Two years ago, when they were still regarded as master and apprentice and their different statuses were reflected by the fact that they managed Real Madrid and Swansea City, respectively, Jose Mourinho texted Brendan Rodgers his advice.
Take the Liverpool job, he told the Northern Irishman.
During Liverpool’s magnificent rise, it threatened to be the most costly piece of guidance Mourinho ever offered. He seemed likely to finish behind his former subordinate. Pupil looked to be outwitting teacher. Yet dismissing Mourinho is a dangerous tactic. The most-decorated manager of his generation takes a strange delight in being an underdog.
In pictures: Chelsea beat Liverpool to tighten title race in English Premier League
He thrives as an outsider. It brings the best from Mourinho. This is the paradox of the superstar manager: the galactico of the dugout derives most pleasure from clean sheets against the elite. He highlighted his skills as a defensive strategist at Anfield. Liverpool had scored 96 goals this season, 38 of them in an 11-game winning run. The sharpest side in England were blunted by Mourinho’s weakened team. A master plan was executed with meticulous precision and unwavering determination. It was eerily similar to Chelsea’s February win over Manchester City, except that it was accomplished with lesser players.
This was a first-class display from the second-string side. Chelsea had a 20-year-old debutant defender, in Tomas Kalas, and a 41-year-old goalkeeper, in Mark Schwarzer. Each excelled when called upon. They were shielded superbly. John Obi Mikel, Nemanja Matic and Frank Lampard were the most restrained of midfielders.
“They were very deep,” said Rodgers. “There were two buses parked today, never mind one.”
Rodgers was on Chelsea’s coaching staff when Mourinho coined the phrase about “parking the bus”. Earlier this season, in another original description of negative tactics, he complained about West Ham United’s “19th-century football”.
Yet Mourinho, when not propagating conspiracy theories and beneath the bluster, is a brilliant realist. The frustration on each occasion was that his team was unable to break down defensive opponents. He is perfectly prepared to adopt a similar approach when it makes sense. He knows it is illogical to take a 96-goal team on at their own game, especially lacking several of his premier players. More than any of his peers, he specialises in finding ways to negate attacking talents. Wonderfully as Liverpool have played this season, Mourinho illustrated how naïve other visitors – Arsenal and Manchester City in particular – have been.
Chelsea’s initial task was to ensure Liverpool’s blitzkrieg tactics did not give them yet another early lead. It was accomplished, aided by some tactical time-wasting. Thereafter, Chelsea showed a perfectionist’s zeal in eliminating errors. Liverpool committed a costly one.
Nine years after Mourinho’s Chelsea lost a Uefa Champions League semi-final at Anfield because of Luis Garcia’s famous “ghost goal”, they scored through a gifted goal, presented to Demba Ba by Steven Gerrard. Ba, Chelsea’s third-choice forward for much of the campaign, has turned into a centrepiece, with a vital goal against Paris St-Germain preceding another against Liverpool. Shorn of stardust, he suits Mourinho’s narrative that Chelsea are the underdogs.
“Teams are the image of their managers,” said Lampard, the midfield sentry. Chelsea may not be quite as unpredictable or as charismatic at Mourinho, but they can realise his vision of football. They share his bloody-minded enjoyment in stopping and stifling.
The quintessential Mourinho player is not the maverick the manager often appears, but one who can follow orders. He is Nemanja Matic, who again showed why his mid-season capture looks inspired, or Lampard, the expert in efficiency.
At their best – and, minus Petr Cech, John Terry, David Luiz, Ramires, Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto’o, Chelsea nevertheless were at their best – they are a wonderfully economical side. They defend with solidity and resolve and break with pace and purpose. They do not need to dominate possession or deliver artistic frills.
“It was about winning,” said Mourinho, who has a PhD in the subject. His qualifications include home and away victories against both City and Liverpool, Chelsea’s two title rivals, this season. “Now we can say we won both matches against the champions,” said Mourinho, maintaining his stance that it will not be Chelsea.
It might not be, but the reality is that City and Liverpool have only lost three home league games this season. Two were to Chelsea. They were Mourinho’s masterpieces.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Results
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Company%20Profile
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The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor
Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE squad
Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
