Jose Mourinho is turning into Sir Alex Ferguson with his dark arts... both managers are ruthless winners seeking victory by any means
Making furious accusations of a campaign against his team, mastering mind games and ramping up pressure on referees – is Jose Mourinho the new Sir Alex Ferguson?
Last week the two former adversaries broke bread in a Paris hotel and if recent behaviour is anything to go to, Mourinho may well have been picking up tips from the man he calls 'the boss'.
Dark Arts
The rules, Fergie believed, were there to be stretched. His teams became infamous for surrounding referees at the drop of a hat. Any minor detail to gain an advantage was forensically explored.
Early in his first stint at Chelsea, Mourinho asked Graham Poll if he needed anything. The official jokingly replied that the referee's room was not up to much. When he returned to Stamford Bridge he found a flat-screen TV, freshly-tiled new showers and complimentary expensive toiletries.
Media masters
If Fergie wanted to lob a hand grenade he would often tell the press to ask him questions about certain issues and then stand back and admire the carnage.
When Mourinho wanted to get something off his chest this weekend he took it a step further – using the sofa on Sky's Goals on Sunday as his soapbox. On a different settee a couple of hundred miles north, Ferguson may well have nodded his approval.
ABC (Anyone but Chelsea)
Sir Alex was the master at creating a siege mentality. He often referred to the ABU (Anyone but United) brigade and was resolute in his belief that everyone who was not a United fan wanted to see them fail. Mourinho is doing similar at Stamford Bridge. The Happy One? Not so much. Even Sky are against them, having the audacity to use the word 'crimes' when examining Diego Costa's various misdemeanours.
Ruthless
Relationships and loyalty went out of the window with Fergie when old father time caught up with his soldiers. When you're time's up, your time's up. Just ask the likes of Roy Keane, unceremoniously jettisoned out of the club to make way for fresh legs.
Mourinho is not afraid of doing the same and wasted no time in shipping out the old guard when he arrived for his second stint at the Bridge.
Pressure on referees
Fergie was the undisputed master of manipulating the man in the middle (and his assistants). Never shy of having a word in the fourth official's ear, Fergie time became legendary. If he felt harshly done to, he would make sure the referee would know about it the next time he took charge of a United match.
Mourinho's attack on Martin Atkinson was straight out of the Fergie playbook. It will be interesting to see the official's performance next time he is in charge of a Chelsea match.
Mind Games
Ferguson was known as the king of mind games. Who can forget his winding up of Kevin Keegan that led to the former Newcastle manager's memorable meltdown on live television? Mourinho can be less subtle but his attacks on 'specialist in failure' Arsene Wenger and attempts to unsettle title rival Manuel 'Pellegrino' are pure Fergie.
Agenda
Time and time again Fergie complained of a media-driven agenda against his team of angelic Red Devils. One of his last blasts was over a perceived witch hunt against David de Gea who endured a shaky start following his move from Atletico Madrid.
In January, Mourinho was fined £25,000 by the FA after concocting the idea that some kind of 'campaign' was being led against his own team. Sound familiar? It should.
Winners
Put simply, both are winners. Both crave success. Both are driven and will do what they can to ensure they are the ones celebrating come full-time. Much has been made of Fergie's decision to single out David Moyes, rather than Mourinho, as his successor.
Perhaps that desire to remain top of the pile followed him into retirement.
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