No dressing room backing this time
ALL OF A sudden, there are thousands of Bundesliga fans coming out of the woodwork. People who can’t even name half the Borussia Dortmund starting line-up, never mind pronounce their star striker’s name correctly the first time around, are declaring their unbridled love for all things German.
As they say, people love one thing more than seeing you rise to the top – and that’s watching you tumble back down to earth, as Barcelona did this past week.
Seven goals to nil pastings are usually the kind of hammerings reserved for obscure teams which get wide-eyed at the Nou Camp, but watching Bayern Munich demolish the finest team in Europe, home and away, was a sight to behold.
The inevitable talk of a power shift had already started after the first leg, and Barcelona also did little to shed their one-man team tag with their flaccid display without Lionel Messi. Maybe it really is the start of the new Reich, when German efficiency will hold sway over Spanish symmetry in Europe.
When you consider that Bayern will also have Pep Guardiola as their orchestrator for next season, and they are certain to do their utmost to nab Liverpool’s vampire, the talented and equally infuriating Luis Suarez, they could take some stopping.
Just like Barcelona in their pomp, it may take a while for teams to figure out how to halt the sweeping style that the Bavarians employ. Dortmund, too, have been a refreshing burst of fluorescent yellow, but they don’t have the financial clout of Bayern, who may well pluck their two best players before this season is over.
As for the Spanish melodrama, all that’s left is to prepare for Jose Mourinho’s parting shot. His press conference after Real Madrid’s exit was that of a man walking with a knife lodged in his back.
While he has won a La Liga title and the Spanish Cup, Mourinho has not nearly lived up to the expectations when he arrived at the Bernabeu. If anything, he has let the Madridistas down with his petulance and his spying on players, and a playing style that was most un-Real.
And, for the first time in his career, he didn’t have the unflinching backing of his dressing room. At Porto, Chelsea and at Inter, players wept when they heard that Mourinho was leaving. When he leaves the Bernabeu though, the likes of Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos will most likely toast to good riddance.
All the affection that has been showered on him by Chelsea’s fans should be tempered with a dose of perspective. When Mourinho first arrived in London, he was a breath of fresh air, charming the neutrals and galvanising the Blues to scale new heights.
The English title will be harder than ever to wrest from United now, especially as Mourinho’s foot soldiers, Messrs Lampard, Drogba and Terry, are either gone, going or past their best at the Bridge.
It will take an almighty effort – and some deep pockets – to stoke the fire for a renewed Chelsea challenge.
When the European champions were busy firing Roberto di Matteo and crashing out of competitions, the fans were adamant that their only saviour was The Special One.
Now, as he faces up to his shortcomings, Mourinho needs Chelsea just as much as they need him. It’s time for him to prove he still has that special touch.