by bigmick » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:27 pm
Agree on the last bit Bob, when Rafa tries to get involved in such things it kind of looks wrong, embarrassing really. His peiece of paper with the "facts" about Ferguson simply didn't come off, either long term with regards our form, or short term in the sense it just didn't look right. Mourinho is a total WUM I agree (although at least YOU can see through that and accept he is no "clown" as a football manager) and he would have delivered the Rafa speech with jokes, smiles, indignation, shrigs of the shoulders and no doubt thinly veiled accusations of all sorts of shenanighans.
That said, you only had to see how the majority of managers reacted to Mourinho to see he was very well liked amongst the rank and file managers in the Premiership. He was very respectful to all the other bosses in the league, he reserved his wind ups for Ferguson, Rafa and Wenger.
The thing to remember about him and to consider, is that he is a winner who will do almost whatever it takes to win football matches. Was the Chelsea team which we overcame in the Champions League semi final a better team than the one which put Barcelona out? I don't think it was no, to be honest. Nor did I agree with the nonsense about the ref, and Rjiikjard supposedly talking to him and all that nonsense. It completely unhinged Barca thoug, and Chelsea won through.
I know the obvious retort is then that Rafa bettered Mourinho in the semi, and he did. We did though I think it's fair to say get the rub in both our semi final wins over Chelsea. I remember distanctly in the first one Lampard missing from under the crossbar in the first leg, and Gudjohnson missing from a yard with seconds left in the second leg. On the smallest of margins are the history books written, and Mourinho IMHO is well aware of this, and if he can influence history by 1% with some wind-up or other he won't hesitate.
Sometimes the wind ups aren't enough, although I must confess I find them funny more than anything. I don't think his wind ups will be enough against the Mancs, but I bet God loves him for trying. I loved the bit where he said Man Utd would go to Italy and defend (they didn't) and when he predicted Fergies team. Not shaking hands with old whisky nose was lackig in class, sending him a bottle of wine and saying it would go down to final seconds etc is all part of the game. Like I say, the Mancs are a much better team than Inter so I don't think it'll work.
Can't blame him for trying though, and they were the only team in a while who haven't lost to the Mancs. He rarely does infact, it's one defeat in 13 against Ferguson now for various clubs. Hardly a "clown" as I say.
"se e in una bottigla ed e bianco, e latte".
by 112-1077774096 » Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:18 am