With José happy again the future looks blue

IT’S been a stress free week after the nightmare that was Anfield. José is smiling again, we disposed of Wycombe very, very easily, as should be expected — and as for Forest, well, we didn’t even seem to break sweat.

But of course it’s not the football that’s been making the headlines when it comes to Chelsea. Depending on whom you believe, one of the following scenarios is now the state of play at the Bridge. Scenario One — Roman has come to his senses and realised that Mourinho is the best manager in the world and has decided to butt out and maintain the status quo, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Or there’s the Mario Rosenstock theory . . . José is on his way to Real Madrid (along with John Terry and Lampard). Cannavaro is coming the other way and Hiddink and Rijkaard will form a “dream team” joint management partnership. Others inform us that it’s Mancini who is replacing José with a septuagenarian Israeli being employed to coach Shevchenko. Only problem with that is that Mancini dismissed the speculation.

Then there is the “Roman is bored with football” story which one paper has decided to peddle because he has missed two games. Yes, of course he is bored; after all if you want to sell something you are no longer interested in, you will do your damndest to devalue its market value by interfering in the coaching side and doing your level best to destabilise a winning formula. Obviously that’s how he has made his billions in the past.

Abramovich is actually attending a football tournament in Israel that he sponsors — but don’t let the truth get in the way of a good headline.

My take from Stamford Bridge is that Mourinho wants to stay, but only on his terms. He suddenly looks like a man who is holding most of the aces with a return to his laconic best, buoyed no doubt by the declarations of loyalty from the likes of Lampard, Terry, and Drogba . . . in other words the spine of the team.

With the transfer window snapping shut today there have, at the time of writing, been no forays into the shark-infested waters by Jose. I have to say I am very surprised. With Cech playing and Cudicini now on the bench, it looks like we have ridden the goal-keeping storm (although at what cost?). But with JT still not fit enough and Carvalho’s propensity to pick up the odd yellow card or three it does seem that José is chancing his arm with Lady Luck.

So back to the important stuff tonight. Blackburn have always been a tricky proposition. They like to dish it out and we have proved in the past that we can handle it without resorting to the same. But that was with JT at the helm. I hope he is at least in the dressing room to help with the motivational part of the team talk.

Lampard needs to earn that armband he’s wearing at the moment and ensure there is no complacency. Pleasingly our youngsters are beginning to snap at the heels of our first team regulars now. At a time when Arsenal’s are being lauded as champions of the future, the likes of Woods, Saha, Morais and Diarra are acquitting themselves very well alongside their superstar teammates at The Bridge.

Then there are those who have been sent out for a bit of experience and who are also grabbing headlines — Scott Sinclair scored possibly the goal of last weekend and I imagine he will be back next season and giving Sheva and Drogs a run for their money for the striker’s position. So the Premiership title is not guaranteed to sit in North London in 2008 onwards despite what the Gooners and the camp followers in the Press think.

Finally, for the third round running we’ve gained a favourable FA Cup draw. Everyone I know wants to be at the first final at new Wembley with enthusiasm dropping rapidly at the thought of another hike down to Cardiff for anything other than the Carling. Me? I can see us underneath the arches already.

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