Surrounded by the comparative calm last northern summer of a five-star hotel on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Jose Mourinho was asked if he felt a particular responsibility on his return to English soccer.
"Maybe I have a bit more in terms of being one of the more experienced guys,"he said. "Probably I have to be an example for everybody in many aspects: conduct, support, be there for everyone when for some reason they need me."
Goalkeeper Petr Cech looked unconvinced when he was asked if Mourinho had changed. "I think only the season will show."
The usual stresses and strains of football matches have provided the answer. Little about Mourinho is actually different. As a manager there are moments of genius. He also remains highly charismatic but, when things do not go his way, he can disintegrate towards disgrace.
Sunday was the latest example. Mourinho was losing his remarkable 77-match unbeaten sequence at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea were probably squandering the Premier League title. It was normal that he might have been frustrated by some of the decisions of referee Mike Dean.
Yet this was the same Mike Dean whose leniency when Chelsea drew 0-0 at Arsenal irritated Arsene Wenger and prompted Mourinho to note that his rivals "liked to cry". With the roles reversed, Chelsea were not just blubbing; they were kicking and screaming like a class of 5-year-olds whose Easter eggs had been confiscated. And over what exactly? Was there a moment of terrible injustice in the game? Only one. When Ramires, a Chelsea player, deliberately struck Sebastian Larsson and was allowed to stay on the pitch.
Beyond that, there was a series of finely balanced decisions that Dean could argue, with some conviction, that he got right. So how did Chelsea react? A furious tantrum from assistant manager Rui Faria, that ended with him being dragged away from Dean by Mourinho and goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon.
From Mourinho himself, a bizarre press conference in which he praised his players, Sunderland, Dean and referees' chief Mike Riley. Sarcasm, it seemed, was heavy, particularly when Mourinho referenced how Riley had "organised things" and said referees were "doing really well according to the objectives".
No questions were permitted about Ramires. Nothing about Faria. And no questions on the shortcomings of his team or, dare we say, how they were organised by the manager.
