"Contemplating Mourinho and Wenger, it is hard not to be reminded of Metternich and Talleyrand, the masterly 19th-century Austrian and French diplomats whose rivalry and gamesmanship was so intense that, upon hearing Talleyrand had died, Metternich replied: "Yes. But what did he mean by it?" Even had Mourinho's card contained nothing more than the words "Happy Christmas, Best Wishes Jose Mourinho", it is perfectly possible to imagine Wenger poring dementedly over it and screaming: "Yes. BUT WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY IT??"
It seems odd that whenever people suggest a three-week break in the Premiership over Christmas, they always do so thinking of the players. That both the Arsenal and Chelsea managers could use some sort of holiday seems clear. But somehow the former's paranoia makes him the more obvious candidate for spending his in one of those Swiss places that are euphemistically known as rest facilities. As each new detail emerges of how Mourinho's antics affect him, Wenger's behaviour increasingly resembles that of Chief Inspector Dreyfus in the Pink Panther movies. His developing a nervous tic now seems inevitable.
One can quite understand how much Mourinho's schtick would send him off the dial...
All of which has made the card itself - a child's drawing, since reproduced in several newspapers - seem an unlikely object of menace, like one of those nursery rhymes recited in horror movies. The more you look at this cheery little snowman in his Chelsea strip, apparently drawn by a nine-year-old, the more it takes on the character of a Trojan horse, delivered to Highbury with the express purpose of sending Wenger round the twist.
Indeed, the longer one considers it, the more uncertain reality seems. Perhaps it was not drawn by a nine-year-old at all. Perhaps it was simply designed to look like it was drawn by one, when in fact it is the handiwork of a manipulative rogue psychologist and teems with destructive subliminal messages. And yet, that way madness lies. With this business, the one thing we can detect with absolute, cast-iron certainty is a hint of the under-10s."
I suppose peace and goodwill are out of the question?
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