Is Jose Mourinho special any more after losing key battle on all fronts?

At one point it would be have been sacrilegious, if not plain lunacy, to even suggest it but following Jose Mourinho’s miserable, humiliating return to Stamford Bridge should we be asking more seriously: Is he special any more?

Mourinho is the greatest manager in Chelsea history, winning three Premier League titles in two spells, and there is no doubt he is responsible, alongside Roman Abramovich and Matthew Harding, for completely changing the face of the club in the modern era. So even as manager of Manchester United you would have expected him to receive a hero’s welcome in west London. But he didn’t get it and instead was treated to a 4-0 defeat that has to rank as one of the most damaging and embarrassing of his managerial career.

Right from the start the signs were bad because Jose arrived at his former home to an underwhelming greeting; no announcement, no cheering, no applause, just silence. And by the time Chelsea led 2-0 there were already chants of “You’re not special any more”.