Jose Mourinho has once again dipped into his seemingly-endless collection of metaphors, now comparing Manchester City to a Jaguar sports car.
The Portuguese has no equal in the art of worming his way into opponents’ heads, and Manuel Pellegrini last week fell right into his snares by rising to it.
It is like trying to pick a fist-fight with a heavyweight boxer and sure enough Pellegrini’s jibes about Chelsea’s style were followed by his perfect home record being burst by arguably the performance of the season.
The comments had more than a whiff of those made in years gone by, such as Kevin Keegan’s famous ‘I would love it’ rant and Rafa Benitez’ bizarre attack on rival Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009, the previous king of psychology.
Needless to say both ended their respective seasons at Newcastle and Liverpool empty-handed.
Ironically, since he made those remarks, the Citizens have only managed five shots on target in two games – hardly champagne football.
You would think the Chilean would know better than try to fire cheap shots at his league rival, considering that he has beaten Mourinho just once out of ten attempts in England and Spain.
After watching the former Real Madrid boss jump into the Stamford Bridge crowd after their last-minute winner in November, Pellegrini said he didn’t want focus to be on the fractious pair.
However you get the feeling that if City were to go on and win the title, one of the sweetest elements for Pellegrini would be finally getting one over on the man who is quickly becoming his nemesis.
But that, of course, would not bother Mourinho, whose ‘little horses’ are rank outsiders to get their hands on any silverware.
Anyone with half a brain cell knows as well as he does this is a complete lie but it is a secure safety net should they lose out, and Mourinho will continue to play the act superbly.
What is true is that Mourinho is trying to start a project of longevity and if they do miss out this time around, the team will still be in a strong position next season.
By lavishing praise on a club that spent £100million in the summer because success in the short-term was essential, he has added a new dimension to City’s game: fear.
Suddenly the domineering bursts of Yaya Toure seem more hesitant, the needle-threading balls from David Silva aren’t quite finding their target and Alvaro Negredo resembles a tamed beast.
Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho, the headline names of a mounting injury list, should both be back by the end of the month but they could be effectively out of two competitions by then.
They cannot afford any more blows as they have no home games against their rivals but still have to go to Arsenal, United, Liverpool and Everton.
Pellegrini will therefore be grateful their away form has improved but he must find a way of rediscovering their ruthless side.
With City in fantasy football land a fortnight ago, he has sensibly grounded his squad by expressing caution and stating a blip was inevitable, a valid point Mourinho used in patiently waiting for his chance to turn up the heat.
The good news is every remaining home game is not only winnable, but winnable by large margins, and you sense more cricket scores are what they need to reinvigorate belief in toppling the Special One.
Pellegrini must become a verbal pacifist towards this Mediterranean genius – it’s a fight he will not win – and instead let his side’s football speak for him.
Do that and Mourinho would suddenly be under huge pressure to deliver the 2015 Premier League as promised and avoid becoming yet another manager whose fairy tale return never went to plan.
Do that and Pellegrini might just have finally cracked him.
Image courtesy of Sky Sports, via YouTube, with thanks.
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