Coverage? José has even been in Viz magazine

I LOOK fondly upon those days where I used to scour the papers for a mere mention of my beloved Chelsea. Most of the time I wouldn’t find anything of course; we were nobodies — not newsworthy in any way.

How times have changed; every publication it seems from The Times to Cake Maker’s Weekly has to have a Chelsea reference, or dig, somewhere in every edition. José even got a mention by Sid the Sexist in lads’ comic Viz this week — real fame at last, eh? The interesting thing is how much of the Press is u-turning to support José. Have they suddenly remembered what the Premiership was like prior TSO? It seems that I owe Peter Kenyon an apology; at the moment it seems that truth is stranger than fiction. And the truth certainly is that he is Mourinho’s chief protector . . . against the increasingly curious and shadowy figure of Frank Arnesen.

I have to say that the pursuit and eventual victory in getting the Dane to Stamford Bridge puzzled many of us at the time. Why were Chelsea so keen to get him? Who exactly was desperate to bring him on board? Why did we need him on top of the established scouts, Mourinho’s scouts and even Abramovich’s private scouts? Was he worth the reputed €8m compensation to Tottenham? We don’t know because we never hear from him. He doesn’t give interviews.

Arnesen has been effective in gaining the ear of members of the inner court at Stamford Bridge where he apparently desires a more “active” role. The buzz-phrase at the moment is that Chelsea require a “more inclusive” manager... which probably means someone who will accommodate Arnesen’s signings. In return Chelsea will play the amalgam of the Brazilian/Dutch football that the owner craves.

There are a number of stories circulating about why Mourinho does not trust Arnesen and his judgment but they must, in the absence of substance, remain just that for the time being.

But one thing is sure... if Arnesen is the current king-maker then Guus Hiddink, who has had a frosty relationship with him, is not bound for London SW6. Capello has never been caught playing open and attractive football. So that leaves who? Marcello Lippi? Is Lippi the kind of manager who will brook interference? I very much doubt it. It’s a conundrum, isn’t it? I have been predicting Mourinho’s departure for a while now but his attitude in the past few weeks and the drip-feed of his not-so-coded messages into the media have the appearance of developing an unstoppable momentum. While Inter Milan have been admirers of Mourinho for some time Real Madrid can now be added to the list of suitors. What price a manager who can ruffle Barcelona, do baseball slides along the Nou Camp touchline and maybe deliver players such as Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, long-time admirers of Spanish football? John Terry stuck his neck out at the weekend saying that he was prepared to lead a delegation of half-a-dozen senior players to Abramovich to “have a word.” The issue is however, does José actually want to stay? He is a proud man. He is a man with an ego not many can match. He’s delivered back-to-back titles and players have been bought and sold over his head.

As for us fans, there has been no shortage of support for Mourinho. But of my few smiles of the last seven days was generated by Richard Kurt’s observations on the nature of the transcontinental opposition to Chelsea. I will accept that most people in England want to see Chelsea fail — the English are notorious for thinking that it’s not quite the done thing to win all the time. Bad manners almost. That’s why they’re so good at losing Ashes series and failing to defend World Cups.

But the notion that this British disease is universal is far-fetched in the extreme. The complete opposite is the case. Abroad (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany) the mere mention of Chelsea has strangers interrupting private conversations in bars and restaurants — everyone has an opinion they want to express. And they are almost all of a very complimentary nature. Mourinho is perceived as a genius. John Terry is much admired, Drogba is coveted. The same is not, incidentally, true of, let’s pick a player at random, Wayne Rooney.

Somewhere else we’re none too popular is Liverpool who we face at lunchtime on Saturday. This is a weekend which could have a huge impact on the Premiership if we can get something out of Anfield, and United slip up at the Emirates, which is more than possible. Time for everyone to step up to the plate.

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