Fans waiting for 'Special One' to say: 'I stay'
Jose Mourinho’s failure publicly to commit himself to the club beyond the end of this season will have alarmed even the most ardent Chelsea fan.
Mourinho watched his side, inspired by the fit-again Arjen Robben, destroy Wigan 4-0 to remain six points behind leaders Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premiership.
But while the fans sang his name all afternoon and regularly stood up for the ‘Special One’, there is growing unease that he will leave in the summer.
His refusal categorically to state his intentions will not have helped calm a situation that continues to baffle most onlookers.
Here is a team still in with a shout of winning all four major competitions and on the cusp of getting most of their top players fully fit, and yet their manager will not answer the question on everyone’s lips.
Even his midweek message to the fans failed to produce a definitive answer as Mourinho trotted out his now well-worn ‘I love Chelsea’ mantra.
Last week Mourinho was alleged to have told the board they should pay up his £5.2million-a-year contract and find a new coach.
Chelsea insist such a meeting never took place as both the club’s chief executive Peter Kenyon and owner Roman Abramovich were out of the country on business.
There is no doubt though that Mourinho is unhappy with the apparent lack of cash to strengthen his squad in the transfer window.
Prior to yesterday’s game, he hinted that fans would have to watch them challenge for European glory with a bunch of teenagers – a tactic he is more used to unleashing on officials and opposing managers than his own board.
The role of Dane Frank Arnesen comes into question, too. If rumours are to be believed, Mourinho is less than happy with his control of their youth policy.
His relationship with Arnesen is said to have deteriorated since the Dane tried to appoint Zeljko Petrovic as reserve-team manager last year.
Mourinho has also denied the club wanted to replace his number two Steve Clarke.
Chelsea will welcome fit-again goalkeeper Petr Cech back into the fold this week and it is clear the players are already set to side with their manager even though few will comment publicly.
Captain John Terry has already dug himself in.
Terry said: “We all agree that we don’t want Jose to go and if it takes five or six of the senior players to tell them so, then that’s what we’re prepared to do.
“Jose is the best in the business, there’s no doubt about that, and I’m sure he will be for the next 20 years.
“That’s what we want at Chelsea – the best and only the best. So there is no way we want the best boss around to be walking away. We don’t want to see top people leaving. Jose Mourinho must stay.
“We are all loyal to Jose. We know what he has done for us as players and for this club as a whole. This situation is putting pressure on everyone.
“I am convinced he will stay. I think he will be here again next season, I really do.
I don’t think he will be going anywhere.”
Terry’s faith is admirable but while Mourinho stays silent the doubts over his future at Chelsea will continue.
Chelsea’s troubles took the shine of a fine performance against Wigan. In control against the relegation-haunted Latics from the start, they went in front thanks to Frank Lampard’s curling free-kick in the 13th minute.
A poor backpass from Kristofer Haestad gifted Robben number two and Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland diverted Robben’s cross into his own net for the third in the 69th minute.
Didier Drogba then completed the scoring in the last minute when he headed home a cross from Mikel Jon Obi for his 21st goal of the season.
