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And he’s bad, bad Leroy BrownThe baddest man in the whole damn townBadder than old King KongMeaner than a junkyard dog
The immortal lyrics to Jim Croce’s much loved “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” paints a picture of a real bad-a**, a man who did what he wanted, just the way he wanted things done. José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix, known in Stamford Bridge circles (and to himself, of course) as “The Special One”, would flash a knowing grin if the Blue Army ever chose to chant the lines in their own inimitable fashion. Not that they would have to change the words too much, mind you; in the “Eat or Be Eaten” world of modern football, if any man fits the bill of being “The baddest man in the whole damn town”, it is the returning Chelsea manager.
There have been some glaring changes in the script so far, though; changes that a bemused Chelsea faithful don’t quite know how to react to yet. If this was your average Premier League season, with a new man at the helm at Chelsea (yet again), they would be calling for his head from the rooftops by now.
But this was their savior. The man who took on the erstwhile “mighty two” (in Manchester United and Arsenal) and came up trumps like only Kenny Dalglish (in that unforgettable season at Blackburn Rovers, with an irresistible Alan Shearer in tow) had before him.
While Dalglish’s vision for Blackburn imploded in the aftermath of that still unbelievable season, Mourinho left Chelsea an established European powerhouse, one that has gone on to win a very first Champions League, another Premier League title, 3 FA cups, a Community Shield and a Europa league crown in his absence.
Not that The Special One has always been known to be the kind who places much value in the lovable Boy Scout rule that goes something like this – “We leave the campsite looking better than it was when we found it”. The Portuguese is a man renowned for “getting the job done”; and that is precisely why Abramovich has listened to the chants of “Bring Mou Home”.
To completely understand exactly what Mourinho brings to the table, one must look at his time at Inter Milan. The man tends to arrive at a club with a vision; a highly detailed blueprint that encompasses every tiny detail. He prefers familiar faces in his entourage of backroom staff, and delves into the transfer market with typical gusto. While all of this may sound typical of every manager in the business, it is Mourinho’s man management that gives him an instant edge over just about any other new man at the helm; he inspires trust in the breed of the volatile modern-day footballer, right from the off.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, overlord of all that is weird and wonderful in this beautiful game of ours, once likened Mourinho’s team talks to a cleansing that brought to the surface the “rabid animal” dormant in every modern day footballer. What the Swede was trying to say was that this new manager (at the time) was capable of bringing out in him, and in his mates, a hunger and a wanting that seemed to have lost its way in the glitz and glamour of the profession. Take into your reckoning that this is a man who, when asked what he was getting his lovely wife for her birthday, replied with this one, a saying for the ages – “Nothing. She already has Zlatan”.
Mourinho
Mourinho’s impromptu routines in the dressing room, carefully designed to hit the fragile egos of the modern day footballer right where it counts, were timed to perfection; such that they gave his team the impression that here was a man who, by virtue of his everyday words and actions, was destined to lead them to the Promised Land. A world where the trophies would overflow in champagne and the world would sing praises of an army that was only too willing to fight for its general.
A striker of Samuel Eto’o pedigree excelled on the right flank with no complaints, Argentine Diego Milito was prolific in front of goal, and a majestic Wesley Sneijder took the continent by storm; as a resurgent Inter fought, punched and kicked its way to the Champions League title in 2010.
In fact, Mourinho’s recent disclosure that he would trade his current reign at Chelsea for the hot seat at Inter in a matter of 3 years suggests a certain fondness for the Nerazzurri, the one truly big stage where his stage act was timed to perfection.
Applauding in the front row was Inter Chairman Massimo Moratti, who, on the basis of the current drama unfolding before his eyes on the much less esteemed stage that is Inter Milan today, seems to be pining for a return to the days where Mourinho the orchestrator held a spellbound audience at will; not just with his unmatched results, but also the inevitable controversies that follow the Portuguese wherever he goes.
Mourinho has a genuine love and feel for the big stage; a quality that has enabled him to take the harsh spotlight off his players, and into his own waiting arms, with all the panache of a rabid bulldog. Offensive and derogatory in every sense of the word, the manager does all the dirty work without a hint of hesitation betraying his features; that smug look of self-satisfaction playing out the game that had his less gifted peers reeling before a ball had even been kicked. Or indeed, many times after the dust had settled on all the action out on the pitch.
But for all his undoubted qualities, he has a glaring flaw – a deep, abiding compulsion to be in total, irrevocable control. While it was justified when it cost him his job at Chelsea all those years ago, it came to haunt him in his time at Madrid. It was to be a magical union – a manager like no other taking charge of a club like no other. But Mourinho’s obsession with the limelight led, prominently, to a feud with Cristiano Ronaldo (kept in the shadows because of super-agent Jorge Mendes, who caters to both clients) and the inexplicable benching of club icon Iker Casillas (who did nothing to deserve such treatment).
It has seen two-time Chelsea Player of the Year (in his first two seasons at the club!) Juan Mata relegated to a peripheral role in the current set-up; but a reflection of Mourinho’s deep-seated need to show everyone just who the boss really is. He has nothing against Mata; in fact Mourinho has shown a certain fondness for the midfield maestro in the past – Deco, Lampard, and Sneijder have all played their parts exquisitely in Mourinho’s previous plays, albeit in their own distinctive ways. And until The Special One is well and truly convinced that, in his second homecoming, the stage is all but his to own, Chelsea fans the world over will just have to remain in their seats, looking up at a stage that now shows them everything they have ever wanted, and yet promised so much more.
