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Pressure Power Rankings: Mourinho's Chelsea seat gets even hotter
A fascinating weekend of European football is nearly upon us, but for some in positions of great power, it could be a Halloween horror show. "The Special One" Jose Mourinho faces "The Normal One" Jurgen Klopp after Chelsea's latest setback, a League Cup exit. Louis van Gaal is sick and tired of questions about Wayne Rooney, but the England striker remains in the crosshairs for Manchester United given his recent club form.
Out-of-form strikers outside of England, a title-winning manager and much more crack our top 10 of those facing the pressure across Europe as the winter nights draw in and another Champions League matchday looms on the horizon. Behold, our latest Pressure Power Rankings:
10. IFK Norrkoping
Swedish club
. IFK Norrkoping
Swedish club
9. Alexandre Lacazette
Lyon forward
. Alexandre Lacazette
Lyon forward
8. Julian Nagelsmann
Hoffenheim U-19 manager
The man who Tim Weise nicknamed "Baby Mourinho" then coached Hoffenheim to the Under-19 league title in 2013, and to runner-up in 2015. It is second in the table eight games into this season. Bayern wanted to recruit him this summer, and sporting director Alexander Rosen’s succession planning seems like reward for his loyalty. Nagelsmann played down the obvious story that he will be the youngest Bundesliga coach in history and, like an old dog, said the most important game was the next one. That’s against Greuther Furth's U-19s.
7. Tom Fox
Aston Villa CEO
. Tom Fox
Aston Villa CEO
6. Diego Costa
Chelsea forward
Costa has only scored twice for the Blues in the league this season, and faces a fitness test but is expected to start against Skrtel with a broken rib. His bullying style is unplayable when he is on form, but when he is not, (i.e. this season) he comes across as a petulant child with no sense of fair play. Skrtel will be looking forward to the challenge.
5. Nicolas Nkoulou
Marseille defender
He has played alongside three different center backs this season and was relegated to the bench in last week’s Europa League loss at Sporting Braga. He is 25, his contract is up next summer and his price is dropping fast.
4. Nuno Espirito Santo
Valencia manager
Most of the summer budget was spent on making permanent the loans of Mendes players like Andre Gomes and Rodrigo Moreno, and last week’s loss at Atletico Madrid showed the gulf that Valencia has to make up to replicate fourth again. Fans have called for Nuno to leave, as he is their lightning-rod for the frustration at the Lim/Mendes partnership. A derby win will at least get them off his back, even if it is only temporarily.
3. Wayne Rooney
Manchester United forward
“The hardest thing to coach is scoring goals and creativity,” he told the BBC. “I was at the derby on Sunday and Rooney’s movement was brilliant but when he’s playing in that team there’s no one prepared to pass to him. I think after 20 minutes you’d be tearing your hair out.”
. Wayne Rooney
Manchester United forward
“The hardest thing to coach is scoring goals and creativity,” he told the BBC. “I was at the derby on Sunday and Rooney’s movement was brilliant but when he’s playing in that team there’s no one prepared to pass to him. I think after 20 minutes you’d be tearing your hair out.”
2. Massimiliano Allegri
Juventus manager
Allegri has kept Juventus ‘in retiro’–a training-camp–this week to focus on the Turin game. It’s the first for Juventus since the days of Luigi De Neri back in 2010. Allegri is being proactive in his efforts to improve results: he will revert to a 4-3-3 system. But will it be Mandzukic or Dybala who starts with Morata and Juan Cuadrado?
1. Jose Mourinho
Chelsea manager
Chelsea has slightly improved performances in the last two games and after Saturday’s tie against Liverpool, Chelsea has a more comfortable run of games (including Norwich, Bournemouth, Leicester, Sunderland and Watford). Still, Liverpool will be desperate to push Mourinho over the edge; he has been a hate figure for the Reds ever since the 2005 Carling Cup final, and few have forgotten Chelsea’s role in Liverpool’s collapse in 2014, when a mostly reserve side won at Anfield to dent its title hopes.
GALLERY: The many faces of Jose Mourinho
The Many Faces of Jose Mourinho
A journalist, broadcaster and consultant, Ben Lyttleton also wrote the book on PKs with his “Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Penalty Kick.”