da roleta： Jose Mourinho has “one more last dance” left in him, says William Gallas, but Newcastle are not considered to be the right fit at this stage.
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Portuguese coach out of workLinked with various teamsMulling over his optionsWHAT HAPPENED?
The self-anointed ‘Special One’ finds himself without a job after being relieved of his managerial duties at Roma. The charismatic Portuguese is rarely out of work for long and is already being linked with domestic and international posts throughout the world.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT GALLAS SAID ABOUT MOURINHO
Gallas, who worked with Mourinho at Chelsea, believes the 61-year-old will seek out another big challenge before beginning to wind down. The Frenchman has told : “I think Jose has got something special in him. I think he can have one more big moment as a manager; one more last dance. I do think it all depends on the players he is working with. Jose needs players who are warriors. He needs the type of player that will fight for him but are also big enough to accept criticism from a manager. I’ve spoken about this before, but the new generation of footballers are completely different to the generation Jose managed so successfully at Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. A lot of these players do not accept criticism. They don’t understand how hard you have to work for one year to achieve something as a player. If you want to lift a trophy at the end of the season, you need to give everything. You need to have the mentality of a warrior. You never give up. You fight. You accept that you will suffer for 12 months. I don’t think the new generation are ready to make these sacrifices. For Jose’s last dance, he has to be at a club with players that are ready to work with the intensity that he does. Don’t forget, even though was sacked by Roma, the fans adored him. The fans created banners that criticised their own players and accused them of not having the balls to win under Mourinho. That tells you everything the fans think of their players. Mourinho arrived in Rome with a winners mentality. I don’t think the players had the same mentality as him.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It has been suggested that former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss Mourinho could return to England, but Gallas says he should avoid St James’ Park as Newcastle are not yet ready to challenge for the most prestigious of honours. He added: “I can see Jose Mourinho returning to the Premier League, but the question is at what club? Where can he go where he will have the players and resources to win something special? Newcastle are a team that have been linked with him, but I think he would have the same problem he had at Roma if he went to St. James’ Park. He wouldn’t have world-class players or players that are ready to win the Premier League. I don’t think they have enough world-class players at the club to challenge for the title. if you look at their squad, most of those players are not the first names in the starting eleven for their national teams. When Mourinho joined Chelsea in 2004, most of us were playing in our national teams and most of us were top class players that became world-class players under Mourinho. I don’t think the level is the same at Newcastle. If he wanted to go back to the Premier League and win the title, then I don’t think Newcastle is the club for Jose.”
Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO?
Mourinho is said to have snubbed an approach from Saudi outfit Al-Shabab, despite admitting that a move to the Middle East appeals to him, while a prominent post at Barcelona is about to open up – as Xavi prepares to walk away in the summer – and the Portuguese has previously spent time at Camp Nou working alongside Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal.