#2 Jose Mourinho and Didier Drogba
Here we are again, with that master of the player-manager bond. If Mourinho were to stand up today and call out to the footballing universe, announcing his intentions to start a team, “Mourinho FC”, leading names from a number of European heavyweights would tear up their contracts and join him without a moment’s hesitation.
For all intents and purposes, the Chelsea FC of today is “Mourinho FC”. And in the limelight is a 36 year old veteran who has ruled over Stamford Bridge for years previously, channelling Mourinho’s spirit of getting things done, regardless of the cost or method.
Didier Drogba’s return to the Bridge this year has been hailed by everyone of the Blue persuasion, and Mourinho was no exception. This is what the boss had to say – “First of all when he came, it looks like he never left the club. It was so normal, nothing new at all because he knows everybody and everybody knows him. He was ever present even when he wasn't here. Chelsea belonged to him, even in the last two years when he was away playing in a Galatasaray and Shanghai shirt. So it looks like he just went for a short holiday and came back."
It certainly looked like he was never gone when they were playing Tottenham in mid-week. Drogba’s sheer strength was on view to take advantage of Hugo Lloris’ poor clearance, muscling the defense out of the way as he knocked in Chelsea’s second on the night. Just like old times.
Mourinho’s affection for the Ivorian is obvious, and the two serial winners look set to take Chelsea home this year, despite the chip on Alan Pardew’s shoulder, now that he’s the one who’s stopped production of “The Invincibles Part 2 – This time the town is painted Blue”.
There was a time when Mourinho was faced with a lot of criticism for signing the then unheralded Drogba from Marseille for an eye-watering £24 million. The Special One had slyly asked doubters to judge the Ivorian when he was done at the Bridge.