By Abayomi Kalejaye
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic adventure trilogy, Lord of the Rings, the ephemeral defeat of the villain, Sauron, by the hand of an inferior warrior (King Isildur of Gondor) in the first installment initiated a series of events that ultimately culminated in a timely resurrection of the villain in the final chapter of the movie - much to the dread and chagrin of the phalanx of protagonists.
The moment Jose Mourinho, the special one – or, if you like, the only one – was fired as Chelsea manager, after a concatenation of incredulously desultory results, the stage was set for vengeful rebound. And who was the willing vessel to accommodate him from the get go? You guessed it, Manchester United.
For a manager that is so predisposed to winning, Mourinho hit a nadir in his career with Chelsea last season after struggling to motivate his troops for the defence of their EPL title. It didn’t end there. Chelsea’s season devolved to an unfamiliar territory where they were enmeshed in relegation battle. Having lost 9 of 16 games, Chelsea risked relegation from the EPL like they did in the 1978/79 season, having lost same amount of games. Players who were Champions six months back became mediocre six months after.
Did Mourinho do enough to motivate them? You bet he did. Were drastic actions taken to arrest the inconceivable flump? Apparently he did. Yet, for every measures and solutions, there was always a mastodonic failure greeting his attempts.
His appointment as the manager of Manchester United couldn’t have been on a better platform and at a better time. Like Sauron, Mourinho is determined to redeem his bruised ego and regain his lost prestige. Further, his coming doesn’t portend much good news for his antagonists. This Mourinho, a more resolute version, will no doubt come prepared come next season, with a shrewdly devised tactical configuration. For a man who prides himself in punctilious perfection, Mourinho indubitably will no doubt have learnt his lessons in the star-crossed 2016/17 EPL season.
It must be said however, that one of his most undoing as a person is his unruly conduct and thoughtless billingsgate towards his fellow managers, players, referees, amongst others. And in a courteous institution like Manchester United, he would have no choice but to align his conduct with the club’s ethos, which ultimately would be beneficial to all and sundry.
The not-too-surprising appointment of Mourinho has already generated tremendous euphoria in lieu of the tantalizing duel in the coming EPL season between some of the best coaches in the word in the ilk of: Arsene Wenger, Jurgen Klopp, Claudio Ranieri and crucially, Pep Guardiola.
Like the second defeat of Sauron, realized by the alliance of Elves, man and the dwarf in Tolkien’s box office hit, Mourinho would be wary his menacing counterparts do not transmogrify his euphoric re-emergence into an excruciating nightmare.
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After all this big grammar, you didn't still proofread the write up.
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