Paul Parker Slams Jose Mourinho, Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta and More

Former Chelsea and Manchester United defender Paul Parker has launched a scathing attack on Blues manager Jose Mourinho, comparing the Portuguese to a cowardly child in a school playground.

In his column for Eurosport, Parker touched upon recent comments made by Mourinho in reference to former Blues left-back Graeme Le Saux, and certainly didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Chelsea boss’ conduct on the sidelines:

It's horrible to see. Mourinho had actually gone out of the spotlight a little bit in the last few weeks, and there was a part of me that wondered if he'd finally realised that silence is golden, and that a manager can act with dignity and respect. Obviously, that was a pipe dream. 
But what else would you expect of Mourinho? What else would you expect of a man who stayed safely behind one of his colleagues during a touchline row, but reached around and poked opposition coach Tito Vilanova in the eye... and later tried to justify it? That incident has always summed him up, to me; he's like the kid at school who watches a playground fight from a safe distance, then sidles up quickly to kick one of the fighters in the stomach when he's sprawled on the floor.

 

The Blues travel to Israel to face Maccabi Tel Aviv despite heightened security in the wake of the recent Paris terror attacks and Mourinho made reference to Le Saux who, along with five other players, refused to travel to the country in 2001 over safety fears after the 9/11 attacks. “I didn't have one single problem inside of the squad,” he said, per Dominic Fifield of the Guardian. “I didn't have a Graeme Le Saux.”
Last month Le Saux had claimed the actions of Mourinho, especially the manner in which the manager dealt with now departed doctor Eva Carneiro, has done “damage” to the game as whole, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian).

Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Mourinho took a swipe at Le Saux ahead of the Blues' Champions League clash this week.

Parker also stated Mourinho’s behaviour means Chelsea are “hated” by neutral fans and these undesirable actions will “restrict their growth.”
As we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ, Mourinho takes Chelsea to Maccabi looking to improve on what has been a dreadful campaign for the Blues so far and knowing that an improvement in European away form is vital:
Parker also discussed Arsenal in his column, singling out Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker for particular criticism. The former scored an own goal in the Gunners’ 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, as Arsene Wenger’s side lost crucial ground in the race for the Premier League title.

 “I'm still not sure whether he was subbed off on Saturday because of a real injury, or due to sheer embarrassment,” said Parker of Arteta, before branding Mertesacker “a liability” and claimed “his tracking back is the slowest I've ever seen by a professional footballer.”
Oli Price-Bates of Metro has a similar standpoint on Arteta, blasting the fitness levels of the veteran midfielder:
With defensive lynchpin Francis Coquelin set to miss around three months with an injury and Arteta also suffering with a problem, Mathieu Flamini looks the most likely candidate to slot in at the base of the midfield. “He'll start, no doubt, but it's sure to end in disaster,” suggests Parker of the Frenchman. “His indiscipline alone would normally be enough to rule him out.”

Parker doesn't think Flamini is the answer for Arsenal.

The Gunners find themselves light when it comes to defensive midfielders, which is a familiar feeling for the club's supporters. Once again, Wenger’s reluctance to address this crucial area of the field is likely to cost Arsenal a shot at challenging for major honours.
Things definitely aren’t as bad at the Emirates Stadium as they are at Stamford Bridge, though, and Parker’s points on Mourinho will resonate with plenty. The Chelsea manager has been in especially bitter mood throughout the campaign and you suspect this angst will remain until his team start putting things right on the pitch.