Mourinho Exposed

In light of the comments about Wenger being 'a specialist in failure', the Metro issued this well-crafted rebuttal:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/14/specialist-in-failure-why-jose-mourinho-isnt-even-fit-to-zip-up-arsene-wengers-coat-4304670/

"Mourinho has moved from club to club every couple of years, clubs where he was always guaranteed to have a large pile of cash to spend, building on teams assembled by others and soaking up the glory. Winning trophies that way is easy."

Back in June, I posted this:

http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/212193

"Mourinho is what I like to call an ‘impact’ manager; an impact manager will use superficial changes to existing methods, radical new ideas, and hyperbolic charisma to breathe optimism, intrigue, and motivation into a floundering club. He’ll bring success by gaining the trust of the players, and making them want to play for him – which in turn produces results. He charms the players by introducing more of what they want in their day-to-day training (like increasing work with the ball in lieu of stamina/endurance exercises); and he soaks up the pressure by making himself (or others) a target in the media. He’ll also be much chummier with his players than they would be accustomed to; Mourinho burst onto the scene at a time when stern discipline and fear-inducing sternness were considered key to success – with the likes of Ferguson, Capello and Lippi leading the charge as authoritarian title-winners.

The problem for an impact manager, however, is what happens when the dust settles. This pandering to all parties at all times isn’t a sustainable way to run a team; eventually, luck will run out in a crucial game, a player will become disenchanted, the manager will perhaps pick one fight too many. There’s a reason Mourinho has never stayed longer than three years at one club – his influence starts to wane, the players become accustomed to his methods, and the media start to tire of his antics – all of which starts to impact results on the pitch. So he absconds to another club with bottomless resources, like a charismatic tornado.

The biggest problem is the mess an impact manager leaves behind. The impression he leaves on the players, the success he delivers to the fans, and the soundbites he provides to the press all amount to one thing – that whoever replaces him is like the hamster replacing the beloved childhood dog. How do you replace somebody who provides what everybody demands and keeps them all happy? Porto are now on their ninth manager in nine years since his departure; Chelsea went through seven in five; the number of managers who have followed him at Inter is still being calculated by NASA. Meanwhile, Mourinho himself has kept his own reputation intact, by deliberately jumping ship before anyone can really dissect his smoke-and-mirrors routine."

So here's the question - in light of some of Mourinho's hilarious meltdowns, which have baffled the media and his own club, are we now witnessing the downfall of Mourinho's reputation?

It's possible that, having played these mindgames once too often, he has finally left himself vulnerable to real scrutiny about the substance of his methods. Nobody gasps in awe when he speaks anymore; nobody laughs with him.

All that's left is a sad, empty shell of an interpreter, who appears to be greying by the hour.

Here's hoping.