Jose Mourinho - The People's Coach

“It’s not important how we play. If you have a Ferrari and I have a small car, to beat you in a race I have to break your wheel or put sugar in your tank”

Jose Mourinho is arguably one of the most successful managers in the world, consistently winning the biggest trophies wherever he goes. Mourinho, on the other hand, is known for his arrogance and "mind games" with the opposition. His mind games are undoubtedly psychological, as he uses his head to play games with the opposition before the game even begins. Football is about more than just what happens on the field; it is also about the psychology of the game, the emotions of the players, team morale, how the manager motivates his players, and so on.

Mourinho's methods have been heavily criticized in the past and continue to be so, particularly his man-management. In the past, wherever he has gone to manage, he has never stayed at a club for more than three seasons. This is because there is a consistent trend in his team's morale and performance, which correlates positively. In his first season at a club, he will usually lay the groundwork for the team he wants, keeping some of the fringe players to see if he needs them or not.

Mourinho typically does not win the domestic title at the end of his first season, but he does win trophies. Following the first season, Mourinho will clear out most of the team's deadwood and bring in new players to transform the team into a "title-winning side." Winning a championship requires not only being the best team on the field but also having a strong mentality and never believing you've won or lost until the final whistle blows. Mourinho's teams are known for having strong mentalities.

Managing the Team:

Mourinho's strategy is straightforward: "my way or get out." He will not change his methods for specific players and has only one method for managing his players. While this can sometimes elicit a reaction from players and motivate them, it can also undermine their self-esteem and turn them against Mourinho. He manipulates his players' emotions and motivation to keep them working, and he employs a variety of methods to improve their performance.

He wants every player he has to play for him, to give their all for him. If their performance begins to deteriorate, Mourinho will quickly phase the player out of the starting eleven, dropping the player on numerous occasions before the player makes his exit from the team. This can be seen in the case of Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Mkhitaryan started his second season at Manchester United in fine form, providing numerous assists and being one of the team's first players. When it came to playing against the top six teams, and Manchester United was missing Paul Pogba, Mkhitaryan failed to step up, and as a result of that drop in performance, Mourinho dropped him for a number of match days and eventually sold him to Arsenal.

Psychological Games:?

Mourinho enjoys playing mind games and incorporates them into his game plans. Mourinho makes controversial statements in his feud with Antonio Conte that aren't necessarily directed at anyone. For example, when asked about his desire to win during a press conference in early January, Mourinho stated, "I prefer to behave the way I'm doing it." Much more mature, which is better for the team and for myself. I don't think you have to act like a crazy guy on the sidelines to be passionate." Jose Mourinho didn't say anything controversial at first, simply claiming that he's matured as a person and manager, which someone took as a dig: at Antonio Conte. Conte assumed Mourinho was mocking him because he runs around the touchline and shows a lot of passion, but Mourinho never specifically mentioned Conte in that statement.

Jose Mourinho is one of the few managers in football who places a high value on psychology and employs it on a daily basis. Even though his man-management techniques are occasionally dubious and his methods only yield short-term results, he can predict the outcome of a game based solely on the comments he makes beforehand, which can cast doubt on the opposition's mind.

Conclusion:

Psychology plays an important role in all walks of life. Understanding people is crucial to getting the best out of them, in order to help them win and achieve dreams as a result. But, winning doesn't just feel good;?it is also important in shaping people's lives. Every species has a hierarchy, and your place within it determines your health, mental function, and mood. As a result, winning is more important than a good feeling because it benefits our development and quality of life.

- Behavioural Foresight