Smith on Soccer

NOT so Special now then Jose?

The most charismatic and quotable football manager since Brian Clough got his cards from Chelsea last night.

Three years, three months and 18 days after the self-styled Special One strutted into Stamford Bridge with the champagne still wet on the European Cup he won with Porto, Jose Mourinho got what all managers get as some stage in their careers.

The sack. Mutual consent? Maybe. Out of work? Certainly.

There will be those who can't resist a dig at Mourinho while he's down, it's very tempting.

But Chelsea fans will be gutted, they loved him as fans always love a succesful manager and English football as a whole will be the poorer if he leaves these shores.

Talented, controversial and supremely confident he brought something new to the Premiership, a counter balance to the French Professor at Arsenal and the Govan Growler at Old Trafford.

Two league titles and an FA Cup in three seasons is not a bad return. But apparently it wasn't enough for Roman Abamovoich's 350 million investmentment and the personality clashes have been apparent for at least a year.

Today Jose learns football management's number one lesson, if you aren't giving the chairman what he wants, you're out.

That imutable law of professional football is coming to haunt Sheffield Wednesday.

Eight managers in nine years, two relegations, one promotion, hundreds of players in and out.

The chairman wants to sell up, the team has made its worst ever start to a season and the is club sueing its own fans. Could it be any worse?

Yes it could, Sheffield Wednesday is 26 million in debt.

Now another good manager and decent man, is on the brink of the sack at Hillsborough because the club has apparently become unmanageable.

Competent and talented bosses have come and gone, their success elsewhere no protection against the bottomless woe of the Wednesday job.

Chris Turner was sacked in September 2004, Paul Sturrock dumped in October 2006 - four weeks after he signed a new contract.

Men like Paul Jewell got lost in the Labyrinth on Leppings Lane that the Owls have become.

Defeat against Hull on Saturday will surely spell the end for Brian Laws. Like Paul Sturrock, Chris Turner, Peter Shreeves, Terry Yorath, Danny Wilson, David Pleat, and Ron Atkinson before him he faces being sacrificed on the Owls altar. Who's next ?

Jose Mourinho is looking for a job...