THE ARCHIVE
TV watch
Jose winds up the opposition | Jose winds up the opposition |
|
He may be as prone to smiling as the late Pauline Fowler on a fruit and pulses diet, but José Mourinho is clearly having a laugh. No one in football management has ever used the media in such Machiavellian fashion, or employed quite so varied means of annoying and disquieting his opponents. Brian Clough would routinely intimidate and lecture interviewers, but this was purely for his own benefit. Joe Kinnear had Wimbledon employing noise pollution and a no-lightbulb-in-the-away-toilets policy, but the nurturing of a gang mentality was the only purpose. Alex Ferguson introduced to the modern game the potent psychology of the throwaway remark, but seldom strays from this tried and tested area of work. Mourinho, an entirely new strain, pops up on our screens with a bewildering array of techniques and the deadpan delight in his art that marks out the obsessive genius. The “running touchline goad” was displayed on December 10 and 17 in two distinct guises. Against Arsenal, Chelsea’s equaliser was celebrated with a brief sprint followed by what appeared to be a mime of a man stabbing a waterbed while tied to a trotting horse. One week later, his gambolling air-punching rejoicing was knowingly choreographed before a backdrop of impotent Evertonian rage. Having showered and put on a new coat, he went directly back to his labours in the post-match interview with the “nerveless slander” gambit, labelling Andrew Johnson “untrustworthy” and suggesting he dived, all in the manner of a quiet man who travels the world provoking pistol duels. His boys have learned from their manager’s cerebral sorcery and celebrated their two late goals against Everton by tumbling hormonally towards their fans while screeching like polecats. All teams that are successful for any period of time develop some sort of siege mentality, but this one has at its head a man who clearly enjoys a long siege. Right now, with Chelsea creeping up ominously on a team we must these days refer to as “plucky Man United”, Mourinho appears as a churlish malcontent, but in years to come his behaviour will be recognised as a master class in early 21st-century provocation. From WSC 24o February 2007. What was happening this month On the subject...
Comments (0)
Comment
You must be logged in to comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
| «Previous | | | Next» |
|---|
Today's most read WSC articles
Empty arms The shadow of the Millennium Stadium |
Andrew Turton |
WSC 146 Apr 99 |
Jay Bothroyd Not a fan favourite |
Neville Hadsley |
WSC 199 Sep 03 |
Secret agents Agency shareholders |
Extract |
WSC 194 Apr 03 |
Lothar Matthäus Great player, terrible manager |
Paul Joyce |
WSC 248 Oct 07 |
We don't talk any more Problems for the Dutch |
Simon Kuper |
WSC 114 Aug 96 |
Northern Ireland 3 Belgium 0 The David Stewart mystery |
Davy Millar |
WSC 141 Nov 98 |
Tokyo pose 1981 World Club Cup |
Cris Freddi |
WSC 176 Oct 01 |
Steve Marlet Fulham's overpriced French import |
James Eastham |
WSC 270 Aug 09 |
Celebrity columns Crass offerings |
Ian Plenderleith |
WSC 161 Jul 00 |
USA Mexico comes to Los Angeles |
Mike Woitalla |
WSC 213 Nov 04 |







Subscribe to this comment's feed