José Mourinho may have been axed but surely the show must go on?

SPECIAL REPORT

The early José Mourinho years were something. A domestic double and Big Vase in his first full season as Porto head coach, he led them to a shock Big Cup the following season. At Chelsea, the “Special One” did what Claudio Ranieri couldn’t, moulding a disjointed team into a winning machine; in the age of Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger and a Europe-toppling Liverpool side, no less. Two Premier League titles, three Fizzy Cups and one FA Cup in three years at Stamford Bridge. Ridiculous. His Inter spell was another triumph, culminating in a famous treble; in which he sunk that Barcelona side en route to another Big Cup. Things didn’t get much better for Barça when he then arrived at the Bernabéu, as Real Madrid won La Liga and Pep Guardiola was run out of town.

Had Mourinho hung up his whiteboard after those Madrid days, he would have a serious shout as possibly the best manager that ever took to a dugout. Perhaps not in terms of total silverware, or being a club legend, but from 2002 to 2012, arguably no football manager has ever had a better decade. Winning Big Cups with Porto and even an ageing Inter side was scandalous behaviour. Ferguson, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs could only watch as Chelsea romped to back-to-back Premier League titles. And beating the greatest Barcelona side ever assembled – possibly the greatest club side ever assembled – to the Spanish title with a record 100 points and 121 goals is absolutely wild.

However, José kept the good ship sailing in the intervening 12 years, and things have dropped off a little. Another Premier League title on his return to Chelsea followed but then threads started to pull in his luxury wool coat. Further European trophies followed at Manchester United, Tottenham (just joking) and Roma, but these soon became flaws, and the flaws became holes. By the end of Mourinho’s stint at Roma, José was effectively a professional vibesman, a tragic thespian, pulling faces for the cameras, inventing new ways to become the centre of attention on the sidelines and blaming members of the audience for his mistakes. On Tuesday, with Roma in ninth and another domestic season spiralling into mediocrity, Mourinho was quietly ushered out of a back door marked Do One, and a new era was born.

‘Pull up in a Bentley …’ Photograph: Massimo Percossi/EPA

Only Maximus Decimus Meridius, the Pope and Francesco Totti have more clout in Rome than Daniele De Rossi, and despite an underwhelming managerial stint with Spal, the former gladiatorial midfielder was ushered into the hot seat with the enthusiasm of Dion Dublin in a semi-detached three-bed. “I know no other way but dedication, daily sacrifices, and giving everything I have in order to face the challenges that await us,” De Rossi roared. “The excitement of being able to sit on our bench is indescribable. Everyone knows what Roma means to me. However, the work that awaits us all has already taken precedence.” What next, though, for José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix? The show must go on. Newcastle, Saudi Arabia and even Porto have all been cited as possible landing pads. Mourinho has been a pain in people’s backsides and eyes for a while now, but surely he will give us one more wink. One more knee slide. One more cup of the ear to the heavens. Never before has there been a manager more determined to end things on his terms. This won’t be the end.

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Join Daniel Gallan from 5pm GMT for hot minute-by-minute Afcon coverage of Tunisia 2-1 Namibia, while Scott Murray will then be on deck for all of the evening’s FA Cup third-round replay action.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I would accept of course, that’s been my dream. There would be a lot of good football players” – after revealing that he would have loved to manage Liverpool in his lifetime, Sven-Göran Eriksson says he would jump at the chance to lead a legends team at Anfield after Reds fans put plans in motion to make it happen. The Swedish former England manager revealed last week that he has terminal cancer and “at best” a year to live.

Sven-Göran Eriksson pictured outside Anfield’s Shankly Gates in 2001. Photograph: Phil Noble/PA

It makes a nice narrative to blame the Football League for what is going on at Reading (yesterday’s Football Daily), but it’s not correct. So long as a potential owner passes the owners and directors test (no relevant convictions, loads of cash) the EFL can’t stop the purchase of a club. As a membership organisation it only has the rules the members have agreed. That is the club owners. The EFL is reasonably well run under Trevor Birch. I’m not sure that was so true under Shaun Harvey, but I doubt any rules will stop someone who just runs a club terribly. Unless you have an NFL-style system where every owner has to be approved and there’s no relegation some bad owners will slip through. Good luck with getting the 72 current CEOs to vote for a system that allows the EFL to seize a club from its owners and sell it. Blaming the EFL for enforcing its rules and not enforcing rules it doesn’t have just seems perverse. I’m not saying the rules are great, but they are what they are. It’s also worth pointing out the EFL tried to get Dai Yongge banned from football for 12 months which might not have forced a sale, but would help, but were turned down by an independent disciplinary commission. It’s difficult to see what else it can do” – Matt Robb.

