MANCHESTER United versus Chelsea is very rarely an afterthought when it comes around, but this week you could be forgiven for thinking it was, at least in some quarters. Jose Mourinho’s departure will be felt by Chelsea and their fans but it will also be felt by the league in general because I think he was good for the league.
Some United fans will be glad to see the back of him and when you think of a few of his comments about our players, or some of his words last season as our team wrestled the Premiership trophy from him, it’s hard to disagree that sometimes he was out of order. The league will be a poorer place without him. I think some people at South Bay would have been eager for a rematch with him and his training staff; in fact there we at GTS.com may have uncovered the real reason for him leaving. Maybe the thought of a rematch with South Bay members was too much to handle!
I do think that Sir Alex enjoyed his battles with Mourinho and I think that our manager had an ally in as much as both of them seem to enjoy the ‘wars’ with Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger. One thing that all three of those managers have in common is a desire to fully control everything at their football club. You do not doubt that Arsene Wenger is the top man at Arsenal, you do not doubt that Sir Alex is the top man at United. You should not doubt that it was precisely this kind of control that Jose wanted at Chelsea, control he tried to assert but at the end of the day when a guy is putting his money into a team and he is not seeing it exactly as he wants it, there is a parting of the ways.
What you have now is a yes man for the back seat manager Abramovic, someone who will do things more or less as the Chairman wants them and who doesn’t have the personality to disagree. Avram Grant is in the big time now, but I do think Roman Abramovic has given himself a distant elephant, a problem that he cannot see right now but which will need dealing with in the future.
If Abramovic goes for the big name manager he runs the risk of not being able to control events as he seemingly can with a lesser character like Avram Grant. However, if his choice does not bring success and maybe standards slip a little, will he have to take the chance and appoint a personality, a big name once again? Is there in fact a big name on the list, making Grant something of a caretaker?
Thankfully that is not Manchester United’s problem and nor is it Jose Mourinho’s anymore. There are rumours of him turning up at Spurs, but I also hear that part of his financial farewell from Stamford Bridge includes a clause not to manage another team in England’s top league for a set period of time.
Testing times ahead for Chelsea, and I would think somewhat less entertaining than under their previous manager. Of course as a United fan, and this being a United site, we can only sit and laugh at the goings on within the club. Chin up Jose, and don’t spend the money all at once!
Wake up, Avram – it’s your head on the chopping block now.
Given to Score 