TRUE? Jose Mourinho Says It Will Be 'Impossible' To Emulate Alex Ferguson And Wenger Years

Chelsea manager wants time to develop his Chelsea team but says the days of 20-year reigns are over

Jose Mourinho has said it will be impossible for him to emulate the 27 years Sir Alex Ferguson was manager of Manchester United, or the 19 years Arsène Wenger has been in charge at Arsenal.

“No, because it is impossible in football,” the Chelsea manager said when asked whether he could remain in charge for as long. “Impossible. Modern football, impossible.”

Asked whether Wenger would be the last manager to serve such a long period at one club, Mourinho added: “I think so, I think so.”

Jose Mourinho's relations with Roman Abramovich are stronger than during his first spell

Jose Mourinho is enjoying his second spell in charge of Chelsea

Chelsea are at home to Liverpool on Sunday when they will be presented with the Premier League trophy and receive a guard of honour from their opponents.

It is also Steven Gerrard’s last appearance against the club who tried so hard to buy him, twice, when Mourinho was first their manager.

Mourinho said that players such as Gerrard, who is leaving for LA Galaxy at the end of his contract this summer, were “impossible to replace with another player”.

“I think you have to replace with a team organisation, with a team philosophy, with a principle of play – not a player. Because, if you replace, you replace with another one who is not so good,” Mourinho said.

“You cannot go in that direction. You cannot think, I bring this guy to replace Steven Gerrard, you cannot think, I bring this guy to replace Frank Lampard, to replace Paolo Maldini. You can’t.

"You have just to try to organise a team in a way where the team can be successful without them.”