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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Speical One Jose Mourinho: No Manager Is Better Than Me


The Speical One Jose Mourinho: No Manager Is Better Than Me

Inter coach Jose Mourinho admits that he is not the ‘special one’ but he is the best as he believes no-one is better than him.
The Portuguese coach was labelled as ‘Special’ by the English media when he gave his first press conference at Chelsea in 2004.

The name has stuck with him and the Italians have also referred to him as being the ‘Special One’.

However, Mourinho doesn’t believe he is should be hailed in that way but he does insist that he is better than any other coach around the world.

“I arrived in London and I said ‘I was a normal coach, coaching a special group’, the next day I became the special one,” Mourinho told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

“I wouldn’t call myself special. Maybe I am not the best in the world but I do think that no coach is better than me.”


Wenger's motivational tips reveal

A motivational sheet handed out to Arsenal players ahead of their game with Bolton has been leaked.

While managers like Jose Mourinho and Sam Allardyce famously overload their players with details of opposition players and ProZone stats, this document is a simple A4 sheet of just 224 words.

The document was apparently drafted by a sports psychologist and was designed to motivate a team that had already played two difficult away games in the space of a few days.

Emphasis is firmly placed on the 'team' and advices the players to 'stay grounded and humble as a player and a person'.

The full advice is as follows...

CONFIDENTIAL

Team meeting 19th September 2008-09-22:

The team:

* A team is as strong as the relationships within it. The driving force of a team is its member's ability to create and maintain excellent relationships within the team that can add an extra dimension and robustness to the team dynamic.

* This attitude can be used by our team to focus on the gratitude and the vitally important benefits that the team brings to our own lives. It can be used to strengthen and deepen the relationships with it and maximise the opportunities that await a strong and united team.

Our team becomes stronger by:

* Displaying a positive attitude on and off the pitch

* Everyone making the right decisions for the team

* Have an unshakeable belief that we can achieve our target

* Believe in the strength of the team

* Always want more - always give more

* Focus on our communication

* Be demanding with yourself

* Be fresh and well prepared to win

* Focus on being mentally stronger and always keep going until the end

* When we play away from home, believe in our identity and play the football we love to play at home

* Stick together

* Stay grounded and humble as a player and a person

* Show the desire to win in all that you do

* Enjoy and contribute to all that is special about being in a team - don't take it for granted

Friday, September 12, 2008

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard passed fit

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard have handed Liverpool a major boost and have been passed fit to play against Manchester United at Anfield on Saturday.

Fernando Torres limped off against Aston Villa.

The key duo came through a training session on Friday in a bid to prove their fitness for the Premier League showdown.

"They are both much better," confirmed manager Rafa Benitez.

"They came through a full training session this morning. It wasn't a very hard session, but they will both be in the squad.

"It's important for us to have these two players of quality who can change a game. I'm not surprised they are available because the medical staff have done a good job and the players have been working really hard with the physios to get fit."

Reds' skipper Gerrard recently underwent groin surgery, while striker Torres has been hampered by a hamstring strain picked up against Aston Villa a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano has warned his Liverpool team-mates that a win against Sir Alex Ferguson's reigning champions is essential in their bid to prove they have serious title credentials.

"This is a very important period, we have a lot of important games coming up after the international break - especially the first one against United," said Mascherano.

"More than three points ride on these games as it proved when we lost at home to United last season.

"It's a match we need to win if we want to compete for the title. We can do that and push for honours. The fans deserve it."


Source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=571452&sec=england&&cc=4716