Mourinho’s woes are a Godsend for Davie Moyes

The day Jose Mourinho sauntered back into Stamford Bridge in the summer, he looked like a man without a care in the world.

The old confidence was there, bordering on arrogance, and Chelsea were automatically installed as many people’s favourites to win the Premier League.

Already, the honeymoon is over.

After the Blues’ Champions League defeat to FC Basel their third loss on the bounce Mourinho’s pre-season poise seemed to crumble.

Questions were asked about the Portuguese’s lack of striking options, and about his apparent refusal to play Juan Mata, last season’s club Player of the Year.

Reports have since surfaced of a training ground crisis meeting between Mourinho and his players, who seem to be struggling with the way their new manager wants them to play.

That’s all very worrying stuff if you’re a Chelsea fan but their rivals will be lapping it up.

And for one man in particular, I think Mourinho’s problems have been a Godsend.

If Davie Moyes had taken over at Manchester United in any other year, he would have been the very centre of attention.

His every word, every gesture and every decision would have been highlighted, for better or for worse. The pressure would have been near intolerable.

As it is, this year troubled times elsewhere first at Arsenal and now at Chelsea have drawn the Press Pack away from Old Trafford and allowed Davie to get on without too much scrutiny.

You can bet he’ll be grateful about that.

Think about it. Today is the Manchester derby, one of the biggest fixtures in world football.

It’s also Moyes’ first in charge of United and Manuel Pellegrini’s first in charge of City, which makes it even more important.

Yet all week, the story has been Mourinho, Mourinho, Mourinho, and yesterday’s unconvincing 2-0 defeat of Fulham won’t have eased the pressure too much.

He’s been criticised for signing Samuel Eto’o, for sending Romelu Lukaku on loan to Everton, for dropping John Terry in Europe and for ignoring Juan Mata.

For the Press, it’s been gold. For Moyes, even though he probably hasn’t given it much thought, it’s been just as good.

But when you’re the new manager of Manchester United, you’re only ever a few bad results away from a shoeing.

So while nobody is gunning for Davie just yet, I’m not naive enough to think things can’t change.

Arsene Wenger was first in the crossfire, now it’s Mourinho’s turn.

The freedom that has afforded Moyes to go about his work at Old Trafford has been unexpected.

And hopefully it has helped him get enough of a head-start to avoid the snipers’ sights going forward.