A more familiar Jose Mourinho is emerging as the Premier League season enters autumn.
He styled himself the Happy One when he confirmed his return to Chelsea for a second stint at the club he led to two titles as the Special One. Sometimes, he seems happiest when in one-to-one combat.
Spats were part of his make-up then, and evidently, they still are.
His marginalising of Juan Mata, Chelsea’s top player when Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael Benitez were in charge, will remind many of Mourinho’s treatment, while head coach at Real Madrid, of Iker Casillas, the Spain and Madrid captain.
There is a familiar pattern: a popular player is left out, questions are asked and there is thinly veiled criticism of the player by Mourinho.
Mata was left out of the match-day squad against Fulham on Saturday, but will return to the XI in a noticeably weakened team on Tuesday night in the League Cup against Swindon Town.
The implication in Mourinho’s explanation for Mata’s demotion is that under Benitez and Di Matteo, Mata may have thrived as the creative hub of a Chelsea able to win Cups, but that Mourinho is seeking a more refined team than they did.
He champions Oscar, the gifted Brazilian, as he criticises Mata.
On Saturday, the Mata issue surfaced in Mourinho’s remarks after a 2-0 win in the West London derby.
Ruud Gullit, a former Chelsea manager who was analysing the match on television, suggested something “personal” was at the source of the Mourinho-Mata discord. Mourinho snapped at Gullit: “Ruud Gullit was also a manager,” said Mourinho, and immediately drew attention to Gullit’s mixed record as a coach, most recently with Terek Grozny, LA Galaxy and Feyenoord.
“I think he shouldn’t be a very proud manager for what he did in the last three years.”
Deriding other coaches, especially predecessors or successors, is a Mourinho trait.
Ask Claudio Ranieri, who Mourinho followed when he joined Chelsea for the first time in 2004. He sneered at Ranieri’s record then, and continued to snipe at the Italian when they coincided in Serie A.
At Madrid, Mourinho belittled Manuel Pellegrini, whose sacking opened the door for the appointment at the Bernabeu of the provocative Portuguese. Pellegrini, said Mourinho, was unlike the Special One in that he followed his stint at Madrid by going to a small club like Malaga.
Pellegrini, whose Manchester City issued an ominous statement of their title-chasing intentions on Sunday, has a thick enough skin to ignore such barbs. So does Ranieri, who is something of a Happy One right now, with his Monaco perched on top of France’s Ligue 1.
Another man with whom Mourinho has duelled through the media in recent years also is able to look at Chelsea without envy.
That is Andre Villas-Boas, who was determinedly cold-shouldered by his former mentor after he chose to leave Mourinho’s coaching staff and pursue his own career as coach. Villas-Boas’s Tottenham Hotspur are joint top of the Premier League, two points clear of Mourinho’s team.
The Spurs manager will already be anticipating some darts to be aimed at him during Mourinho’s news briefings in the coming days, ahead of Saturday’s meeting between the London clubs.
sports@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Read more from Johann Chacko
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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
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