Mourinho touchables starting to get restless
José Mourinho is facing the first real man-management test of his 2½-year reign at Chelsea, with several senior players privately questioning his tactics and approach this season. Though many of the criticisms will be dismissed as sour grapes by players not performing at their best, the ill-feeling generated has the potential to cause unrest in the dressing-room.
The spine of the team who have won two Barclays Premiership titles in a row, such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, retain total faith in Mourinho, but some of the squad’s newer recruits are less convinced. Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko and Arjen Robben are among those unhappy at their treatment and have begun to say so, in private at least. Though each has specific and sometimes contradictory complaints, they share the conviction that the issue of selection at Stamford Bridge is not a level playing field.
“All managers have four or five favourite players, but Mourinho has nine or ten,” a source said. “He claims that he picks players on form, but when it comes to the big games, he always picks the same team.”
In addition to unhappiness at Mourinho’s “Untouchables” policy, there are also growing complaints about his aloof attitude. Much of the unease surrounds Shevchenko, whom several players are convinced is picked only because of his £30 million price tag and friendship with Roman Abramovich, the club’s owner.
Shevchenko, by contrast, feels that he has been made a scapegoat and was angry at being denied the opportunity to play his way into form against Newcastle’s inexperienced back four in midweek.
Ballack, despite starting 20 matches this season, believes that he is being blamed for things beyond his control, contending that he was lured to the club on false pretences. It is understood that when the Germany midfield player discussed his free transfer from Bayern Munich at the start of the year, Mourinho said that he would be playing at the head of a midfield three, with two wingers. Shevchenko’s signing changed the shape of the team, however, and Ballack feels that it has been to his detriment.
Robben’s problems are easier to understand because he has started only 12 matches this season and only two in the Champions League.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...507581,00.html
Premiership is a bit steep.