Well I knew this day would come. I could never forgive Pellegrini for his 'Small Team' jibe against Chelsea last year and, as if that wasn't enough, insulting other teams in the league like Stoke along the way. Some of Mourinho's comments might seem 'other worldly' at times but you could never accuse him of insulting other teams or players. On the contrary, he generally heaps praise on other teams and players if they do well against him - take Bradford for instance.
'MANUEL Pellegrini described title rivals Chelsea as a "small team", comparing their playing style with Stoke City during a bad-tempered end to their 1-1 draw that had Jose Mourinho accusing Pellegrini of double standards'.
Pellegrini: "You are playing like a small team Jose"
Mourinho: "Do I look bothered? Let's see who's 'small' at the end of the season."
Pellegrini was obviously frustrated by the Etihad result not to mention the mauling they got the previous season when Chelsea won there. Then of course there is the fact that Mourinho took Pellegrini's job at Real Madrid...but you have to be 'bigger' than that as a manager.
The point is not every team has a squad like
Man City. A squad that in my view is more powerful, has more depth of quality players and has more experience than any team in the league. They can afford to attack every team they come across - or so you would think.
Yet tactically and mentally they appear to have gone to pieces. They are a shadow of their former selves. They really have a become a 'small team' in the true sense of the word. Players should stand up but Pellegrini must shoulder most of the blame.
Maybe next time he'll choose his words more carefully and not be blinded by personal rivalry.
Moving on, it will be an interesting few weeks in the Premiership. I can see Manchester Utd. , Arsenal and maybe even Liverpool getting a result against Chelsea - who are far from their best. The thing is with Chelsea is that Mourinho probably isn't even thinking about beating those teams. He'll just want a draw against each of them to stop them closing the gap. That will probably be enough to win him the title.
