Tweet
<H1 class=heading>Mourinho’s outburst not intended for rivals alone</H1><H2 class="sub-heading padding-top-5 padding-bottom-15"></H2><DIV id=region-column1-layout2><DIV id=main-article><DIV class=article-author><DIV class=clear></DIV></DIV></DIV>
After showing such good grace in the aftermath of Chelsea’s Carling Cup final victory over Arsenal on Sunday, José Mourinho reverted to type yesterday with a withering critique of Arsenal and Manchester United. In a characteristic outburst, the Chelsea manager branded Arsenal’s young players a bunch of losers, claimed that United were lucky to be top of the Barclays Premiership and accused Cristiano Ronal-do, the Manchester United winger, of being a diver. Although mischievous rather than malicious, such observations still have the potential to blow up in his face.
Mourinho’s caustic comments will not have gone down well with Arsãne Wenger, the Arsenal manager, or Sir Alex Ferguson, his United counterpart, though it seems that they were aimed at another powerful figure — Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner.
As he demonstrated by waving five fingers at the Chelsea directors while completing the lap of honour at the Millennni-um Stadium in Cardiff, Mourinho is not slow to trumpet his achievements at Stamford Bridge, which he is likely to do with increasing frequency for the rest of the season as he fears that he will be sacked in the summer.
By contrasting the five trophies he has won since his arrival in 2004 with Wenger’s one — the 2005 FA Cup — the Portuguese was pleading for more time to assert his dominance, while in citing United’s good fortune he sought to emphasise the crippling injury problems he has faced this season. Unfortunately for Mourinho, he seems to have overlooked the fact that such coded messages and flair for melodrama are one of the main reasons why Abramovich is considering dispensing with his services.
“Arsenal have great boys,” Mourinho said. “But I wouldn’t be sad if a club gives me three, four, five years and tells me, ‘You don’t need to win. You can lose Premiership after Premiership, and you have three, four, five seasons to build’. I wouldn’t be sad.
“Since I arrived they have won nothing. Since we are at Chelsea, they lost Premierships, they lost the Charity Shield to us, they lost the Carling Cup to us. I don’t think they are winning a lot. Absolutely brilliant young boys, manager top, team with a great future. But they didn’t win.”
After putting Arsenal’s youngsters in their place, Mourinho moved on to United, whose nine-point lead at the top of the Premiership is threatening what could be, for him, a remarkable sequence of five successive domestic championships (two of them with FC Por-to). Chelsea’s attempt to win a third straight title has been undermined by serious injuries to Petr Cech, John Terry, Arjen Robben and Joe Cole, with Mourinho bemoaning his luck.
“This is a season in which United have had no injuries and every player is fine to play,” he said. “They go [to] the Champions League and have a disallowed goal for the opponent [Lille] and their goal is that goal.
“They go to Fulham and it looks like they deserve to lose and they win. They play at Tottenham, it’s 0-0 and Cristiano dives, they get a penalt
After showing such good grace in the aftermath of Chelsea’s Carling Cup final victory over Arsenal on Sunday, José Mourinho reverted to type yesterday with a withering critique of Arsenal and Manchester United. In a characteristic outburst, the Chelsea manager branded Arsenal’s young players a bunch of losers, claimed that United were lucky to be top of the Barclays Premiership and accused Cristiano Ronal-do, the Manchester United winger, of being a diver. Although mischievous rather than malicious, such observations still have the potential to blow up in his face.
Mourinho’s caustic comments will not have gone down well with Arsãne Wenger, the Arsenal manager, or Sir Alex Ferguson, his United counterpart, though it seems that they were aimed at another powerful figure — Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner.
As he demonstrated by waving five fingers at the Chelsea directors while completing the lap of honour at the Millennni-um Stadium in Cardiff, Mourinho is not slow to trumpet his achievements at Stamford Bridge, which he is likely to do with increasing frequency for the rest of the season as he fears that he will be sacked in the summer.
By contrasting the five trophies he has won since his arrival in 2004 with Wenger’s one — the 2005 FA Cup — the Portuguese was pleading for more time to assert his dominance, while in citing United’s good fortune he sought to emphasise the crippling injury problems he has faced this season. Unfortunately for Mourinho, he seems to have overlooked the fact that such coded messages and flair for melodrama are one of the main reasons why Abramovich is considering dispensing with his services.
“Arsenal have great boys,” Mourinho said. “But I wouldn’t be sad if a club gives me three, four, five years and tells me, ‘You don’t need to win. You can lose Premiership after Premiership, and you have three, four, five seasons to build’. I wouldn’t be sad.
“Since I arrived they have won nothing. Since we are at Chelsea, they lost Premierships, they lost the Charity Shield to us, they lost the Carling Cup to us. I don’t think they are winning a lot. Absolutely brilliant young boys, manager top, team with a great future. But they didn’t win.”
After putting Arsenal’s youngsters in their place, Mourinho moved on to United, whose nine-point lead at the top of the Premiership is threatening what could be, for him, a remarkable sequence of five successive domestic championships (two of them with FC Por-to). Chelsea’s attempt to win a third straight title has been undermined by serious injuries to Petr Cech, John Terry, Arjen Robben and Joe Cole, with Mourinho bemoaning his luck.
“This is a season in which United have had no injuries and every player is fine to play,” he said. “They go [to] the Champions League and have a disallowed goal for the opponent [Lille] and their goal is that goal.
“They go to Fulham and it looks like they deserve to lose and they win. They play at Tottenham, it’s 0-0 and Cristiano dives, they get a penalt
Comment