Sporting Thought

Jose Mourinho’s long-awaited return to Chelsea flies in the face of all logic – be it in football or in personal relationships, the general rule for life is never to go back to an ex. Mourinho’s new four-year contract is an extraordinary commitment, one that many suspect will not last the duration, but the intention is clear – things will be different this time, they promise! Let’s have a look at some managers that tried to re-create the old magic.

Titus Bramble’s career has been a rollercoaster – one that began with the promise of full England honours as he was touted as one of the most talented young centre-backs of his generation. So why does he find himself without a club at the still relatively young age of 31?

Manuel Pellegrini is seemingly days away from being announced as Man City’s new manager, after a long and protracted saga, in which Roberto Mancini has already been the victim. In City’s world of heightened expectations, coming only second in the league was certainly a disappointment, but Mancini’s continued Champions league failure was a key factor in his departure. Can Pellegrini give the Mancunians a debut knock-out stage appearance?

Roberto Martinez, despite Wigan’s relegation, has become one of the country’s most eligible managerial bachelors, thanks in no small part to an FA Cup win over the riches of Manchester City. However, it wasn’t long ago that the 39-year-old was highly-regarded for his skills on the pitch.

As people begin to flock to the beaches for our short British summer, it is a good time to look at those youngsters who honed their skills playing on the finest beaches South America has to offer. Chelsea are swooping in on one of them, with Wallace agreeing to join in July from Fluminese, but who else is getting scouting networks worldwide in a tizzy?

The transfer fees of Chelsea’s two leading strikers have had endless column inches written about them. The £50m paid for Fernando Torres has long been seen as one of the great swindles in living memory, while the reported £7m for Demba Ba is a deal relatively in-keeping with the austerity of the real world. Will either be at Stamford Bridge a year from now?

Mark Hughes famously walked out on Fulham in 2011, claiming the Cottagers didn’t match his ambition. Six months later he wound up at QPR, a recently promoted club struggling to retain their Premier League status. Ironically, Stoke City, a club Tony Pulis struggled in vain to get into the top half of the table, could be a perfect fit for Hughes.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trappatoni has of late led what many would call a charmed managerial life. Many would have thanked him and said goodnight after what was an occasionally embarrassing Euro 2012 tournament, which ended with no points and only one goal. The FAI saw fit to give him a chance to lead Ireland to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but can he do it?