Talker Mourinho gets it spot on

It’s good to talk, just ask Jose Mourinho. The Inter Milan boss was taunted by Barcelona fans who called him “The Translator” in the build up to Wednesday night’s Champions League final semi-final second leg.

And although he did plenty of chatting before the kick off, as so often happens he had the last laugh. Once again, the former Chelsea chief got his tactics spot on – even with ten men – as his Inter side stifled Barcelona and went through to the final 3-2 on aggregate.

It was a remarkable achievement to topple the cup holders, who looked almost unbeatable after demolishing Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

But Inter, led by the Special One, were in no mood to allow Lionel Messi to roam free and their efforts were admirable. The players deserve huge credit, but so does the man who has moulded them into a tightly-knit group.
Mourinho has the ability to get the best out of the best players – his man-management is second to none. He thrives on being the underdog and generally seems to be able to rally his teams together.

But it is his deep communication with his players which is key, as it should be. Remember, he was Bobby Robson’s interpreter at the Nou Camp in the late 90s so clearly knows a thing or two about getting a message across. He has an unrivalled knack of generating a team bond and talking is a key component of that.

Mourinho never stopped gesticulating to his players and encouraging them to communicate during the game at the Nou Camp, he also had several words for his opposite number Josep Guiardiola and the referee.

In the build-up to the game he had plenty to say about the Catalan giants’ “obsession” with reaching the final at the Bernabeu – the home of bitter their rivals Real Madrid.

He’s a past master at talking, his mind games are unrivalled and we can only assume his team talks and motivational speeches are of the same inspirational quality.