This is not really about local soccer, but thought I will share with everyone. As much as I don't like Jose Mourinho, his cockiness and perennial whining after every loss, I must admit that his fine gesture after the match with Arsenal showed the world why most of his players swear by and stick by him through his rift with Roman and almost an entire season of bad press.
When the Blues were feeling "blue" after their draw with Arsenal which mark the end of their chase for the league title, this little mighty man walked swiftly into the field, shook the hands of players from both sides (did he shake hands with Wenger? Didn't see... hee) , and single handedly lifted the spirit of both fans and players from wallowing in self-pity to that of glory in defeat. The world forgot about the Arsenal or the newly crowned league champion Man U, but turned their attention to the losers whom you would have mistaken to have won something if you do not follow EPL. I must admit there was a tinge of utmost respect for Jose and Chelsea FC. This is a scene which he will be remembered for in years to come.
Despite his aptitude for irking outside people, I must admit Jose is someone whom I would probably fight and die for if he is my leader. That's a sign of a truly outstanding manager that will go down well in history.
CHIN UP JOSE TELLS CHELSEA FANS
CHEER THEMHE POINTS TO HIS TEAM
IT happened moments after the television camera crew ran onto the pitch at the final whistle.
By Ivan Lim
08 May 2007
IT happened moments after the television camera crew ran onto the pitch at the final whistle.
Bent double or with both hands on hips from the exertions of battling to keep Chelsea's faint hopes of retaining their Premiership crown alive, Blues captain John Terry became the camera crew's object of attention.
Seconds earlier, the Blues finally surrendered the title when their 10-man team could only secure a point despite a gallant comeback from being a goal down at half-time.
Jose Mourinho knew exactly how his captain must have felt. He must have known, too, the disappointment that gripped the hearts of all his players.
And most importantly, he knew how shattered the Chelsea fans who had made that short trip to the Emirates stadium must have been.
The Portuguese manager didn't wait long to repay his faith in his players and fans.
Striding deliberately from the Chelsea dugout, he made his way to the stands where the away fans were packed, congratulating Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann along the way.
And as the Blue section of the Emirates Stadium rose to acknowledge their club manager, Mourinho gestured to his team, then placed the back of his right hand under his chin and gestured towards his team.
Keep your chins up and cheer them on was the message, probably in reference to the important matches that are to come against newly-crowned Premiership champions Manchester United in the next few days.
No doubt he will be out to prove something, even in the inconsequential Premiership match against United at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
And he will be keen to prevent United from doing a domestic double when the teams clash in the FA Cup final at Wembley on 19 May.
He showed little emotion of being a loser, having surrendered the Premiership title to one of his arch-rivals.
Why should he? After all his players showed tremendous fighting spirit to draw level at 1-1 with Arsenal in the away match despite being one man down - Khalid Boulahrouz was sent off for a foul on Julio Baptista that led to the penalty award from which Gilberto scored.
Instead, he prompted his true-blue fans to applaud his brave team who put on a fabulous show of character and fighting spirit.
The fans responded with deafening cheers to drown the abuse hurled by the Arsenal fans surrounding that little section of the stadium.
'Gone in the summer, Mourinho's gone in the summer,' the Arsenal fans shouted with their taunt to the tune of Guantanamera, 'Sacked in the summer, you will be sacked in the summer,' screamed others.
'Champions, You're no longer champions,' some shouted.
But Mourinho wasn't bothered. He had more important things to do.
DESPAIR
He beckoned his team with an eloquent wave of the hand, and immediately, the tired players - slumped in despair just moments earlier - raised their heads and ran purposefully towards their supporters.
The Chelsea players acknowledged the adulation accorded them and removed their jerseys, some handing them to the security staff who relayed them to the appreciative Blues fans.
The chants from the Arsenal fans stopped and uncoordinated, haphazard abuse followed as many of them took to calling Mourinho with an obscenity that sounded a bit like 'Wenger'.
If Mourinho was aware of any of the abuse, he didn't show it. He got behind he team, congratulated each of the players and saluted the Chelsea faithful who by now were making the loudest noise in the stadium.
Throughout the match, they had to put up with constant abuse by the Arsenal fans who would alternate between abusing them and the Chelsea team.
'Are you Tottenham, are you Tottenham, are you Tottenham in disguise?' was a common refrain.
Then 'Liv-er-pool! Liv-er-pool!' as a snide reminder of the Blues' elimination from the Champions League at the hands of the Reds at Anfield.
'It's just abuse,' said an Arsenal fan when I asked him what he was shouting, what, exactly?
'Various,' he said. 'Just enjoy the game,' he advised me before joining in the chants.
It wasn't anything personal: they simply hate Chelsea.
Through all that, the Blues' supporters continued to get behind their team, screaming their lungs out when Michael Essien equalised.
Cheering till the bitter end.
It wasn't that the Arsenal fans were muted. They were, at Arsenal's last home match of the season, as loud as they could be almost throughout the entire 90 minutes of the game and more.
Yet the Blues fans didn't yield. They continued to roar for their team. But at the final whistle their noise level suddenly dropped. And Mourinho was the first to realise the dipping feeling of the travelling supporters who felt that they could have snatched a victory late in the game.
Whether or not it was planned, we'll never know. Ironically, it came at full-time as an announcement was made over the public address system that the Arsenal team would show appreciation to home fans in five minutes.