Reading about Reading and the name of their ‘owner’ reminded me of the time when I was a youngster and one year received a bike for Christmas. The bike itself was very nice, but I must say that ‘Dai Yung’ being the brand of tyre on it did not fill me with confidence when I headed out for a ride” – Greg Wynn.

Regarding Troy Deeney’s travails at Forest Green (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). I’ve found it odd that the genteel Nailsworth commune, having built a club on wood, Tofu and soluble socks in the Cotswolds (I may not have been keeping up exactly), have recently sought managers solely of the ‘handful in the air, puts himself about, doesn’t mind it up him’ centre forward variety. First Duncan Ferguson; now everyone enjoying a nice sherry better hope it works out well for Troy, or it might be Billy Whitehurst next” – Jon Millard.

Did you know that Manchester City have been proper gits to Crystal Palace? In the 2022-23 season, when Palace had the ball, they fouled them every 1.7 minutes home and away. And yet, in the same season, they played the derby against United at home and fouled them when they had the ball only once every 13.8 minutes. Fair play times (FPTs) like these need to be reported more often” – David Rose.

Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Jon Millard, who lands a copy of The Africa Cup of Nations: The History of an Underappreciated Tournament, published by Pitch Publishing. Visit their football book store here.

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THE YONGGE AND THE RESTLESS

Reading fans have given the medium of protest a shot in the arm after the pitch invasion that led to the abandonment of their League One game against Port Vale forced the slumbering EFL to get off its backside and back their cause. In a statement, the EFL said owner Dai Yongge was “no longer in a position – or does not have the motivation” to financially support the club.

Reading fans get their protests on. Photograph: Adam Rutter/PA

Yongge was fined a further £50,000 for failing to fund an account to cover staff wages and warned to either “fund the club adequately” or make “immediate arrangements to sell”. Reading pressure group Sell Before We Dai warned Yongge will “kill” their club without tough action and said more disruptive protests are likely. “We call on the EFL to continue with their aim to expel Dai Yongge as an owner and we call on our fans to stay organised and united. We want this to be our last abandoned match, but it is just the start of this elevated protest action.” Club chief suit Dayong Pang parped: “I ask our fans to be patient … Mr Dai is 100% willing to sell the club.” To whom or when is not clear, mind.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Nuno Espírito Santo says he’s focused on Nottingham Forest’s team and not the club being charged by the Premier League – along with Everton again – for breaching financial rules. “My job is clear – to prepare the team,” he tooted, while sat in the lotus position and taking deep even breaths. “We have a match tomorrow [at Blackpool] and that’s what we are focused on.”

Premier League chief suit Richard Masters has confirmed that a date has been agreed to hear the 115 charges brought against Manchester City … but he hasn’t said when, the big tease.

Sarina Wiegman has extended her England contract until 2027, taking in that year’s World Cup. “We have unfinished business and I know we are capable of even more,” she trilled. “It is a fantastic job working with these amazing players.”

Aitana Bonmatí and Lionel Messi (yup, don’t blame us) have scooped the Fifa best player gongs for 2023 in a glitzy London bash.

Winners! Composite: Getty

Five-time champions Cameroon are dusting themselves down after being held to a draw by 10-man Guinea as the early stages of Afcon continued to throw up surprising results.

In the Asian Cup, South Korea have beaten Bahrain 3-1, with Iraq seeing off Indonesia by the same scoreline and Jordan thumping Malaysia 4-0.

Baby it’s cold outside … and National League games at Oldham, Woking and Southend have been postponed because of bone-hard frozen pitches.

And Saudi Arabia has unveiled designs for a 200-metre high stadium on top of a cliff for 2034 World Cup matches that looks like an entirely sensible location to have 45,000 fans descending on. “The futuristic venue aims to reinvent the traditional stadium concept,” honked a statement.

Ha! Photograph: Qiddiya.comSTILL WANT MORE?

Nottingham Forest are the latest club in the Premier League’s crosshairs over football short-termism, writes Will Unwin.

Meanwhile, Andy Hunter asks: what now for Everton after a second charge?

Is Michael Olise set to be the first signing of the Big Sir Jim era at Old Trafford? The Mill has this fluff and more, right here.

And former players who have served long bans tell Simon Burnton about the obstacles facing the returning Ivan Toney – and how he can overcome them.

MEMORY LANE

Hardy Falkirk supporters huddle around the catering hut at the club’s former ground, Brockville, as they watch a match during the winter of 1999. The new Falkirk Stadium replaced it in 2004, featuring an all-weather synthetic surface but no little wooden hut serving Bovril, alas.

Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The GuardianIT’S HARDLY CHICAGO