There are some managers that you hate, but have a touch of class about them, once again Jose Mourinho showed that he lacks that ability to rise above things when they don't go well.

Over the years there have been plenty of managers that I have hated with a passion, but I have had to grudgingly admit that they not only had what it takes to be successful as a football manager, but as a human being.

Others like Jose Mourinho like to tell you how great they are when things are going well but cannot rise above things with that touch of class when the chips are down. They cannot be humble and respectful they resort to childish behaviour and hissy fits.

This was the case for the "Special One" at St Mary's when his side lost against Saints on New Years Day.

Of course he wasn't happy with his side and he wouldn't be happy with the referee who had had the temerity to give around 5% of the 50/50 decisions to Saints, but his behaviour in going over to the Saints bench and his subsequent description of one of the Saints coaching staff as an idiot was despicable.

Although Mourinho admitted that he deserved the subsequent yellow card after he had strolled over to the Saints bench and seemingly looked at the home sides coaching notes on the game, to then after the game tell the press that he had "been rude with an idiot" is disrespectful to a fellow professional.

The brunt of his ire was Saints goalkeeping coach Andrew Sparkes who had done nothing wrong other than be sat on the Saints bench and quite rightly told Mourinho to go away or words to that effect.

"I was rude. But I was rude with an idiot. I clearly deserved the yellow card. I had bad words with the guy," Mourinho told BT Sport, after his side fell six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table losing to a side who the Spurs boss clearly felt were beneath his dignity.

"There was of course a reason for it. I will not tell you but for some reason I had that reaction," he added while speaking to Match of the Day.

Sparkes of course had done nothing wrong, there was no stand up row, no pushing or shoving and he had a right to question what Mourinho was doing in Saints technical area.

But for Mourinho a defeat has to be just as much about him himself as a win does, he has to be petulant, has to make a point and has to be at the centre of attention, the media suggest that he was annoyed at Saints time wasting, but we were doing nothing much in that department and if any manager had a cause for complaint it was Ralph Hasenhuttl who saw referee Mike Dean repeatably fail to deal with Spurs players diving and petulance to the officials.

You have to admire Mourinho's record as a manager, but in recent years his star has waned after a spell at Manchester United did not have the success at the levels he had previously attained and he was sacked

But he is increasingly becoming known for his behaviour rather than winning League titles and after he had been booked by Mike Dean he then patted him around the waist and shook his hand then slapping the palm of the fourth official in a very patronising way that suggested they were very much his inferiors.

The way he then admitted he was rude was also arrogant rather than apologetic, as if he had a God given right to be rude and the Saints bench was beneath him, to describe Sparkes as an idiot to the press was petty, the Saints goalkeeping coach had done nothing to antagonise the Spurs manager and indeed was engrossed with writing notes when suddenly Mourinho appeared.

So you have to respect Mourinho for his achievements over the years, but the fact is he has no qualities as a person or at least his pubic persona as a football manager, where he is arrogant, patronising, petty and at times such as this downright nasty.

Perhaps the last word should go to a manager who does have that touch of class Ralph Hasenhuttl who must have been fuming at what went on.

"I don't want to say anything. I have a very high opinion about this manager - he did so much for football."

Now that is Class, Jose Mourinho take note.

Photo: Action Images

underweststand added 10:18 - Jan 2 This was my extra Christmas present. 60 years a fan having to put up with arrogant Spurs fans, condescending player comments and a string of dubious results over several decades that might have been righted - had we had VAR in place 30 years ago. Not a classic game but considering the two clubs relative league positions and the value of the squads we deserved the win and we are supposed to feel sorry for Harry Kane. Jose Mourinho 's new title must be.. " the Not-so-Special One " . Whatever he may have achieved on the past is history and when he has to handle a squad of "not so special " players he comes down to the level of the rest of us. His yellow card misdemeanour may become something more serious- if the Prem. decide to pursue the matter but perhaps the "supposed" stature of the North London club may see the whole thing passed over . Personally he has lost any semblence of respect I had for him in the past. Having to look up the Prem.table to find Saints postion is a pleasant change and ...a vote of thanks to The Board for keeping Faith with Ralph when other clubs around us were sacking managers wholesale. Don't know what sort of resulkts we can expect against Leicester and Liverpool but at least we've got a breathing space after a great Holiday programme with 10 points of 12.

