Latest posts (RSS 2.0)The soccer world is abuzz following the much-publicized sacking of manager Steve McClaren after England’s dismal failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championships, as several interesting candidates have emerged to replace him. Many high-profile candidates have already declined the job, such as Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill—the only British citizen judged to be among the favourites. The best man available is still out there, though: former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho has all the qualifications necessary for the job. He has proven he can lead an underrated group of players to unprecedented success, winning both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup with FC Porto and knocking off giants such as Manchester United along the way. He also won back-to-back league titles with Porto before his move to Chelsea in June 2004. At Chelsea, he proved he can succeed in the opposite situation, leading a team of underachieving superstars to back-to-back league titles before leaving due to conflicts with wealthy owner Roman Abramovich. Both experiences will be crucial to leading England, a team that often underachieves but may need to overreach its talent level to have any significant success.
Perhaps the most vital qualification Mourinho possesses is his ability to survive a media maelstrom. A tabloid feeding frenzy that makes the Toronto Maple Leafs’ press circus pale by comparison surrounds the English national team. In many ways it was the press that proved McClaren’s undoing, as he seemed unable to cope with the pressure and eventually gave into their wildest demands with his ill-fated team selection for the crucial match with Croatia, as the Globe and Mail’s soccer columnist Ben Knight wrote shortly after the Croatian game and the demise of England’s qualifying campaign.
“This is tabloid soccer at its worst,” Knight wrote. “McClaren, in the centre of one of the world’s most horrendous hype-storms, appears for all the world to have bought into the hype! Given the choice between two experienced, talented goaltenders who’ve been savaged in the English papers, and a sweet, shining kid who just shut out the Austrians, McClaren … went … with … the … kid.” The aforementioned kid, Scott Carson, made a memorable hash of an easy shot early on in the match, allowing Croatia to score a goal that proved to be the critical nail in the English coffin.
Mourinho, on the other hand, manipulates instead of letting others manipulate him, as ESPN Soccernet’s Jon Carter explained perfectly in a recent piece advocating Mourinho’s selection.
“He is well versed in the art of media seduction, has experience of how the English press works, and his unique interview style would certainly provide a welcome change from the likes of Steve McClaren and Sven Goran-Eriksson,” Carter wrote. “Charm is an important characteristic for a national manager. McClaren missed that trick, but Mourinho is master of the art and it would be refreshing for the FA [the Football Association, responsible for overseeing the national team] to appoint someone who the fans were actually in favour of.”
Mourinho’s ability to use the press to his advantage is an asset that will desperately be needed in the England job, and he refined this talent to an art form during his Chelsea days. He’s outrageous and controversial but revered in spite of it. Knight perhaps described him best with the ultimate analogy for Canadian fans: “Hockey fans, imagine a Don Cherry who can kick Don Cherry’s ass – and outcoach the heck out of him, as well.”
The outpouring of support for Mourinho has been massive so far. In addition to the aforementioned columns by Knight and Carter, many other journalists and commentators have selected Mourinho as the best candidate. Current England captain John Terry, who played for Mourinho at Chelsea, has also given him high praise.
“He’s a fantastic manager, a fantastic guy,” Terry told The Associated Press. “There’s many more being talked about at the moment but he is one that stands out for me and could make a big difference. He’s a great guy, he’s tactically very aware and he understands the game very well.”
Former national manager Sir Bobby Robson also included Mourinho in the shortlist of five candidates that he revealed in his Daily Mail column. He will present the list to the FA, who will determine McClaren’s replacement. Robson also gave Mourinho strong support in his comments.
“Jose’s advantage is he knows our football and he would be welcomed back with open arms,” he said. “Tactically, there is nobody better—I still remember his dossiers at Porto and Barcelona when he worked with me!—and that’s important for one-off international games.”
The most impressive comments supporting Mourinho’s candidacy, though, are those from one of his former rivals. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who competed fiercely with Mourinho during his time at Chelsea, was quoted in Carter’s column as saying, “If the FA consult me about it I’ll give them a shortlist of one, and tell them to get Mourinho.”
It’s appearing increasingly likely Mourinho will get the job. He’s supported by fans, media and those on the inside of the game. Apparently he’s even the odds-on favourite, according to British bookmaker William Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe. “Jose was the only man anyone wanted to back early on and 80 per cent of the bets we took were for him,” Sharpe said.
Mourinho appears interested in the job as well. In an AP interview yesterday, his media advisor Eladio Parames said Mourinho would be receptive to any offers from the FA.
“It would be an honour,” Parames said. “He likes English soccer, the English people, the country, the players. It would be something he’d consider. But he’s not waving his hand in the air trying to get (the FA’s) attention. If he’s approached, he’ll reply.”
The FA absolutely need to get this decision right. This is the darkest period in the history of the national team since their failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, and they desperately need someone special to lead them out of it. Fortunately, there’s a self-proclaimed “Special One” available. This decision will be crucial for the England national team: they can continue to wallow in mediocrity, or they can land the best man available for the job. Here’s hoping they do the latter.
Jose Mourinho. (Daily Mail photo)
