From champs to chumps: Mourinho
suffers his ultimate embarrassment
Dec 5, 2015 20:10:00 Premier League
COMMENT: A mini-revival was brought to a juddering end on
Saturday as the Chelsea manager suffered perhaps his most
embarrassing ever loss in a season going from very bad to
worseThree games unbeaten and three successive clean
sheets had Jose Mourinho convinced that his Chelsea side
were turning the corner but the Special One will return to the
drawing board this evening contemplating another false dawn
and perhaps the most embarrassing defeat of his managerial
career.
The champions are marooned in 14th place, now just two
points ahead of a Bournemouth side whose victory at Stamford
Bridge, perhaps most damningly of all as far as Mourinho is
concerned, owed little to luck and dogged perseverance.
Bournemouth were resolute, organised and efficient. Their
goalkeeper, Artur Boruc, a liability all season long, was never
required to show anything more than basic competence while,
at the other end, Thibaut Courtois, making his first appearance
since the opening day of the campaign, was not the immediate
cure to the defensive woes that have undermined Chelsea this
season. Indeed, he was culpable for the winning goal.
Chelsea's pride has been stung this season, their confidence
chipped away. Visitors to Stamford Bridge have feasted on the
uncertainty but nobody expected this, not least the travelling
Bournemouth fans who had seen their side collect just four
points on the road this term from seven games and concede 18
goals in the process.
It ranks as one of the biggest upset in Premier League history.
It is the first time that the holders of the Championship have
won at the home of the top-flight champions and the first time
that Chelsea have failed to score on home turf since May 2014.
Mourinho resisted the temptation to restore Diego Costa to his
starting lineup after the touchline histrionics that overshadowed
a hard-earned point at White Hart Lane last week and, though it
always looked like a questionable decision, it ought not to have
proven decisive.
In any case, Costa was introduced at the break and, though his
presence sparked Chelsea into life initially, he quickly reverted
to type, displaying the characteristics that prompted Mourinho
to demote him to the bench in the first place.
Even a serial winner like Mourinho has suffered his fair share of
galling defeats. His Real Madrid were taken apart by Pep
Guardiola's Barcelona in their pomp and Champions League
semi-final defeats by Liverpool still sting. Losing to a
Sunderland side seemingly destined for relegation cost his little
horses their chance of Premier League glory two season ago
but there has been nothing like this.
All of Mourinho's best sides - even his average ones - have
specialised in hammering the weak, chewing up relegation
fodder before moving mercilessly on to their next victims.
Despite Chelsea's obvious deficiencies, Bournemouth were
expected to go the same way as Norwich City, who were
gallant in defeat a fortnight previously.
Instead Chelsea were again struck by a crippling lack of
imagination, their superstars caught staring at the stars looking
for inspiration as Bournemouth outthought and outmanoeuvred
their illustrious opponents.
Chelsea and Mourinho closed ranks during the international
break in the hope that a siege mentality could be fostered and
out of adversity a measure of triumph could be achieved. It has
taken less than three weeks for that approach to have been
rendered redundant.
The truth is that this Chelsea side are an average outfit whose
day in the sun seems an eon ago. Mourinho is at his lowest
ebb and it is hard to see him turning around this sinking ship.
suffers his ultimate embarrassment
Dec 5, 2015 20:10:00 Premier League
COMMENT: A mini-revival was brought to a juddering end on
Saturday as the Chelsea manager suffered perhaps his most
embarrassing ever loss in a season going from very bad to
worseThree games unbeaten and three successive clean
sheets had Jose Mourinho convinced that his Chelsea side
were turning the corner but the Special One will return to the
drawing board this evening contemplating another false dawn
and perhaps the most embarrassing defeat of his managerial
career.
The champions are marooned in 14th place, now just two
points ahead of a Bournemouth side whose victory at Stamford
Bridge, perhaps most damningly of all as far as Mourinho is
concerned, owed little to luck and dogged perseverance.
Bournemouth were resolute, organised and efficient. Their
goalkeeper, Artur Boruc, a liability all season long, was never
required to show anything more than basic competence while,
at the other end, Thibaut Courtois, making his first appearance
since the opening day of the campaign, was not the immediate
cure to the defensive woes that have undermined Chelsea this
season. Indeed, he was culpable for the winning goal.
Chelsea's pride has been stung this season, their confidence
chipped away. Visitors to Stamford Bridge have feasted on the
uncertainty but nobody expected this, not least the travelling
Bournemouth fans who had seen their side collect just four
points on the road this term from seven games and concede 18
goals in the process.
It ranks as one of the biggest upset in Premier League history.
It is the first time that the holders of the Championship have
won at the home of the top-flight champions and the first time
that Chelsea have failed to score on home turf since May 2014.
Mourinho resisted the temptation to restore Diego Costa to his
starting lineup after the touchline histrionics that overshadowed
a hard-earned point at White Hart Lane last week and, though it
always looked like a questionable decision, it ought not to have
proven decisive.
In any case, Costa was introduced at the break and, though his
presence sparked Chelsea into life initially, he quickly reverted
to type, displaying the characteristics that prompted Mourinho
to demote him to the bench in the first place.
Even a serial winner like Mourinho has suffered his fair share of
galling defeats. His Real Madrid were taken apart by Pep
Guardiola's Barcelona in their pomp and Champions League
semi-final defeats by Liverpool still sting. Losing to a
Sunderland side seemingly destined for relegation cost his little
horses their chance of Premier League glory two season ago
but there has been nothing like this.
All of Mourinho's best sides - even his average ones - have
specialised in hammering the weak, chewing up relegation
fodder before moving mercilessly on to their next victims.
Despite Chelsea's obvious deficiencies, Bournemouth were
expected to go the same way as Norwich City, who were
gallant in defeat a fortnight previously.
Instead Chelsea were again struck by a crippling lack of
imagination, their superstars caught staring at the stars looking
for inspiration as Bournemouth outthought and outmanoeuvred
their illustrious opponents.
Chelsea and Mourinho closed ranks during the international
break in the hope that a siege mentality could be fostered and
out of adversity a measure of triumph could be achieved. It has
taken less than three weeks for that approach to have been
rendered redundant.
The truth is that this Chelsea side are an average outfit whose
day in the sun seems an eon ago. Mourinho is at his lowest
ebb and it is hard to see him turning around this sinking ship.
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