• Home
    • Who Are We
    • USMNT Ramblings
    • Where Are They Now >
      • Mike Ammann
      • Chris Armas
      • Brian Bliss Part II
      • Petter Mellor
      • Gary Hamilton
      • John Robinson
    • My Club My Passion
  • Interviews
    • Robbie Mustoe
    • Cyle Larin
    • Daphne Corboz
    • Neil Stafford
    • Eric DaCosta
    • Ian McIntyre
    • Keidane McAlpine
    • David DiIanni
    • Keelin Winters
    • Rachel Daly
    • Arie Ammann
    • Andres Deza
    • EPL 2013 Steve Coxon
    • EPL 2013 Jeremy Melul
    • EPL 2013 Jim McGirr
    • EPL 2013 Elie Monteiro
    • EPL 2013 Lee Billiard
    • EPL 2013 Brian Tompkins
    • Derek Canavaggio
    • Dante Marini
    • Katy Freels
    • Lee Billiard - NWSL
    • Caitlin Foord
    • Sophie Schmidt
    • Jill Loyden
    • Brittany Bock
    • Veronica Perez
    • Kate Deines
    • Brendan Schimmel
    • Gerry Marrone
    • Lee Billiard
  • Extra Time
  • Off The Ball
  • Five For Friday
    • Gary Curneen
    • Dave Clarke
    • Andrew Kean
    • Dan Abrahams
    • Dave Hannigan
Soccer Banter

Extra Time

3/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jose Mourinho is the greatest coach of his generation and when his career is over he will be one of the most successful of all time. He may even be considered the best coach ever, but outside of Porto, Chelsea and perhaps Internazionale of Milan, Mourinho will be respected but not loved. He is his generation’s Helenio Herrera, the mastermind of Inter’s European Cup winning sides, which never waivered from catenaccio and were loathed by football fans.      

Mourinho had the chance to build Chelsea into a team like Barcelona, Ajax, Real Madrid, Celtic, Manchester United or Borussia Dortmund. Clubs which have developed a reputation for attacking football and won plaudits from the experts for the manner in which they won the European Cup. Chelsea will never ever be revered in the same manner. That will be Mourinho’s real legacy at Chelsea.

Most neutral observers gleefully celebrated Thiago Silva’s tie winning goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League match versus Chelsea. The oligarch club likes to be portrayed as a club with a tradition built on style and class.  With Jose Mourinho as its manager, John Terry as its captain, and Diego Costa as its star forward that image is more a mirage.   It is a club that few non-Chelsea fans love or respect. 



Picture
While Mourinho and Chelsea were being eliminated from the Champions League, by 10-man PSG, Pep Guardiola and Bayern Munich were destroying 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0.  The top stories on the night should have been about the Munich performance and PSG’s comeback.  Instead we were subjected to Mourinho and Chelsea bringing the game into disrepute. Modern football coverage at its finest.

It is laughable that Jose Mourinho said the fans that disgraced English football with their racist behavior in Paris recently were not representative of Chelsea Football Club.  They are.  On the field and in the main stand, Chelsea bears no resemblance to the club that existed in the 1970s and 1980s. However, it retains a core element that is racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic. Chelsea fans are still reviled by many clubs throughout England. The new money invested in the club might have improved its image around the globe, but not in England. 

Mourinho called “criminal” the tackle by Ashley Barnes on Nemanja Matic in Chelsea’s recent game versus Burnley.  It was no such thing.  It was reckless. It was a foul. It probably deserved a red card. Despite Mourinho’s hyperbole, Barnes’ tackle was neither illegal nor criminal.  What Chelsea fans allegedly did on the Paris metro was criminal. Let’s not let facts get in the way of the story or the world according to Jose.


0 Comments

    Dave Clarke

    Head Women's Soccer Coach at Quinnipiac University and US National Staff Coach who received a Masters in Journalism from QU.  A Spurs and Celtic supporter.


    Archives

    September 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    September 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011


    Categories

    All
    Andre Villas Boas
    Gold Cup
    Lionel Messi
    Luis Suarez
    Mls
    River Plate
    Scottish Football Association
    The Fa

    RSS Feed

Soccer Banter: Been Kicking Since March 1, 2011