Newsflash for Mr. Mourinho – if a team always played according to its potential, then it would be preciously rare for any team to lose.
In the aftermath of Chelsea’s defeat at Old Trafford this season (thanks to that weak looping header from Fletcher), Mourinho managed to keep his composure but hinted strongly that his team had deserved to win because they had played Utd off the park.
Excuse me, did someone cheat you, Chelsea? You missed open opportunities, and then failed to cover a set-piece. I’d call that a fair goal my friend, and a shoddy striking performance. If you miss that much, you should be shot.
Fast forward to the second leg of the Champion’s League, where Chelsea squared up against Barcelona and were found wanting in both legs (the extra-time penalty given to Chelsea was a fuckin’ joke). Mourinho bitched and moaned all the way back to London, forgetting that Deco and Ronaldinho had just made mere mortals out of the gods that the Chelsea midfield and defense were thought to be.
Anyone remember West Brom, where Mourinho charged Bobby Robson and had to be held back by security? And this after Drogba had handballed a goal (something he himself admitted in a subsequent interview – although following the true Chelsea (read myopic) spirit that admission was retracted later on).
And before anyone forgets, Chelsea players (led by the fashionable John Terry, who seems to be everyone’s favorite for the English captaincy have made it a habit to surround refs and hound them whenever a decision goes against the champions. Every team is prone to doing so, but the mob mentality that inflicts Chelsea goes a fair way towards spoiling the game.
Fast forward again to Saturday’s FA cup semi-final between Liverpool and Chelsea. Surprisingly, the Reds edged out in front and booked themselves a place in the FA Cup final, where West Ham and a potentially easy cup win awaits. Not so surprisingly though, Mourinho was again found complaining about how his side deserved to win and how the better team had not won.
Mate – if your team really was that good, they wouldn’t lose any matches. It’s football, sometimes your players show their true worth and sometimes they play according to what you pay them. And when the former starts happening, you just might start losing.
I respect Mourinho for what he has done in football for the last four years (Uefa Cup, Champions League, two Premierships (the second one is almost in the bag) and a League title) – and under him Chelsea is truly a formidable team, albeit lacking in scoring talent. But instead of whining about Joe Cole’s miss at the end, maybe you should start thinking about winning over the whole 90 minutes.
Cuz that, my friend, is what the game is all about.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
