Mourinho Is Jealous Of Wenger

By Daniel Cowan
In Arsenal
Sep 28th, 2015
17 Comments

It doesn’t seem like the fallout from the Stamford Bridge refereeing debacle is going to blow over any time soon. Diego Costa has just started a three match ban and, with Chelsea already stuttering in the league, the enforced absence of his choice front-man, Jose Mourinho is showing no sign of stopping his cries of unfairness and favouritism.

Gabriel ‘escaped’ the wrath of the partisan FA with just a one match ban for failing to leave the pitch for a sending off that was revoked. The true farce, according to sycophantic followers of Jose, is Costa getting banned for his repeated infractions, many of which he gets away with on a weekly basis. Gabriel missed one half of the Chelsea match, was not included against Spurs as the preparation had already been done in the assumption Gabriel was banned and was then forced to miss the Leicester match. That is, technically, a 2.5 game ban for doing, what three ex-professional referees felt, was hardly card worthy. To add insult to injury, Kurt Zouma went completely unpunished for grabbing Gabriel by the throat, a clear red card offence. But there is a campaign against Chelsea.

For a man who gets a pretty good deal from the media and more than his fair share of contentious decisions in his favour, Mourinho is quick to point out ‘nepotism’ where other managers are concerned.

His recent outburst against Wenger, a thinly veiled one, demonstrates the true character of the man. He is a highly successful manager but seems obsessed with Arsène Wenger, a man he ironically once accused of voyeurism.

Many journalists, pundits and ex-players talk about Costa and Mourinho in a similar way, most likely because they are cut from the same cloth. It is claimed that they are universally disliked outside of the club they are in but secretly they are the sort of people you would like to have as your main striker or manager. I can’t speak for all Arsenal supporters but I can categorically state that I wouldn’t. There might have been a time I looked at either and felt they would be good for Arsenal but I never knew what a scumbag Costa was until he arrived in England and Mourinho gets worse with age. They are truly reprehensible characters in the footballing world, nasty, petulant, classless, sneaky little men which an inferiority complex. Mourinho’s recent actions reaffirms my position on that; I wouldn’t want him anywhere near my club.

Speaking to the media before the Newcastle game he said “I think in this country, only one manager is not under pressure. Steve McClaren is under pressure, I am under pressure, Brendan Rodgers, Manuel Pellegrini – everybody is under pressure. We cannot lose matches, we cannot be below expectations, we have to reach our objectives. I have sympathy with them, and I believe they have also sympathy to myself because it’s a difficult job. There is one that for some reason is outside that list. Good for him.”

When pressed to name the manager he replied “You know. He can speak about the referees before the game, after the game, can push people in the technical area, can cry in the morning, cry in the afternoon and nothing happens. Can not achieve, keep the job, still the king… it’s a privilege.”

mourinho

This is jealousy, as plain as day. Mourinho is the more successful manager but I believe he is jealous of Arsène Wenger and that is why he acts towards him the way he does. He opted to turn the conversation towards Wenger. He was being asked a question about Steve McClaren and made it about Wenger. He lives up to the caricature Arsenal supporters have of him deflecting awkward questions about his management or team with “yeah, but have you seen Wenger?”. Wenger is no saint and can certainly be an arrogant so and so. He has rubbed many managers up the wrong way over the last 19 years but there has always been a level of respect, the animosity always calmed or dissipated after a while. That has not been the case with Mourinho. The animosity has increased and there was probably no way back to a place of civility once Mourinho called him a ‘specialist in failure’.

Last year when Mourinho was playing down Chelsea’s title credentials Wenger responded to a question about it suggesting maybe Mourinho was downplaying out of “fear to fail”. Mourinho took this rather innocuous comment as a declaration of war and retaliated with nuclear force stating “If he is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I didn’t fail many times. Eight years without silverware, that’s failure. He’s a specialist in failure. If I do that in Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don’t come back.”

If you look at what he said after the infamous barb it too smacks of jealousy. Mourinho will never have the job security that Wenger does and that seems to rankle him. He has never been praised for his quality of football the way Wenger has and that probably irks him too. He is looking at a far less successful manager who has managed to keep his job for 19 years with little to show for it in 8 of the last 10 whereas he has been sacked from every job he has ever had since his first move abroad in 2004 – despite winning multiple trophies. He came to Chelsea the first time as the ‘Special One’ and after two back to back titles he probably felt untouchable only to find himself ousted by Abramovich who wanted his expensive play toy to entertain him. After many years of continued success and ever changing managers he sought to bring back his most successful manager but it was clear the relationship had changed. When it came to being Chelsea manager, Mourinho didn’t seem as cocky or as sure of his indispensability calling himself the ‘Happy One’. He was home, back in the place he was most well-thought of and appreciated but more wary of getting on the wrong side of his boss. Possibly that explains his bizarre comments about the media campaigning and conspiring against him when before they were his greatest allies and most enraptured audience.

