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No Class Mourinho

There are some managers that you hate, but have a touch of class about them, once again Jose Mourinho showed that he lacks that ability to rise above things when they don't go well.

Over the years there have been plenty of managers that I have hated with a passion, but I have had to grudgingly admit that they not only had what it takes to be successful as a football manager, but as a human being.

Others like Jose Mourinho like to tell you how great they are when things are going well but cannot rise above things with that touch of class when the chips are down. They cannot be humble and respectful they resort to childish behaviour and hissy fits.

This was the case for the "Special One" at St Mary's when his side lost against Saints on New Years Day.

Of course he wasn't happy with his side and he wouldn't be happy with the referee who had had the temerity to give around 5% of the 50/50 decisions to Saints, but his behaviour in going over to the Saints bench and his subsequent description of one of the Saints coaching staff as an idiot was despicable.

Although Mourinho admitted that he deserved the subsequent yellow card after he had strolled over to the Saints bench and seemingly looked at the home sides coaching notes on the game, to then after the game tell the press that he had "been rude with an idiot" is disrespectful to a fellow professional.

The brunt of his ire was Saints goalkeeping coach Andrew Sparkes who had done nothing wrong other than be sat on the Saints bench and quite rightly told Mourinho to go away or words to that effect.

"I was rude. But I was rude with an idiot. I clearly deserved the yellow card. I had bad words with the guy," Mourinho told BT Sport, after his side fell six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table losing to a side who the Spurs boss clearly felt were beneath his dignity.

"There was of course a reason for it. I will not tell you but for some reason I had that reaction," he added while speaking to Match of the Day.

Sparkes of course had done nothing wrong, there was no stand up row, no pushing or shoving and he had a right to question what Mourinho was doing in Saints technical area.

But for Mourinho a defeat has to be just as much about him himself as a win does, he has to be petulant, has to make a point and has to be at the centre of attention, the media suggest that he was annoyed at Saints time wasting, but we were doing nothing much in that department and if any manager had a cause for complaint it was Ralph Hasenhuttl who saw referee Mike Dean repeatably fail to deal with Spurs players diving and petulance to the officials.

You have to admire Mourinho's record as a manager, but in recent years his star has waned after a spell at Manchester United did not have the success at the levels he had previously attained and he was sacked

But he is increasingly becoming known for his behaviour rather than winning League titles and after he had been booked by Mike Dean he then patted him around the waist and shook his hand then slapping the palm of the fourth official in a very patronising way that suggested they were very much his inferiors.

The way he then admitted he was rude was also arrogant rather than apologetic, as if he had a God given right to be rude and the Saints bench was beneath him, to describe Sparkes as an idiot to the press was petty, the Saints goalkeeping coach had done nothing to antagonise the Spurs manager and indeed was engrossed with writing notes when suddenly Mourinho appeared.

So you have to respect Mourinho for his achievements over the years, but the fact is he has no qualities as a person or at least his pubic persona as a football manager, where he is arrogant, patronising, petty and at times such as this downright nasty.

Perhaps the last word should go to a manager who does have that touch of class Ralph Hasenhuttl who must have been fuming at what went on.

"I don't want to say anything. I have a very high opinion about this manager - he did so much for football."

Now that is Class, Jose Mourinho take note.


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