Not only is Jose Mourinho a good manager but he is a lucky one. No sooner had we read a story this week that Sir Alex Ferguson was giving it one more season at Manchester United before retiring than the canny Portuguese stakes his renewed claim for the Old Trafford manager's job through his Internazionale side beating Barcelona 3-1.It was a stunning result, if one you always felt could happen. Barcelona may be everyone's darlings - quite rightly, given the way Pep Guardiola's side approach the game and the fact that Lionel Messi has been touched by God - but football has a habit of cutting down tall poppies.
And Mourinho has a habit of stifling great talent as well as making the most of his own by organising it so shrewdly. He did it at Chelsea, to Manchester United's chagrin. Which is why he will bleeping loudly on their radar. Clubs always covet those who do well against them. When a manager signs a player, just check out his performance in matches against that manager's team.
Mourinho would be a good match for United because he is a winner and that is, quite simply, demanded at Old Trafford. What Ferguson also grasped very quickly those 24 years ago when he became manager was the tradition instilled by Sir Matt Busby: you have to win expansively.
Thus might perception count against Mourinho, with the influential United ambassador Sir Bobby Charlton said not to be a big fan and the hierarchy liking the look of Fabio Capello - though they once liked Sven-Goran Eriksson when he was England manager.
Mourinho's Chelsea sides were never seen as entertaining, which is apparently why Roman Abramovich dispensed with his services, though the constant controversy caused by Mourinho's mouth may also have had something to do with it.
It is unfair. Mourinho's Chelsea was underrated and much more watchable than critics gave him credit for. He did, after all, play with proper wingers in Damien Duff, then at his peak, and Arjen Robben. If he fell out with Robben, it was because the Dutchman was not deemed brave enough for the Premier League at times.
And Mourinho's penchant for putting his foot in it? It has not noticeably stopped Ferguson from speaking his mind. Nor has he seemed to care much about critics of his abrasive style. Like Mourinho, he has always stuck up fiercely for his club, criticising referees in the process and inviting controversy with some of his knee-jerk comments as much as his calculated mind games.
Ferguson's own choice is said to be fellow Scot David Moyes of Everton. It would make sense if Ferguson intends to stay on as an advisory figure in the background. Moyes would tolerate it, perhaps even welcome the guidance. Mourinho probably would not.
One question will be whether Mourinho can wait another year. It could yet go wrong for Inter in the Nou Camp, if the Milan side cannot repeat their shackling of Messi in a less conducive environment. They could also cede the Serie A title to Roma in the coming weeks.
In which case, Mourinho may want to get out of town quickly, never especially having enjoyed Italy, or developed a good relationship with the people in football there. Liverpool and Manchester City might offer him an earlier escape route.
We can anticipate Ferguson denying all this. To say that he will be doing just one more year would be to open himself up to being a lame duck, with players knowing he is going and him losing his iron control. He would be lucky to get through the season should there be a few poor results.
Back to that word lucky. If you can't be good, be lucky, goes the old adage. Mourinho is both. United may be a special and different club but not so special and different that they aren't, like every other, in need of both.
