Is José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix brave enough to attempt to unsheathe football’s sword in the stone and win a modern major trophy at St James’ Park?
There would be a statue of The Special One in Newcastle for eternity next to that of his Geordie mentor Sir Bobby Robson at St James’ Park along with the title of Greatest Manager in the History of Football if he did.
Many great men and football managers have tried and failed in the last 45 years to truly wake up the sleeping giant that is Newcastle United – a club with a proud history including periods of League and Cup dominance and the world’s best supporters.
Kevin Keegan rocketed the club from the brink of the 3rd division to the brink of the Premier League title in three magical years in the early 1990s, Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit got The Magpies to FA Cup Finals at Wembley in the late 1990s yet couldn’t break “the curse”.
And of course Sir Bobby Robson – the man who gave Mourinho his big break in football as his assistant at Barcelona et al – challenged Manchester United and Arsenal’s title supremacy over a decade ago and returned the club to The Champions League yet ultimately failed to win silverware.
Could this relationship with the late, great Grandfather of Geordie and English football be the personal reason why Mourinho might choose to manage The Magpies one day?
The fact that Kevin Keegan’s father was a huge fan of the black and whites was the reason the then England Captain swapped Southampton and the top flight for the 2nd Division promotion struggle with Newcastle as a player in the 1980s and returned, twice, as Manager years later.
The other reason for Mourinho fancying taking on the Black and White challenge might be to prove himself the best of all time by doing what has been impossible to others including Robson. Could the one-time Apprentice outdo his Master?
Robson transformed the Magpies from bottom of the table when he took over in September 1999 to top of the Premier League by Christmas 2001, eventually finishing 4th and then guided The Magpies to the Champions League Last 16 the following season.
Could Mourinho transform mid-table into medals in the same time frame?
Mourinho will always have the pick of the world’s top clubs yet is repeating success with the newly-moneyed clubs his purest football dream or would restoring to full functionality a football institution that couldn’t build a big enough stadium for fan demand if truly successful be a bigger draw.
St James’ Park’s biggest ever attendance is 68,386 for a game against Chelsea in 1930 and as recently as December, 2014 Jose has felt the true stature and power of Fortress St James as his Blues’ proud 20-game unbeaten record crashed into northern rocks.
Remarkably, he has never won a League game at St James’ Park in both spells with Chelsea totalling 5 matches now ending in 3 defeats and 2 draws.
“If you can’t beat us, join us” whispers the ghost of Sir Bobby Robson and Newcastle’s past history of national dominance…once he has scratched the Champions League itch with Chelsea ten years on that the ‘ghost goal’ at Anfield in 2005 robbed him of, Mourinho might seek pastures new-castle…
There exists the possibility that the ultimate candidate like The Special One might get special terms on Tyneside from Mike Ashley to fulfill the club’s Destiny if he was interested in the role: after he all he both promises and delivers success.
One thing The Special One certainly has in common with Newcastle United is ‘special’ treatment from the FA, Premier League and referees.
The ‘Conspiracy’ against Chelsea Jose speaks of is very real and it would be naive to believe a sport worth billions of pounds in revenue is entirely clean making the need for transparency and technology in football a 21st century essential.
Newcastle have long suffered at the hands of referees and the wrongly disallowed goal at Leicester and a penalty wrongly turned down against Southampton surely means they are due a run of ‘luck’ so I’m expecting a strong performance from Phil Dowd at Hull City tomorrow.
If Jose Mourinho could make Eva Carneiro, Chelsea’s esteemed team doctor, his first signing on arrival to reverse Newcastle perennial Premier League Injury Table supremacy, that would also be welcome, too.
Mourinho takes on Man City today as he races to another title and he is on course to be one of best football managers ever yet bringing back the trophy-laden glory days to a club starved of success and silverware since lifting The Fairs Cup in 1969 would be his greatest ever achievement.
Newcastle are facing their most important decision in a long time in summer and they need someone as truly passionate and unique as this famous club is to help it take off again – The Special One might be the catalyst the club needs just as Kenny Dalglish was and Sir Bobby Robson.
Stranger things have happened in football and certainly in Geordieland.
Always expect the unexpected when it comes to Newcastle United…
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