Jose Mourinho And Us Against the World

Jose Mourinho.

Credits: In Mou We Trust. (Flickr Creative Commons)

Before some dogmatic anti-“CampaignAgainstChelsea” enthusiast labels me as a thick headed and mindless Chelsea FC fanatic, I should clarify that I am not a supporter of the Campaign Against Chelsea Movement. Yes, I believe that many decisions went against us and Jose Mourinho and Diego Costa has been under the cosh for many reasons, but I don’t believe there is a conspiracy against a particular club. So I will hold on to this thought until I am proved wrong with sufficient proof. I love my club and everyone associated with it, I love what my club stands for but I won’t give into claims without any reasonable corroboration.

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Now that I have explained my stand, I will substantiate on why I like this siege mentality and this “us against the world” atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.

The period which spans between Mourinho’s departure in 2007 and his homecoming in 2013, Chelsea has enjoyed a relatively sustained period of success with Carlo Ancelotti winning the domestic double, Roberto Di Matteo lifting the much awaited Champions League and Rafa Benitez taking the Blues to a Europa League victory. But I don’t see success only in terms of filling up of the trophy cabinet. For me a successful period must have characteristics like stability, solidity, non-vulnerability and a sense of togetherness in the atmosphere of a club and yes, trophies.

We did achieve the latter, but we were far from attaining the former. Managers were changing within a very short span of time as there was a ruthless desire for quick success. Although we won many trophies, I felt that there was a constant feeling of susceptibility among the crowd at Stamford Bridge. It is as if we were a ship without a radar. A ship sailing in smooth water for the moment but with no idea of what is to come or what may come in the future.

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Jose Mourinho coming back home has given the Chelsea ship a direction and a path towards which the team and the fans can walk towards together and without any fear. That air of vulnerability which could be felt in the stands of the Bridge is now gone. At last we have someone at the helm who dearly loves the club and who can rally not only the team but also the fans to face the world without any fear.

Mourinho is a unique figure in the world of football, who is hated by many, because of his ruthless mentality which is often seen as arrogance. But because of the same mentality he is also loved, and especially by us Chelsea fans. The way he defends his players in front of the media, the way he fights for the team when a decision goes against the team, regardless of the matter whether he talks with a strict sense of reasoning or not, the emotions he displays when we win a match, this is what Chelsea has been missing since his departure.

Such personalities are often hated by the pundits as the character traits of people like Jose are seen to be a negative influence on the game when viewed at face value. The personality of Jose Mourinho is depicted in the signings he made in the summer, and especially Costa. We can see what Jose Mourinho is all about when we see Diego Costa on the pitch. I won’t talk about Costa as a player because the statistics speaks for themselves, but I want to focus on his personality.

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Diego Costa plays on the pitch as if he is going to way. I love his “over my dead body” attitude which he displays by not only scoring, but by standing up to other players and getting in their face. I remember when Torres was the striker, he was once tackled by Pablo Zabaleta in the penalty box during a game against City. As soon as Torres was just about to shout for a penalty, he was surrounded by Zabaleta and another City player and Torres looked terrified.

Now put Costa in the same situation and the result of the situation would have been much different even if it involved a red card and a FA investigation. The point here is, most would see the end result and despise Costa, and even I think he goes overboard sometimes. But the point which I see when I dig a little deeper is that Costa’s reaction, be it reasonable or not, is an embodiment of a fighting spirit which Mourinho has inculcated into the team.

Yes obviously, he may get suspended or fined for his actions, because if we take it at face value, his actions are not exactly a thing of beauty. But if we are to challenge on multiple fronts, I think such a relentless and unyielding attitude is needed. Football experts think that such an atmosphere unsettles the club, but I think such an attitude if exercised with caution can yield great results. Such a mentality forges a strong bond within the club to tackle anything that might come in their way without any fear or insecurity. Mourinho integrated such a culture in the club when he first came to Chelsea in 2004, and he is integrating the same now, and I expect we will emulate the success of the previous Mourinho era.

Jose Mourinho coming back home, has given the Chelsea ship a direction and a path towards which the team and the fans can walk towards together and that too without any fear.

I saw a video on Bleacher Report in which Stan Collymore says that Mourinho should realize that he is not in a big club if compared to Real Madrid or Manchester United. I respect the opinion of Mr. Collymore when he says that this Campaign is a ploy, but I have to respectfully disagree with what he has to say about what a manager should feel about the club he is managing.

For us Chelsea fans, Chelsea FC is the biggest club in the world and we really don’t care how big Madrid or United are or how vast a history they may have. And knowing Jose and his love for Chelsea, if he feels that he is managing the best and biggest club in the world, isn’t that the best emotion which a club and its fans can expect from their manager?