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davidargyll added 10:24 - Jan 2 When you look at the great managers, they all have brilliance in all the right areas football-wise but there is one thing that separates the best from the also rans and is at least as important. Wenger has it, Poch has it, even Fergie. Ralph most certainly has it as has Guardiola and Klopp. Mourinho used to have it in spades but no longer. What is it? Style. You can forgive anybody most things in this world but, in showing zero respect for the opposition and by behaving like he did yesterday, he has demeaned himself and his whole club. I wonder what he sees in the mirror this morning? Not quite the man who said he learnt lessons when he was out for most of the year? Or does he see it as someone else’s fault? Either way, are Spurs set for a Champions League spot under him after that? i predict Levy will have to start getting his compensation cheque book out again before the year is out ...

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TimSaint added 10:37 - Jan 2 The very fact that you have written a piece on this has proved why he does this sort of thing. Spurs lost so his deflecting tactics are put into operation. He says or does something that all the journalists ask him about, so he doesn't have to talk about the football so much. He gets all the headlines and nobody mentions Spurs lost. The BBC Sport site doesn't have a headline piece about us, but it does have a piece on him getting a yellow card a story about it. Job Done for him. He has done it so many times at all his other clubs, even it it means makinging players scapegoats etc. My favourite 'Moanrinho' moment was when we beat his Chelsea 3-1 at the Bridge under Kidman and his answer to the first question was a full on 7 minute tirade of moaning, excuses and blames of players and the ref. Sorry Jose, you lost to the better team that day as well !!

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SaintPaulVW added 12:16 - Jan 2 With JM you always half suspect it's about changing the conversation. So rather than have to face a load of questions on why Spurs were out fought and out classed, he can distract away by creating a bit of controversy himself. Cynical. As you say no class. There was only one idiot on the sidelines yesterday.
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1970 added 12:44 - Jan 2 As mentioned above Mourinho does this whenever he goes it will soon rub off on the spurs squad but personally I think the spurs team and Daniel levy are made for each other, his ideastactics are way out of date so the longer he stays at spuds the better coyr great win yesterday doubled with the chelski result are real coupon busters but look at poor old Bournemouth they are in real trouble at the moment with Burnley can we beat Leicester after all that has happened this season? How magical would that be coyr.

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bstokesaint added 13:01 - Jan 2 My personal favourite comment related to our “well coached boy boys” (in the art of time wasting). What a jerk.
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landerwal added 13:10 - Jan 2 Today's BBC football website says it all. Mourinho, Mourinho, Mourinho. Not a word about Saints. I'm just glad that the board kept faith with RH after Leicester and not replace him with JM. We would probably now be be propping up the Premiership. As it is, hopefully we will be pass Spurs on the way up as they go down the table.
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Colburn added 14:25 - Jan 2 Spot on Timsaint.. Its just deflection, with our coach as the scapegoat. Respect, class and style don't last forever when you behave like that..
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SanDiegoSaint added 16:02 - Jan 2 Jose is now engaged in footballs equivalent of the Great Rock and Roll Swindle. He signs massive contracts, behaves so badly (and ineptly) that the club has to fire him (paying out his contract) and then he moves onto the next victim. The upside of this is that the marriage of my least favorite (premier league) club and my least favorite manager means that at least one (possibly both) will leave this debacle seriously (maybe even mortally) wounded. Well played Levy!

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underweststand added 16:20 - Jan 2 Mourinho's short-term future lies in making two key decisions. 1) How much can he persuade Levy to spend in January? (and nobody will be cheap) and 2) Does he sell Christian Eriksen now and get a replacement.. or let him walk away for nothing in June when his contract goes out? The proof of a good manager isn't just who he buys, but how he handles the players he has already in his squad. Over to you José .

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AirFlorida added 17:10 - Jan 2 Meh, ignore him. Don't bite and give him the air space. We all know he does it to deflect attention from his team after a poor result. Focus on super Saints, not a manager past his sell by date.
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Sebastian88 added 09:11 - Jan 3 This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. https://theimpossiblequiz.io
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LoisDeem added 16:41 - Jan 5 Exactly Nick. No class Jose. Southampton FC won 1-0 and were more likely to have got the second goal -surely our only regret? I hope Sparkey is being called Idiot in training, just as Greta is Sharon. If you have contributed more than once to such articles as this you may need to adjust your interpretation (or dictionary definition) of class -should be more Nick Holmes than Jacob Rees Mogg)

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