Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the current unrest at Chelsea
over Jose Mourinho's future mirrors the situation he saw manifest
at Old Trafford, following his announcement in 2001 that he would
be retiring at the campaign's close.
Mourinho's relationship with his taskmaster Roman Abramovich
appears to have slumped to an all time low, with the pair thought
to be barely talking according to some reports.
Ferguson believes that the effect of such speculation can prove
critical, with his own experience a moot point, as United finished
outside of the top two, in the 2001-02 season, for the first time
in the Premiership.
Talk has suggested that this season could well be Mourinho's last
in West London, with Ferguson warning of the pitfalls of not
concentrating solely on the task in hand, well aware than when
focus of attention switches from on-the-field to off it, success
becomes all so elusive.
"I announced it at the start of the season and I just got a feeling
as the season progressed a lot of them were saying 'ah well, he's
not going to be here any longer...' and maybe some genuine concerns
about 'who's going to take his place?' and just a relaxation
possibly set in," Ferguson told the League Managers Association's
official website.
"But there was no doubt it had an effect and, once I decided not to
retire, there was a genuine pick up again... it's amazing."
At the heart of the current discord at Stamford Bridge is widely
believed to be the role, or rather a lack of one that Andrei
Shevchenko has to play in Mourinho's side, with Abramovich and his
manager at loggerheads over this very issue.
While Mourinho has grown exasperated by the underperforming
Ukrainian, allegedly brought to the capital on the say-so of
Abramovich, Chelsea's owner is eager for his record signing to be
given playing time.
Ferguson too believes that it is Shevchenko, who has complained
about being made a scapegoat of late, at the centre of the current
furore.
"I think that whatever has happened, the situation with Shevchenko
seems to be at the core of it," he concluded.