A lot has clearly changed since the time, a decade ago now, when José Mourinho cited safety reasons in response to the question of why, after leaving Chelsea, he had not been back to Stamford Bridge to say goodbye to the fans. Mourinho imagined a stampede of people flocking to his feet and his reply fitted in neatly with the impression of someone who would talk eloquently on any subject, as long as that subject was himself. “Just imagine if I did,” he said. “I would die in the crush out in the middle of the pitch.”
Ten years on, the relationship feels very different now, broken even, judging by the vitriol that was reserved for Mourinho on his last trip to Stamford Bridge. No doubt there will be more of the same from the away corner at Old Trafford on Sunday and perhaps it is just inevitable given the nature of the man and the trait he shares with Sir Alex Ferguson: an almost compulsive need for conflict.
Related: Antonio Conte says Manchester United can still finish in the top four
Related: Eden Hazard and José Mourinho: anatomy of a rollercoaster relationship | Jonathan Wilson
Continue reading...