“You’re not special any more,” crowed those with a cockerel on their chests. Mourinho stayed calm, stayed focused and intervened at half-time, making the changes that turned the tide here at White Hart Lane.
If the opening 45 minutes, and particularly the build-up to Gylfi Sigurdsson’s goal, highlighted Spurs’ exciting progress under Andre Villas-Boas, events after the break provided a reminder of Mourinho’s undimmed alchemist qualities, not to mention supplying a riposte to Spurs’ sceptical choirs. He has made mistakes on his return to English football, not least the bewildering decision to loan Romelu Lukaku to Everton and that agenda-driven, forward-free system at Old Trafford, but Mourinho still possesses the ability to reclaim the initiative from the rival dug-out.
It was not simply the introduction of Juan Mata for the overwhelmed John Obi Mikel that gave Chelsea more creativity and eventually a deserved point when the Spaniard provided the free-kick assist for John Terry’s headed equaliser. It was Mourinho’s switch of Ramires into central midfield that also paid off. Chelsea finally had somebody standing up to Paulinho and Moussa Dembélé and staring down Christian Eriksen. Chelsea were not on the back foot any more. They had more belief and balance.
The half-time tweak has become almost a signature move of Mourinho’s career. In his first spell as Chelsea coach, Mourinho made some significant decisions at the midway point of some matches. Some were changes of personnel. Some were changes of positioning. In 2007 Michael Essien went right for the second half against Valencia and scored and Mikel replaced a struggling Claude Makelele against Porto and restored order.
Mourinho’s boldness at the break can backfire. In 2005, the press box at St James’ Park buzzed with incredulity when the Chelsea manager played all his cards in an FA Cup tie. Chelsea were trailing 1-0 to Newcastle United but nobody expected Mourinho’s dramatic response. Geremi, Joe Cole and Tiago were taken off.
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