Often in professional football, there are conflicting paths that inspire either love or a bad feeling between two people – or perhaps a simple matter of potential.
It is more than 15 years since Jose Mourinho worked with Scott Parker in his first time as Chelsea boss, in a season that will go down in history from start to finish.
From the famous ‘special man’ news on his first day as a lead to a points record at 95 then, Portugal’s introduction into English football was very interesting but Parker, considered one of the clearest midfield opportunities in England at the time. which fell right next to the road.
Jose Mourinho worked with Scott Parker in his first season as Chelsea boss in 2004-05
But the midfielder (left) only made a handful of performances in a season of harassment for him.
Admittedly, the midfielder was signed by former Mourinho claudio Ranieri in January 2004, five months before the Bridge was built, for £ 10m.
But at 24, Parker was entering the key years of his career, after a start at Charlton that saw him succeed under Alan Curbishley in a deep career and make his debut in England, in November 2003.
However, with Mourinho replacing Ranieri, so Parker saw that his first team had few chances – and even then his fitness let him down.
Parker was not under any scrutiny – with Claude Makelele as one of the most effective defensive midfielders in Europe at the time and Tiago signed that summer to play alongside him, the England international was under -conception. Backup. Reserve.
He started just once in ten Blues opening league games – a 4-0 win against Blackburn – before knocking out a bit of the Champions League when Chelsea put up their group.
Mourinho, with a range of talent as he was satisfied, was aware of Parker’s continued frustration at being left on the sidelines, saying: ‘I can accept that the player is not happy when he is not. Parker is a senior professional and works every day in particular. ‘
Big things were expected from Parker after he signed £ 10m but things did not work out
But in mid-December, after coming on as a substitute, a catastrophe struck against Norwich when Parker broke his leg. Ten weeks later, as he was nearing the end of his career, he broke his leg again.
And that was great – not just for the season but for Parker’s career at Chelsea. He did not play again for the club, as the Blues won the League Cup and the Premier League, although he lifted the league winners medal and went into the title celebrations.
But Parker was not interested in being a backup for someone. In the summer of 2005, the club and player parted happily and moved to Newcastle for £ 6.5m.
Speaking shortly after moving up north, Parker said: ‘I didn’t play much there [at Chelsea], and when I did, especially under Mourinho, I thought I did well. But he shouldn’t have been.
Parker was a regular on the bench (left) as Chelsea emerged to the title (right) in 2004-05
Parker did not stay short for Chelsea as he moved to Newcastle for £ 6.5million in 2005
‘For one reason or another the manager did not want me at all.’
The two progressed their careers, with Parker making a glorious decision with his time playing while hopping from one club in London to the next, and Mourinho won a glut of awards throughout of Europe.
Shortly after taking over as Fulham’s head of care in 2019, Parker spoke broadly about Mourinho’s governing qualities: ‘[He’s] very honest, ruthless at times, you definitely have to have that about you. It had the potential to make you feel ten feet tall or make you feel like you did the worst thing in the world.
‘There was no middle ground in that sense. Communicating with people at the time – making people feel like a million dollars and getting the right people around. Of course everything else says a lot about it, winner. ‘
The pair are friendly because they have been against each other in recent years (pic in 2014)
Now, however, the pair will hit again in a quick-scheduled Premier League meeting.
A game that was originally scheduled for December 30 but was postponed due to Covid ‘s uprising at Fulham, he has been heavily rushed into this week’ s Premier League fixture, which worried the Fulham boss.
Fighting to survive in the relegation arena, with Mourinho with title aspirations at the other end of the table, the couple could not have had more different goals this season.
But don’t count Fulham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tomorrow night – they retained Liverpool for last month’s draw and maybe they should be away with all three.
They have also lost just once in their last six league games – against Man City – with a Parker side that Jamie Carragher saw as ‘dead certainties’ for the drop revealing a much – needed spirit in the game. this frenetic part of the season.
Mourinho (L) and Parker (R) will cross tracks again on Wednesday but this time on the handline
For Parker, coming up against Mourinho is still an interesting test of his managerial abilities: ‘It only felt like yesterday when I was a player under Jose and now I stand in the field technically with him, even though he would be a few years down in terms of being in this job, so his experience is much better.
‘This is an event I’m looking forward to and looking forward to and I can’t wait to meet him again and get my team to challenge their witches to a really great challenge.’
It is clear that mutual respect is still there. Fondness or a bad feeling? No, on this trip. That’s until it starts, when they both break for whatever they can on the handline.