The 12th Player - Media

People tend to forget that Jose Mourinho has a degree in psychology. A lot has been made of his carry on off the pitch. In press conferences and interviews, his apparent arrogance thouroughly gets under peoples skin. But there is a big difference between what Mourinho is actually thinking and the message he puts across through the media. If the words he uses in a press conference can gain the smallest advantage for what happens on the pitch, why wouldn't the consumate winner try to benefit. His Porto team benefited greatly from refereeing decisions in winning the UEFA Cup in 2004, he knows this. He could not possibly believe in some sort of refereeing conspiracy involving Barcelona, the accusation is as ludicrous as it is deliberate. The reason for making such a statement, on the eve of the semi-final of the Champions League, is so that he could get under the skin of Barcelona. Tomorrow nights game will prove if it has been successful.

Mourinho is only replicating the type of mind games Alex Ferguson has used so successfully for years. When Kevin Keegan famously imploded in an interview with Sky, his team subsequently imploded in the league table – a negative reaction induced by the goding of Ferguson. He riled Benitez who reacted by producing a petty list in a press conference. It was the first sign of cracks in Liverpools title challenge and it had nothing to do with performance. The Scot can regularly be seen scowling at a referee or fourth official, despite the veracity of the decision. Mind games take place between managers as well as managers and officials. By constantly getting in the ears of referees and match officials, and by making comments about them to the press, Ferguson attempts to get in their heads in order to gain an advantage.

Instead of analysing what managers say in press conferences in reference to the action on the pitch, media relations should be analysed by why managers say what they say. The question that needs to be asked of managers like Mourinho, Ferguson and his cohort of protegés is do they really believe their own theatrics. I would certainly like to know and given the chance I would certainly ask them. The only problem for a journalists career is that another opportunity would likely never occur again. These mind games are routinely treated as genuine opinions and statements. Thus, one hand washes the other, and as long as there is spin there will be journalists to mop it up as quality content.