Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is panicking

The outspoken “Special One” is feeling the pressure from goal machine Manchester City.

So Jose Mourinho can cast his mind back to battles in the 19th Century! I wonder if he’s as quick to recall a backs-to-the-wall performance from only four years ago?

The Chelsea boss had a dig at West Ham manager Sam Allardyce for parking the bus at Stamford Bridge in midweek and leaving with a precious point.

He reckoned the Londoners were playing 19th Century football. We don’t even have to go back to the 20th Century for a look at one of the most-determined defensive displays of all time.

In 2010, Mourhino’s Inter Milan team put the shutters up in the Nou Camp and knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League.

Throughout his career, Jose has never been against his team dropping deep to frustrate the opposition. But was it really Big Sam that Jose was upset with?

Normally, the “Special One” is the manager who has others getting hot under the collar and running to shout their frustration.

When he came back to English football at the start of this season, we were treated to the new, nicey-nicey Mourhino.

There was a smile for everyone and compliments were dished out right, left and centre. So what’s changed?

I believe, possibly for the first time in his career, Mourinho could be panicking. Manchester City are the side who have got under his skin.

While Chelsea were having 39 shots but failing to score against the Hammers, City were sweeping Spurs aside.

Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood described the Sky Blues as the best team on the planet. I’m not sure that’s true, but they’re close to it.

I expect City to get stronger as the campaign goes on, and then strengthen again in the summer. Manuel Pellegrini has turned a group of talented individuals into a goal machine that has now hit the net 69 times in the League alone. You can’t rule out a record-breaking haul of goals being recorded before the season is over.

Mourhino, on the other hand, knows his strikers aren’t of the quality he’d like and he’ll look to rectify that in the next transfer window.

Before that, Chelsea will face games like the one they had with West Ham, and you can be sure several managers will have looked at the Hammers fighting their way to a point and believing their side can do the same.

Tomorrow night Chelsea go to the Etihad Stadium. Will Mourhino be tempted to consult the Sam Allardyce handbook of defending on the road? Surely not!