Mourinho was never loved in Italy, the Spanish media loathed him and would not pander to his ego the way the insipid British media do. His success at these clubs never afforded him the comfort of the job security a manager like Wenger has had. It must be difficult constantly looking over your shoulder, never being able to rest, wondering when the phone call will come that will force you to up sticks again. I would have sympathy for him if he wasn’t such a cretinous acerbic canker. He made a rod for his own back with win at all costs, mercenary tactics and was treated as a disposable mercenary. He came in, did a job, brought some order with trophies which quelled fan unrest and someone else was brought in who aligned more with the ideals of the clubs he had previously been employed by.

Jose may feel that Arsène hasn’t earned his job security or that the media are too friendly with him, especially when you compare their success charts, but Arsène’s longevity at Arsenal is the result of his successes, his reaction to failure and the relationships he has cultivated. The media are friendly with him on the whole because he has been around so long and many journalists covering the Premier League have no pre-Wenger careers to speak of. His early success at Arsenal came without a billion pound price tag and he kept Arsenal in the Champions League through a difficult financial period. His bosses felt he had earned the right to spend the money when it became available. He has won two trophies in a row, four if you count the Community Shield which people rarely do, and has maintained a level of attractive football.

Many will disagree that he has earned his job security but it is not the fans who ultimately decide, it is the owners and chairmen. Wenger cannot be blamed for Mourinho failing to cultivate meaningful and respectful relationships with his bosses. Wenger is a charming man who is sometimes abrasive, Mourinho is an abrasive man who is sometimes charming. It’s a clear difference between the two men. One is win at all costs, the other is more considerate about the long-term future of his club and it’s clear which one is most appreciated by those who aren’t mired in the present. Wenger has a bust at the Emirates Stadium alongside Arsenal great Herbert Chapman because he is that well-thought of.

In Spain and Italy Jose was disliked for his egotistical nature; they found Jose to be a malevolent and petulant character. He was accused of freezing out Casillas because he suspected he was leaking information to his media presenter girlfriend. Whether it was true or not is irrelevant, Mourinho failed to inspire loyalty from those players the way he did the Chelsea players. Maybe he felt he was a naturally inspirational character, when it is entirely possible the Chelsea players loved him because he made them successful whereas the Madrid players were well-versed in success.

Wenger commands loyalty and respect from his players because of how he treats them. He doesn’t call them out publicly after a match  or use the media as a mouthpiece to berate them. Wenger is a supportive manager who motivates his players, inspires them with his vision for their future. Mourinho breaks players down, sometimes to build them up again in his image, sometimes it seems just because he can. Wenger builds them up and that is why he is universally loved by all of his ex-players.

When I was a child I loved Ghostbusters and despite not being from even a comfortable financial background I was lucky enough to own almost every piece of Ghostbuster merchandise and paraphernalia going. In the 80s and 90s commercialism and merchandising wasn’t what it was today so the range was much smaller but still, I had it all – except the Ghostbuster helicopter. You’re probably thinking “But they didn’t have a helicopter” and you’d be right but a 6 year old doesn’t think like that. The boy next door had the Ghostbusters helicopter and a few copies of the toys I had and I hated him for it. His collection was smaller than mine – he had other interests – but he had the helicopter. It did not matter to me that his parents had elected to buy him that particularly expensive toy rather than a wider selection of cheaper items like I had. It did not matter that more of our mutual friends wanted to play at my house with my proton packs, ghost traps and boiler-suits. He had something I wanted and I obsessed over it.

Mourinho’s attitude to Wenger reminds me of this. Wenger has something he wants and will most likely never have. It doesn’t matter that he gets the silverware, more resources and media adulation. It’s not enough for him. The difference between Mourinho’s obsession with what he doesn’t have and mine is I grew out of it.

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About "" - 509 Posts

I am a South London born Gooner now living in Leigh-On-Sea, Essex. I'm a husband, daddy, podcaster, trainer enthusiast and aspiring author. My work is my passion and for that I will always be grateful. Here is where I write my thoughts and views on Arsenal Football Club, the greatest team the world has ever seen.

17 Responses to “Mourinho Is Jealous Of Wenger”

  1. oscarbaby1uk says:

    Mourinho, should stop blaming everyone and everyone for his own inabilities. His team look totally dejected. He has lost respect from his players the media are also fed up with his remarks.He is like a child with a personal vendetta against a man who has more class and diplomacy than he could ever dream of having Arsene Wenger will stick up with his players and staff 100%, he will not puplicly criticize, he offers encourages instead. If Mourinho, spent as much time organising his own club players as he does trolling Wenger, he would get far more respect and better results.
    A man who condones violent action on the pitch, with “he was man of the match”remarks, is a man who may need to look for another managerial position.but hopefully not in the English leagues. Mr Abramovich only wants success, and does not worry who gets it for him,just as long as they do.

