Mourinho's Winning Persecution Complex Finally Catches On With Inter Players

Game: Inter vs AC Milan @ The Guisseppe Meazza (The San Siro)
Result: 2-0

Those of us who feel Leornardo ain't prime time yet can feel suitably smug. He had the entire second half against 10 men and couldn't figure out what changes to make to affect a game, where he was trailing 1-0. This isn't exactly surprising, because I think he happened onto their erstwhile winning formula, he didn’t actively design it.

Sunday Milan looked exactly the same way the looked at the start of the season: a hardworking, and isolated forward upfront achieving very little. When Leonardo happened upon Pato on the right, and another forward in the middle, things worked out because Pato is technically able to drive into the box and pull players towards him. With Beckham, no such luck because he isn't going to dribble his way into dangerous areas (not that Beckham doesn't have his uses). Beckham will always look for a back/lateral pass or a cross. So the forward, really has to battle on his own inside the box, and Borriello to his credit worked very hard, and was unlucky not convert some of the crosses. But he was facing two powerful central defenders in Samuel and Lucio, and his chances were always going to be very difficult and limited. So, what does Leonardo do: introduce Huntelaar for Ambrosini in the 81st minute. That's what.

Milan looked old and tired against 10 men, and to his credit Leonardo could see at least that much, but seemed powerless to do anything about it. Inter on the other hand finally look like a Mourinho team, they have for the past few games. They are a team that has take on their manager's personality. Mourinho manufactures circumstances that "entitle" him to a persecution complex. He then uses the perceived persecution to cultivate a defiant never-say-die spirit. All his teams at their best have taken on this Mourinho trait, top dogs fanned by an imagined sense of persecution to fight for their lives. Inter were fighting for their dear lives "from the off" on Sunday. Even Sneider's sarcastic clapping that resulted in his sending off, was the act of a persecuted man seeking mild, permissible retribution which the referee much to my amusement found completely humorless producing a red card. Inter eventually went down to 9 men and still won comfortably in the end (2-0). Milan, given an opportunity to get back in the game missed their best chance, a penalty.

Mourinho will like their chances from here, not only to win the Scudetto comfortably, but to do well in the Champions League; Chelsea have reason to be concerned. Mourinho has his team finally playing like the brave, wounded animal he models himself on. It won't be long before Inter supporters feel the same way about him and his team either.

As for Leornardo, he can take solace in that not even the chronically plagued Juve share this persecution complex. He must hope he can have Pato back soon.

UPDATE: Here's the Gurdian's Paolo Bandini take on the same match