The unexpectedly vehement debate on managerial turnover (under the Europa League qualification thread) has led me to thinking why exactly we have had so many managers. Lots gets blamed on the system/model/directors/owner but maybe there's a more obvious factor: Jose Mourinho.

I recently came across a nice bit of data on how many managers clubs who've previously been managed by Jose Mourinho have had since he left each one. Rather surprisingly they all appear to have had lots. Like, a LOT. Have a look:

(2000) Benfica - 10 (0.8 per year)

(2002) União Desportiva de Leiria - 16 (1.6 per year)

(2004) Porto - 7 (1 per year)

(2008) Chelsea - 4 (1 per year, more including lengthy caretakers)

(2010) Inter - 5 (2.5 per year)

Anyone got any ideas why the numbers are so high? Does Jose just set the standards so high that when new coaches don't achieve as much they feel insecure and lose it? Do the players have such high expectations for coaching and tactics that they are contemptuous of all other managers? Or are these stats not surprising to you, and reflect what's normal for managerial longevity when club directors need success to remain financialy viable?

Rather weasely, I think it's a mix of the three. Just to take the case of Benitez after Jose, he clearly suffered by comparison, particularly personality-wise (Rafa doesn't have one). It was clear he felt threatened, was defensive, and took down all the parafenalia of the Mouriho era from around the club (such as a grinning photo in the tunnel). There was a lot of love for mourinho in the dressing room from players such as Snejider who said he would have done anything for the man; Rafa again suffered by comparison. And when the results weren't immediately good, there was a bit less patience than there might have otherwise been and he was sacked pretty sharpish after having looked off balance for the preceeding months. At the same time, an average of more than 1 manager per season is not very uncommon in Italy, and these numbers are only marginally worse.

I wonder if Chelsea are only now starting to truly get over Jose as the players who trained under him get older and closer to retiring/leaving. Yet the nostalgia for Jose still remains and will do for a long time, as our next manager will soon find out.