Honest Jo

There are so many qualities to admire in Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. His self-confidence. His thoroughness. His organisational ability. His determination. His hunger for success. His sense of humour. His courage (well, you have to be brave to get a haircut like that). His modesty (yes, ‘modesty’ – have you ever stopped to think how much modesty it takes to be as ‘Special’ as he says he is?).

And then there’s the question of his patent honesty, evidence of which shines forth from every interview and press conference. The insistence that, having offered around £16-17.5 million for Arsenal’s Ashley Cole, Chelsea would not be held to ransom and will not under any circumstances increase their bid by so much as a single pound. The reassurance that, despite rumours to the contrary, he doesn’t have any kind of problem with Liverpool boss Raffa Benitez – even though, he implies, the reverse may be the case. And the conviction that Chelsea are never knowingly beaten – not fairly at any rate.

Time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – even at the richest club in the world, you simply can’t put a price on honesty like that.