Mourinho is melting down again – just like at Spurs & Man Utd
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:54 CDT
- 5 min read
We’ve seen this movie many times before, and we all know how it ends.
It happened at Manchester United, it happened at Tottenham and now it’s happening at Roma.
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Yes, that’s right, Jose Mourinho is melting down.
Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Mourinho's former team Inter means that his Roma side are now nine points off the Champions League places.
They have lost four of their last six Serie A matches and it is the fifth time this season already that Roma have conceded three or more goals in a match.
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This includes a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Norwegian minnows Bodo Glimt in the UEFA Conference League.
It had all started so well for Mourinho when he arrived in the Eternal City this summer, just months after his acrimonious exit from Tottenham.
Roma won their first six games in all competitions at the start of the 2021-22 season, topping the Serie A table in the early weeks.
Mourinho himself appeared to be a new person both on and off the pitch. Gone was the cautious, defensive, counter-attacking football that had appeared outdated during his last half-decade of management. Roma were open and attacking, scoring 17 goals in this six-match run.
Mourinho seemed far happier and more relaxed with La Vita Bella. He was no longer irritable in the dugout and with the press.
This led to the media asking the question whether Mourinho, at 58, was mellowing in his older years.
Unfortunately, the old Mourinho that had created a toxic environment in London and Manchester soon came back with a vengeance.
"The referee has to explain, but they don't speak!"
"Come on... you know it? No?"
Roma boss Jose Mourinho was NOT happy after his side's 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt 😳#UECL pic.twitter.com/jqaCOT9hmZ— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 4, 2021
As Roma’s results and performances declined – with high-profile losses in the derby and against Juventus, Milan and now Inter – Mourinho went to war with the whole world.
He blamed the referees, he blamed bad luck and he blamed his own players.
He openly said that his backup players were inadequate, reportedly evenly telling them during that 6-1 rout to Bodo Glimt that they weren’t even good enough to play in the Norwegian league.
He remarked that Marash Kumbulla, Bryan Reynolds and Riccardo Calafiori, three youngsters under the age of 21, didn’t have the ability to play for Roma.
Just like he threw Paul Pogba, Tanguy N’Dombele and others under the bus, Mourinho is doing the same at Roma with the kids.
After the humiliating 3-2 home loss at Venezia last month, Mourinho started pushing the line that there is a conspiracy against his team, while once again criticising his players and the management above him.
7 defeats in the last 15 games.
Life isn't getting any easier for Jose Mourinho at Roma.— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 4, 2021
What did Mourinho say after Roma defeat to Venezia?
“Maybe one day I will understand why certain incidents happen. There are things that stay hidden for years and one day I will understand them,” Mourinho complained.
“I have to protect myself here and keep my feelings to myself over what is happening.
“I could’ve talked about the players who should’ve got yellow cards for tactical fouls, those are small details.
“Until it becomes mathematically impossible, I want to keep saying fourth place is the target. Roma finished sixth or seventh the last few seasons, the club made an effort over the summer, but it was more reactive transfer activity than building.
“I don’t think this squad is stronger than last season. We lost a lot of experience, we had to bring in players to replace those who left, many of them lack experience at this level.”
The situation has only worsened in the month following this debacle in Venice.
Despite winning back-to-back games against Genoa and Torino, Roma have lost their last two matches to Bologna and Inter without even scoring.
Mourinho refused to talk to the media after seeing his team completed dominated by Inter, simply putting out a statement that Roma are nowhere near the level of their opponents.
This weekend the Special One is being linked with already quitting Roma and taking over Everton from the crisis-hit Rafa Benitez.
Don't be surprised if this happens given Mourinho's oh-so-predictable meltdown in the Eternal City.
