Ian McGarry says Chelsea must not let the 'Jose Mourinho factor' distract them against Inter Milan.
Blues must stick to game-plan on high-octane occasion
Chelsea's players cannot afford to be distracted by the 'Jose Mourinho factor' when they take on Inter Milan in Tuesday's Champions League second leg.
So says Ian McGarry of
The Sun, who is backing the Blues to overcome their 2-1 first leg deficit and progress in the competition so long as they stay focused amid the hubbub of Mourinho's eagerly-awaited Stamford Bridge return.
"The big danger for Chelsea is if they actually play the occasion and not the game because this is a very winnable football match for Chelsea," McGarry told
Sunday Supplement.
"I don't think we saw anything in the first leg that suggested Chelsea cannot beat Inter Milan at home.
"But if they get overawed by the whole Mourinho factor and the fact that the crowd will doubtless sing Mourinho's name [it could be different].
Concentrate
"Mourinho will try his best to have some humility, in which he will fail terribly. He'll come out and applaud the crowd and they will sing his name joyously.
"And you know what? He deserves it because of what he did. Frank Lampard describes him as the most important manager in Chelsea's history because of where he took the club from to where they are now.
"It wouldn't have been possible without Mourinho. But I genuinely think that the players, the fans and even Carlo Ancelotti himself have to get rid of that as soon as they can.
"As soon as the bows are taken and the applause has been given, forget it and concentrate on your game-plan because I think they played the occasion against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge and lost 4-2.
"They can't do it again - this is too important a game. I think the players are very level-headed that way."
Weaknesses
McGarry added: "Mourinho knows his team is less than Chelsea and that they are coming up against a team who actually should beat them.
"What will be very interesting is that if Chelsea go a goal or two up, he is going to have to do what he used to - go 3-5-2 or 2-2-2-1-2 like he used to do with Chelsea.
"He won't be able to resist the opportunity to show off and say 'you know what? This is what you are missing with me because this guy (Ancelotti) plays the same way every week. He is the best reactive coach I have ever seen.
"Mourinho knows where Chelsea's weaknesses are; it's whether he can convince his players to exploit them in order to get the away goal that would make this very difficult indeed.
"If Chelsea can keep a clean sheet they'll win and go through but I can actually see it being 2-1 on the night to Chelsea and it going all of the way to penalties. That would be something else!"
Loyal
Although Mourinho left the Blues back in September 2007, McGarry stressed that the 47-year-old remains an iconic figure whose name - unlike that of present boss Carlo Ancelotti - will be chanted by many fans.
"Chelsea have a very loyal set of fans to their own and Mourinho has never been seen as anything but their own because he was sacked," he said.
"He didn't leave the club, he wasn't a traitor. This is the first time that he has come back in the dug-out. I think the jury is out (on Ancelotti). He hasn't won anything yet. When Mourinho came he won the Carling Cup.
"He came with a very big reputation and with a lot of expectation. He was a man who won the Champions League with AC Milan - twice.
"But interestingly in eight years at AC Milan he won one league title. Mourinho's been at Inter for two years and won two already!"
