Vialli insists Mourinho can turn things around at Chelsea

Alam Khan - Reporter 04:39 08/10/2015
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  • Feeling the heat: Mourinho.

    Gianluca Vialli says Jose Mourinho should follow the example of Sir Alex Ferguson to drive Chelsea back to the top.

    The Blues manager was given a public vote of confidence by the club on Monday – the first time the club have ever issued such a statement – after a disastrous start to the season that has seen his champions suffer four Premier League defeats and languish in 16th spot – 10 points behind leaders Manchester City.

    But Vialli, who spent four years at Stamford Bridge as a player and then manager, says Mourinho will thrive under the intense pressure and should look to adopt Ferguson’s successful methods at Manchester United.

    “This season might be one where they need to start rebuilding, where they think about the future and don’t get too stressed about trying to win the title,” he said.

    “It’s like Sir Alex Ferguson used to do at Manchester United. In his 26 years, he built like four or five teams capable of winning the title. It’s about realising how you can act now to make the future better.

    “Jose loves Chelsea, I don’t think he will walk away. It’s a huge challenge and he will want to embrace it. It will make people look at him not only as a successful manager, but as someone who can rebuild and restart a new cycle, a new era.

    “Jose loves pressure. He is the kind of guy who always demands so much of himself and from everyone around him, starting with the players. He’s said this bad run is a new experience for him and he’s loving it. It actually makes you a more complete manager.”

    And Vialli insists the season should not be deemed a failure if they don’t win a major trophy.

    “Everyone wants to win the title, but only one team can,” added the Italian, speaking to Sport360 as an ambassador of Tifosy at the Leaders in Sport Business Summit 2015.

    “You need to make this season a useful season, whether that’s coming second, third or fourth.

    “Failure is when you don’t try, when you make a mistake and don’t learn from it. Failure is when you don’t act professionally, don’t think about the club and you are selfish. It’s not just about winning trophies.

    “If Chelsea don’t win a trophy, it won’t be failure. It happens sometimes, to all the big clubs. Sometimes it’s actually good not to win a trophy because you are sowing the seeds for the future, and then you can win two or three trophies per season. It’s about building something that can last five-10 years.”

    Mourinho hasn’t been helped by below-par displays from some of his key men in last season’s Premier League title success, such as captain John Terry, defender Branislav Ivanovic, Cesc Fabregas and Player of the Year Eden Hazard.

    Striker Diego Costa has also encountered more disciplinary problems. And ex-striker Vialli, who joined from Juventus, said: “I thought English football brought the best out of myself and I wanted to adapt.

    “Diego Costa is an exceptionally good player, but hasn’t changed yet. He still plays like every match is the Madrid derby. He loves the physical aspect, and always plays on the edge. That is good as long as it’s not going to affect your level of performances or the team.

    “It is worrying that he’s getting a bad reputation. It’s like you are under scrutiny in every game and everything you do can be used against you. He needs to change.” 

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