The Arsenal players led by manager Arsene Wenger did finally take to the field to show their appreciation for their fans' support. The Emirates Stadium saw 1,615,592 visitors to Arsenal's matches this season.
But by the time the Arsenal fans, making up the 60,102 crowd, last night received their waves of appreciation from their team, the shirtless Chelsea players and Mourinho were already safely through the tunnel.
Some Blues fans had already made their way out of the stadium.
Those who remained made their presence count by hurling less-than-polite opinions of the hosts' manager and taunting the Arsenal players with less-than-polite gestures.
Their liveliness was, in a sense, a tribute to their own team.
And an indication to show that The Special One remains their hero, however gloomy their recent fortunes have been.
Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved.Privacy Statement and Conditions of Access
Bent double or with both hands on hips from the exertions of battling to keep Chelsea's faint hopes of retaining their Premiership crown alive, Blues captain John Terry became the camera crew's object of attention.
Seconds earlier, the Blues finally surrendered the title when their 10-man team could only secure a point despite a gallant comeback from being a goal down at half-time.
Jose Mourinho knew exactly how his captain must have felt. He must have known, too, the disappointment that gripped the hearts of all his players.
And most importantly, he knew how shattered the Chelsea fans who had made that short trip to the Emirates stadium must have been.
The Portuguese manager didn't wait long to repay his faith in his players and fans.
Striding deliberately from the Chelsea dugout, he made his way to the stands where the away fans were packed, congratulating Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann along the way.
And as the Blue section of the Emirates Stadium rose to acknowledge their club manager, Mourinho gestured to his team, then placed the back of his right hand under his chin and gestured towards his team.
Keep your chins up and cheer them on was the message, probably in reference to the important matches that are to come against newly-crowned Premiership champions Manchester United in the next few days.
No doubt he will be out to prove something, even in the inconsequential Premiership match against United at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
And he will be keen to prevent United from doing a domestic double when the teams clash in the FA Cup final at Wembley on 19 May.
He showed little emotion of being a loser, having surrendered the Premiership title to one of his arch-rivals.
Why should he? After all his players showed tremendous fighting spirit to draw level at 1-1 with Arsenal in the away match despite being one man down - Khalid Boulahrouz was sent off for a foul on Julio Baptista that led to the penalty award from which Gilberto scored.
Instead, he prompted his true-blue fans to applaud his brave team who put on a fabulous show of character and fighting spirit.
The fans responded with deafening cheers to drown the abuse hurled by the Arsenal fans surrounding that little section of the stadium.
'Gone in the summer, Mourinho's gone in the summer,' the Arsenal fans shouted with their taunt to the tune of Guantanamera, 'Sacked in the summer, you will be sacked in the summer,' screamed others.
'Champions, You're no longer champions,' some shouted.
But Mourinho wasn't bothered. He had more important things to do.
DESPAIR
He beckoned his team with an eloquent wave of the hand, and immediately, the tired players - slumped in despair just moments earlier - raised their heads and ran purposefully towards their supporters.
The Chelsea players acknowledged the adulation accorded them and removed their jerseys, some handing them to the security staff who relayed them to the appreciative Blues fans.
The chants from the Arsenal fans stopped and uncoordinated, haphazard abuse followed as many of them took to calling Mourinho with an obscenity that sounded a bit like 'Wenger'.
If Mourinho was aware of any of the abuse, he didn't show it. He got behind he team, congratulated each of the players and saluted the Chelsea faithful who by now were making the loudest noise in the stadium.
Throughout the match, they had to put up with constant abuse by the Arsenal fans who would alternate between abusing them and the Chelsea team.
'Are you Tottenham, are you Tottenham, are you Tottenham in disguise?' was a common refrain.
Then 'Liv-er-pool! Liv-er-pool!' as a snide reminder of the Blues' elimination from the Champions League at the hands of the Reds at Anfield.
'It's just abuse,' said an Arsenal fan when I asked him what he was shouting, what, exactly?
'Various,' he said. 'Just enjoy the game,' he advised me before joining in the chants.
It wasn't anything personal: they simply hate Chelsea.
Through all that, the Blues' supporters continued to get behind their team, screaming their lungs out when Michael Essien equalised.
Cheering till the bitter end.
It wasn't that the Arsenal fans were muted. They were, at Arsenal's last home match of the season, as loud as they could be almost throughout the entire 90 minutes of the game and more.
Yet the Blues fans didn't yield. They continued to roar for their team. But at the final whistle their noise level suddenly dropped. And Mourinho was the first to realise the dipping feeling of the travelling supporters who felt that they could have snatched a victory late in the game.
Whether or not it was planned, we'll never know. Ironically, it came at full-time as an announcement was made over the public address system that the Arsenal team would show appreciation to home fans in five minutes.
The Arsenal players led by manager Arsene Wenger did finally take to the field to show their appreciation for their fans' support. The Emirates Stadium saw 1,615,592 visitors to Arsenal's matches this season.
But by the time the Arsenal fans, making up the 60,102 crowd, last night received their waves of appreciation from their team, the shirtless Chelsea players and Mourinho were already safely through the tunnel.
Some Blues fans had already made their way out of the stadium.
Those who remained made their presence count by hurling less-than-polite opinions of the hosts' manager and taunting the Arsenal players with less-than-polite gestures.
Their liveliness was, in a sense, a tribute to their own team.
And an indication to show that The Special One remains their hero, however gloomy their recent fortunes have been.
Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved.Privacy Statement and Conditions of Access
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