In Focus: Jose's Roman empire under threat

Jose Mourinho got off to a flying start as Roma manager — but he seems to have reached his first major stumbling block.

After winning his first six games in charge, the Giallorossi have failed to win five of their last eight.

Mourinho, 58, was sent off in their most recent draw against Napoli, just days after publicly criticising his squad players following a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League.

Ahead of Roma’s trip to Cagliari tonight, we examine whether the Special One’s Italian return may already be turning sour.

A new man

It was all looking rosy during Mourinho’s first months in charge after making a faultless start with six straight victories, including three in Serie A.

The Portuguese manager’s last exploits in Italy — where he led Inter Milan to a treble-winning campaign in 2009-10 — saw him greeted with respect.

And Roma's impressive opening results only strengthened fans' hopes that he could mastermind another season of success at his new home in the capital.

What is more, Mourinho himself looked to be completely revitalised by his switch following some tough years in England in charge of Manchester United and Tottenham.

After a last-gasp Stephan El Shaaraway strike earned Roma a victory in Mourinho’s 1,000th game as manager, he celebrated by sprinting down the touchline in a way that seemed a throwback to his more youthful years as a coach.

After that win, he said: "It was a match with a special number for me and I always wanted to remember a match like this for my 1,000th game. Extraordinary game, a tremendous emotion.

"Today I am not 58 but 14, when you start dreaming of a career in football."

Under the bus

But it has not been as plain sailing since then.

Defeats to Hellas Verona, Lazio and Juventus have followed and Roma's last result in the Europa Conference League will have been the most concerning — for the manager’s reaction as much as the result.

After Mourinho’s men were humiliated in a 6-1 defeat by Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt, he decided to take aim at his players.

After making nine changes for the game, he bemoaned the lack of depth in his squad, essentially suggesting many of those he fielded were not good enough.

The former Chelsea boss said: "I decided to play with this line-up, so the responsibility is mine.

 "I did it with good intentions, to give an opportunity to those who work hard and to rotate the squad on a synthetic pitch in cold weather.

"I never disguised the fact we were a squad with real limitations. We have 13 players who represent one team, the others are on a different level. 

"We lost against a team that showed more quality on the night. It’s that simple."

The result prompted a strong reaction from the under-fire coach.

Amadou Diawara, Borja Mayoral, Gonzalo Villar and Bryan Reynolds were all omitted entirely against Napoli, while Mourinho has also not included them for the trip to Cagliari.

The move has led Diawara’s agent Daniele Piraino to accuse the spiky coach of creating an uncomfortable atmosphere at the club.

Piraino said: "I don't understand the message he's trying to get across.

"Is Diawara being made a scapegoat? Is he being made to pay a heavy price for an error? Or is it an attempt to force the club into acting in the transfer market?

"If it is for these reasons, rather than just poor fitness, or he feels the player is unable to understand the tactical requirements of the coach, then I think Mourinho is creating an uncomfortable situation."

The goalless draw that ended Napoli’s 100% record in Serie A this season could well have been seen as a positive.

But after his heated gestures towards officials at the Stadio Olimpico, Mourinho’s red card became the main talking point and did little to improve the mood around the club.

Pattern emerging

This is not the first time Mourinho has been accused of turning on his team — and it has not ended well previously.

At Old Trafford, Mourinho had several run-ins with Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba, while he also publicly criticised his players prior to his Tottenham and Chelsea sackings.

These clashes are often looked past when results are going well, as they were for a time at those three clubs.

But when things start to go badly, it is usually the first port of call for criticism — and evidence suggests the same pattern is developing at Roma.

Credit in the bank

That said, Mourinho has enough credit in the bank to still ensure his time in the Italian capital is a happy one.

He is regarded highly for previous exploits and a few bad results are unlikely to change that.

Only in May, one Italian publication hailed Mourinho's appointment as "a special coup that will relaunch the club, the city and Italian football".

That support does not vanish overnight and he still has plenty of time to live up to his reputation.

Furthermore, a draw against Napoli and a narrow 1-0 defeat to Juventus — two of Serie A’s toughest teams — are hardly results that should cause panic.

And while he may have reservations about his squad, two of his signings — Tammy Abraham and Rui Patricio — have impressed so far, giving reason to suggest Mourinho can mould the squad in his image given time.

After finishing seventh last season under Paulo Fonseca, it would be hard to complain about Roma still being in fourth — where they are now — come the end of the campaign.

But already 12 points off top, those who were hoping the Giallorossi may achieve more under the two-time Champions League winner this season may be left disappointed.