Ton-up Mourinho the tough guy among tough men
Friday 31 October 2008 14:00
100 days into his reign and, with just one defeat, Jose Mourinho has made his point.
He’s the boss, he’s the man – the shaven-headed tough guy in a dressing-room full of tough guys.
However, has he the man-management skills to wring the very best out of his squad over a long and demanding season?
"What you lookin' at?!" - No more Mr Nice Mourinho in Italy
Still favourites for the title they may be, but Inter are coming off two consecutive goalless draws and go into the weekend in fourth place, with AC Milan ahead of them for the first time since 2005.
With a trip to Reggina, where the Nerazzurri can usually be relied upon to gain a positive result, maximum points have become imperative.
Adriano and Julio Cruz were dumped out of the squad for the midweek game at Fiorentina and have been left home alone again.
While the Argentine’s contract is up in the summer and so is surplus to requirements, the Brazilian certainly should not be discarded in the manner he has been.
It’s been a bit lonely upfront for Zlatan Ibrahimovic of late, and it’s plain to see the Swede needs some support.
Where will it come from? Hernan Crespo has also become persona non grata while Mario Balotelli seems to have lost most of his self-confidence after seeing Victor Obinna become Jose’s new favourite.
Adriano, on the other hand, is well-versed in the school of hard-knocks. So he was out with party-boy Ronaldinho on Sunday and paid the price, but now it’s time for a bit of redemption.
"Get your man-boobs out for the lads..."
The big man would have been a ready-made foil for Ibra down in Reggio Calabria where the local defenders will be biting into tackles as if their lives depended on it.
He’s in good shape. Those man boobs, that at one time had been threatening to outdo the Meat Loaf character in Fight Club, have all but disappeared and it’s now “Ad the abs.”
Old habits may die hard off the pitch but the Rio man could well be the one to put a bit of sparkle back into the ailing champs.
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About Richard Whittle
Despite the name,
Richard Whittle is so at home in Italy that some call him Riccardo Rossi. He has lived and worked in Italy for the last 15 years as a football journalist and works as Italian soccer commentator for the English-speaking world covering Serie A, Champions League, Europa League and Italian Cup matches as well as Italy internationals. With Paul Visca, Richard concocts the regular
Calcio & Coffee podcast.