#360view: History repeating for Chelsea's Jose Mourinho as magic disappears

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  • In shock: Jose Mourinho.

    It was the legendary Hungarian coach Bela Guttmann who established the idea of the three-year rule in management.

    The former Benfica coach declared that by the third year under the same manager, players would become bored, complacent and the opposition would start to figure them out.

    It’s a far from a definitive rule – Sir Alex Fergsuon among the many who have proved notable exceptions – but Jose Mourinho, some 80 years after Guttmann established the theory, appears to be doing his utmost to ensure it maintains its legitimacy.

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    It was after his third season in his first spell at Stamford Bridge when the rug was pulled from under him amid dressing room disharmony and a deteriorating relationship with owner Roman Abramovich.

    At Real Madrid, he also lasted three seasons, eventually forced out as he fell foul of influential first-team figures Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos and a perceived failure in the Champions League.

    Now back in west London he’s in real danger of following Guttmann’s maxim for a third time. Chelsea are in the midst of their worse start since 1986, have lost as many games in the league as they did in the whole of 2014-15 and it’s taken just five games to concede 12 goals; last season it was 15.

    What was a freak 1-0 defeat in the Community Shield to Arsenal became a wobble with the 3-0 loss at Manchester City but now is a full-blown catastrophe and after running out of excuses, the focus is now firmly on the Portuguese and his own position.

    Yes, more signings should have been made to freshen up the squad – especially in light of Manchester City’s decline last term as they persevered largely with their title winning group – but that still shouldn’t justify such abject performances.

    Saturday’s loss at Everton is the most concerning of all because Chelsea were never in the game.

    Nemanja Matic’s goal was totally against the run of play but instead of sending the Blues back into the dressing room full of optimism for a second-half comeback, it was a mere blot on an otherwise exceptional performance by the hosts.

    Chelsea probed, largely aimlessly, and mustered just four shots after the break – only one of which was on target – with no attempts between minutes 61 and 80 when there was still one goal in it and Everton – with just one victory themselves all season – may well have buckled under some sustained attacking pressure.

    There were no signs of life from Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa or Eden Hazard, individuals so integral to last season’s success.

    The impression is either players are tired or disillusioned with the man giving the orders. Mourinho’s tried-and-tested XI, with a couple of exceptions, is looking weary and predictable.

    And once the defensive solidity disappears, Costa offers no presence in attack and Hazard’s magic deserts him, what do they have that’s different from last season? Plan B has become introducing Radamel Falcao, hardly a strategic innovation worthy of such a tactically- astute manager as Mourinho.

    With a four-year contract signed in August, is the manager himself now too comfortable and lacking in inspiration? And is that attitude transferring onto his players?

    The evidence so far means such a contentious theory – which would have been dismissed as lunacy a month ago – cannot be discounted. History may be beckoning once more for Mourinho.

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