know when they are beaten. They fight tooth and nail until the very end—something he instills in all his players from day one.

We saw it eight years ago when, two goalkeepers down, his side fought to keep a slender 0-1 lead at Reading with John Terry ending the match in goal.

We've seen it on countless occasions down the years with the injury-time winners—notably, this season at home to Everton and Manchester City—and we've seen it in the protection of that record itself with Ramires' tumble for the team in added time against West Brom.

Mourinho famously trains his teams for 90 minutes at a time—and always with a ball. He simply conditions them into believing they cannot give up until it is over.

Getting the Impossible from Players

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When Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge, player after player lined up to tell the media that no manager had ever worked them so hard.

The Portuguese is a famously tough taskmaster—and all of that expertise in language and communication means his players are delighted to do whatever he demands of them.

But in getting the impossible from players, Mourinho goes beyond the merely physical.

Who could have imagined, at the beginning of the season, that a £7m right-back would keep the world's best left-back out of the Chelsea team?

Few, I would guess, but that is what Mourinho has managed Cesar Azpilicueta to do.

Who would have imagined an ineffectual winger would have a half-time epiphany resulting in a 16-minute hat-trick?

Pretty much nobody, but Mourinho brought it out of Andre Schurrle.

Management, in all lines of work, is first and foremost about getting the very best out of one's staff.

Nobody in the world of football does it better than Jose Mourinho.