  2. Gbadebo Adekunle says:

    I am a nigerian Arsenal fan and I ve been so since 1989, Arsene Wenger is the best thing to happen in football management, his achievements and the methodoligy is second to none, these Mourinho can never get,I pity the poor boy though, I think mourinho needs to sleep many times, think deeply and change his way and the modus operandi otherwise he will be shown the way out soon as he is not in good book of the media. Change mourinho, change boy

  3. Butthurt Arsenal Fans says:

    Funny this… Mourinho Jealous of Wenger. lol
    Great article mate… brilliant! ^_^
    Hope someday you’ll be a renowned journalist… it’s very entertaining to read bullshit like this everyday. Made my day! 😀

  4. Peter says:

    Mourinho is a prat, it’s just a case of sour grapes. The sooner he leaves these shores the better

    • Ogbuehi Don Ndubuka says:

      I do not think Arsene is the best thing to happen in football management as Gbadebo Adekunle. Agreed, Mike Dean assisted Mourinho best Arsenal at the Stamford Bridge yet, l feel its insipid for a manager not balance his team in needy areas where his opponents have rightly done so. Of note is the DM position which, exposed the back four at Leicester City in the absence of Coquelin. I chose to feel that a visionary coach/manager would have avoided such vacuum in the summer. Am not sure that, Vardy would have scored those goals if a second Coquelin was on the pitch. It pained the heart to see Ox stand akimbo and watch Vardy from behind as he netted the second goal from a very close range.

  5. Centenary says:

    Mourinho has gun beyond jealousy of wenger,he is one manager that never learns,every league he goes it is the same end story

  6. hamdoun amour hassan says:

    arsene wenger had good record,he is unbeaten for one season and also he played 49 games without losing,so wenger is best.

  7. ARSENAL 13 says:

    Is Mourinhos time up at Chelsea?? And may be he knows that. Hez acting like man who knows hez getting a boot.

    BTW, his claims that Mr Wenger gets away with calling referees out….well, one look at the money the administration has received from Mr Wenger will set his facts right.

  8. Mayorlincoln says:

    Such a brilliant article, I remember Wenger’s response when he was called a specialist in failure, he said “that he was sorry for Chelsea” now we can see the Kind of man Mourinho is, causing division within the club, now the Doctor is taking them to court.

    • Mike says:

      When M called A a “specialist in failure” he forgot to say that he himself is a “specialist in buying trophies”. Every club where he has been successful has been a very big club with pots of money that he has spent on some of the world’s best players. I firmly believe that he would be incapable of building a team as Arsene and various other managers have done. Why young players go to Chelsea is beyond me because they will never get a game in the first team there.

  9. Mayorlincoln says:

    Very nice article, towards the end you wrote that you hope Mourinho will change. In my place, they say a fool at 40years is a fool forever. Mourinho might not have the time n humility to be wise again, and will continually live in this state of hatred and jealousy of Wenger.

  10. FunGunner says:

    Great article. Small point to mention, but Wenger wasn’t even talking specifically about Mourinho when he made the comment about fearing failure. The question was put to him in general terms – about managers who go defensive or something. But Mourinho reacted because he was told AW said it about him and it struck a nerve.

    He IS afraid of losing (different from hating to lose) and that is why he plays the easiest style of football – functional and defensive – with the best players. It’s the lowest risk.

    He genuinely cannot understand why people want more, hence his burning sense of injustice. Tom Watt, on the previous incarnation of the Arsenal podcast, put it really well: Mourinho doesn’t like the game of football – he just likes winning.

  11. Don says:

    You’ve definitely hit the nail on the head.I was saying this last season and was pilloried by Chelsea fans for it but the”Special Needs One”has never managed a football club,only coached one and that’s where his envy stems from.Either he’s not able or no one trusts him enough to let him do it.Stamford Bridge is to be redeveloped but Mourinho will have no input,their training ground has been modernised and youth set up revamped,once again with no input from Mourinho.Players are bought and sold by Abramovic,not Mourinho.There is a very strong rumour going around that Chelsea was Romans third choice behind Arsenal and Tottenham and he only went to Chelsea because he couldn’t get outright control over Spurs and Arsl.Can you imagine where Arsenal would be now if he’d taken over?Sure,more trophies maybe,but still at Highbury and one billion pounds in debt,think I prefer things the way they are thank you very much!!!

  12. eddie says:

    I jst read an article on au Mou messed up casillas career @ Madrid,he sent out Juan Mata who was voted man of d match over d weekend in Man-u vs Sunderland game,De-bruyne never had playin time while @ chelsea under Mou and nw Chelsea icon “Terry” is having prob playing regularly in d team…These re all players that would Ave been ncouraged and helped get back to there peak under other players except Mou…how many young players has been nurtured by Mou to become world-class player? he would rather loan them out or sell than patiently build a team wit them..little wonder that d team docter could no longa condone his effontery and insults..his days in EPL is numbered,thats y he is fighting like a wounded animal and envying d success of other coaches job..d only coach I wuld ever rate above Wenger in epl is sir Alex ferguson while mou rot in d bottom of d tables of coaches

  13. […] whether we can learn to play without a natural DM (might we try this out against Olympiacos?) and the second is a quite brilliant write-up from Daniel Cowan on the underlying reason for Mourinho’s classless […]

  14. […] whether we can learn to play without a natural DM (might we try this out against Olympiacos?) and the second is a quite brilliant write-up from Daniel Cowan on the underlying reason for Mourinho’s classless […]

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