Mourinho

Only through the course of this season have I really witnessed first-hand - thanks to the live screening of premiership matches every week here in Singapore - the brilliance of Jose Mourinho as a person, manager, and leader of the Chelsea "pehnomenon".

Make no mistake, it certainly takes a man with supreme confidence (or arrogance) to do the things he did and say the things he said.

But deep down inside at a fundamental level, I somehow feel all the things he has done was all calculated. Most notably, him being the star of Chelsea - so that all news and media is on HIM (and he can certainly handle all that!) as opposed to on his own players. Why have I seldom read reports of Chelsea players' scandals or linkages with other clubs? Perhaps it's because the media is so focused on him. A deliberate decision on his part - and a damn good one I must admit!

Contrast that to other clubs, most notably Benitez's Liverpool, who prefers to quietly go about doing his job - and look at how many times Steven Gerrard and even Milan Baros is on the sport headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Behold - we are looking at not only an exceptional manager, but a truly amazing leader in his own right!