My biggest fan...

How could you refuse that grin?

Farewell special one!

There you have it. The most successful manager in Chelsea's history gets the chop, the next victim in the Kings Road version of "my egos bigger than yours."

The 'special one', voted FIFA's international coach of the year in 2004 & 2005 quit Chelski ' by mutual consent.' Such is the man's following esteem, that if there were no Rafa at Pool I'd be screaming for Jose to be given the hotseat.

An open letter to Chelsea fans on the clubs website said: "Early this morning we announced that Chelsea and Jose Mourinho had agreed to part company by mutual consent.

"The key phrase here is that there was mutual agreement. Jose did not resign and he was not sacked.

"What is clear, though, is we had all reached a point where the relationship between the club and Jose had broken down.

"This was despite genuine attempts over several months by all parties to resolve certain differences.

"The reason the decision has been taken is that we believed the breakdown started to impact on the performance of the team and recent results supported this view."
Abramovich may have the capital to hide behing underlings (Kenyon, Buck, Tenenbaum), but it doesn't take a genius to work out that his love affair with his 'boy' Shevchenko (labelled a dressing room spy) and the gamble on Ballack (Mourinho was not keen on these two) heralded the recent change in Chelsea's fortunes. You would not get such boardroom interference at any successful and well run club and if we look at the major football dynasties we'd find that suces was built on a foundation of 'one' man in charge, supported by a whole host of experts; Shankly, Busby, Clough, Stein, Paisley, Fergie, Wenger, Benitez, Rijkaard, Ancellotti, Lippi, Hitzfeld... On the same subject of Chelsea being a big club - You're having a laugh aren't you. If Man U were playing Anorthosis Famagusta in a Intertoto playoff they'd have 67,000 at the theatre dreams. Chelsea had half the stadium empty on a Champions League night!!!

You can now picture the scene. 'Bodge up' Spurs sack big Martin, and get Jose. He might have an ego the size of Oz, but could anyone realistically see the best manager in the world at the Lane? I think Mourinho's Chelsea departure has set a cataclysmic chain reaction around the world of football with the start being Bernd Schuster's possible sacking at Real. Why not? Capello was sacked for having the temerity to revive Becks career and win the primera Liga! Next up is big Phil, who's Portugal national team contract ends with Euro 2008. I think this may be a tad to early for Jose. Then there's Soho. Had it not been for the emergence of Heskey as a giant in the game, we could have had Brian barwick and the men in white coats beating a path to the Mourinho pad. Then there's Barca, Inter and Shhh whisper it! Could he replace Ranieri for the second time in his career by taking over the affairs of the 'Old Lady?'Another interesting factor will be the reaction of senior players, Terry, Lampard, Makelele and Drogba - who has made it clear the Jose is the reason for him staying. This is where Avram Grant will have to earn his corn - can a good cop number 2 step into the breach of club enforcer? I say no and the best current example is Sammy lee at Bolton.

Like or loathe, Jose is aman of the people, the vivid image sketched in my head is of the great man chucking his premiershio medal to the Chelsea faithful. the next manager's role is two fold; beat Jose's track record, and surpass his popularity amongst the supporters. I believe the latter will be the more difficult but will be made easier with the capture of silverware.

I tipped the blues as Premiership champions this year - Chelsea's loss? You couldn't begin to describe it.

Jose's statement...

Ramadan Fast Colors Spain's La Liga

"Those who know Islam understand that fasting empowers and does not weaken the Muslim," Kanoute says.

By Al-Amin Andalusi, IOL Correspondent

BARCELONA — Muslim stars in giant teams at the Spanish League (La Liga) are the talk of the city, but this time not because of their breathtaking performance but rather their religion.
Spanish dailies have for days been splashing headlines about the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Spanish courts.

FC Barcelona's fans are wondering if their favorite players Yaya Toure, Eric Abidal and Lilian Thuram are fasting or not.

Read on...

Down memory lane...

East End family - Most of the Bangladeshis that were invited to the UK to fill the job void eventually went back home to get married, whilst a few met and married in the East End. In the pic are Keith Ullah Roberts (far right, his Dad ( Far left), Mum Gladys, cousin and uncle.

Madeleine McCann - Lay off the parents!

Portuguese police believe that Mrs McCann killed Madeleine accidentally with a sedative overdose, and then hid the body. I've had enough and I'm sticking my head above the parapet here. No way can I accept that the parents had anything to do with this. This is the most horrible accusation that can be attributed to any person and I would not wish such an ordeal on my worst enemy.

The case is scarily in danger of echoing the case of the disappearance of Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain or the death of JonBenet Ramsay, whose parents became the chief suspects after her unsolved murder in the US in 1996.

I share the same birthday as little Madeleine and as a parent of three I cannot accept the ridiculous suggestion that the parents were involved in her disappearance. I'd like to request the idiots posting hate messages on the web to lay off. Do'nt you people have rubbish to take out or something?

I also saw this article and immediately thought - "Who will watch the watchers?"

Website...

Colleague takes a tumble (lol)

Man! I just saw a mate at work pull a right circus act. She tripped so artistically, you would have thought it was synchronised or choreographed. (J Lo - eat your heart out) I didn't laugh too much though as she could have been real hurt. Still ... funny though!

My book - the Greatest Game on earth...

My books made it into the Barking Citizen.