The strange behaviour exhibited by football managers often bemuses fans. Whether it’s Arsene Wenger’s frequent failure to see incidents, Alan Pardew headbutting an opposition player or Steve McClaren’s strange Dutch accent, many fans are often left wondering what goes through a manager’s head. Last season the pressure to maintain Leicester City’s Premier League status appeared to affect Nigel Pearson as he grabbed an opponent by the throat and later accused a journalist of being an ostrich.
Erratic behaviour is perhaps understandable towards the climax of the season, but Jose Mourinho’s antics during the opening weekend shows that while he is undoubtedly one of the best mangers in the world, his judgement is at times questionable. This time his ire was directed at his medical team who ran onto the pitch to assist Eden Hazard after being repeatedly called to help by the referee. Mourinho’s frustration stemmed from the fact that in order to be treated, Hazard had to leave the pitch, leaving Chelsea temporarily with nine players. Yet if the medical team hadn’t run on, they would have been accused of a dereliction of duty by not coming to the player’s aid.
While Nigel Pearson publicly apologised for his verbal attack on the journalist, Mourinho has so far refused to show contrition. Perhaps he believes that by drawing attention to himself he is distracting the media from focusing on Chelsea’s mediocre performance in their 2-2 draw against Swansea. However, his attitude towards the medical team can’t have helped to foster unity within the club.
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