Is the Special One honing his act to replace Fergie?
Inter Milan will almost certainly win Serie A this season. Their two biggest rivals, Milan and Juve, are both managed by men who before August, had taken charge of a hefty zero matches in their managerial careers. The challenge should come from Sampdoria, Fiorentina and Genoa, none of whom are likely to have the staying power or experience for a long Serie A season.
Yet since Calciopoli, Inter always win the title. Its like being named the tallest dwarf. So Jose must do better to keep his job, and that means the Champions League, which Inter have started badly by drawing their first two matches. If Mourinho is fired at the end of the season, he will be casting his manly eyes to Old Trafford, where Sir Alex may soon be vacating the throne.
And what better way to ingratiate himself with the United faithful than having a pop at the bête noire of choice, Rafa Benitez, and the 2005 version, Arsene Wenger. Mourinho commented yesterday when asked if he feels pressure at San Siro:
“[Arsene] Wenger has been Arsenal’s coach for 15 years but he hasn’t won even a Carling Cup for six years. [Rafa] Benitez hasn’t won a league title in six years but they continue to keep him as Liverpool’s coach.
This is not the Italian mentality. To stay here I must continue winning and do well.”
Champions League quarter-final second leg, ITV1, 7.45pm, bet here
This week’s top prize for loony marketing initiatives goes to the organisers of the Olympic Games, for parading the Olympic torch behind a phalanx of a dozen shell-suited Chinese goons, countless local police (some on roller skates) and who knows how many plain clothes spotters with a keen eye for a trouble maker. Play with fire, and you get burnt. Play with symbols, however, and you get your head kicked in, and not very symbolically. What a confusing advert for an international athletics jamboree. While these weirdos march up and down with their “sacred flame”, however, Arsenal and Liverpool have a very real issue to settle. The Champions League feels like the kind of organisation that would quite like a sacred flame of its own, but fortunately matches such as tonight’s provide enough old-fashioned winner-goes-through, loser-goes-home drama that no amount of roller-skating cops could add to the sense of occasion. Some people will be happy, others will be sad, and the tears will be genuine. Watch and learn, Olympics - keep it simple, and ditch the stupid symbols.
The statistics
* Arsenal have not won away at any of the Big Four this season, while Liverpool haven’t beaten a Big Four side at all.
While Kevin Keegan failed to uphold his excellent record with new teams (he has never lost a match with a newly-managed side, and has always scored), plenty of the weekend’s Premier League action went according to our statistics.
Firstly, we told you Birmingham’s January blues would continue:
» chickendinner superfact: Birmingham are yet to win a game in January, and they picked up
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