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| Mou are ya? Jose's words came back to bite him on Saturday |
The Blues boss was left
somewhat red-faced after being so vocal this week on the subject of failure
At least the man unfamiliar with failure
can now concentrate on not winning the Premier League.
And the man bold enough to admit a quadruple is a possibility can get on
with his unlikely but dignified pursuit.
Maybe Jose Mourinho was not bluffing with the little horse nonsense.
Maybe he really does believe this Chelsea squad is not yet good enough to
be certain contenders for a trophy this season, that they are rank outsiders
for the title.
One thing is for sure.
This defeat should mark the moment Mourinho focuses his attention, his
psychological slings and arrows, on only one target... his own team.
It is all well and good taking a verbal scythe to
your rivals – but not when your side’s razor-sharp edge
is being dulled.
Being released from FA Cup commitments has almost taken on a positive sheen
these days but this was a decisive loss to follow Chelsea’s indecisive draw at
the Hawthorns last week.
The soundbite sword-crossing needs to stop.
He has drawn a bit of blood – now Mourinho will surely concentrate on the
serious stuff of solving the problems that could indeed threaten a successful
end to the season. Concentrate on how to progress in tough matches without John
Terry, for example.
It would be no surprise if we didn’t see David Luiz at centre-half again.
Concentrate on how to get some decent productivity out of his limited
striking options. Neither Samuel Eto’o nor Fernando Torres – who, oddly, saw
fellow substitute Mohamed Salah sent on ahead of him – made any sort of impact
yesterday.
Concentrate on reproducing the intensity
that marked their league win here at the Etihad.
In terns of commitment, zest and sheer application, this Chelsea team was a
mile behind the one that triumphed a fortnight ago.
And it was a strong Chelsea line-up with a mighty bench. But they were
outplayed and out-muscled by a City team still deprived of a couple of key men.
That is what will make this rare victory over Mourinho all the more
significant for Manuel Pellegrini. He will not revel in personal success, ahead
of the mighty meeting with Barcelona on Tuesday, he will just be relieved that
the mojo is back, that a swagger was returning to the attacking step.
Relieved that Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic showed they can provide
adequately threatening back-up to Sergio Aguero and Alavaro Negredo – although,
hopefully, Pellegrini will give the Montenegrin a telling-off for one of the
most pathetic dives of the season (and that is some accolade).
And relieved that Samir Nasri produced a cheeky, beguiling cameo to put the
contest out of Chelsea’s reach.
Since he arrived on these shores, doubts about Nasri’s heart and value have
surfaced regularly. Not any more. There are not many more crucial to the
success of this team. Nasri has given them a lift, this result, this
performance has given them a lift. The dream of four can be resumed.
As for Jose, he offered a warm, congratulatory handshake to Pellegrini and
most of the City bench.
Perhaps he knows it’s time for the nonsense and posturing to stop. The
Champions League is coming, the Premier League is entering the final stretch –
it’s time for serious business.
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