Can someone please tell me what the ‘manager formerly known as the special one’ was thinking on Tuesday night?

Going into a game in which you desperately need to score two goals at the very least with only one striker was bordering on insanity from Mourinho. And, when that striker is Drogba, I think we can safely say it had crossed the line into madness.

That’s not to say the formation wasn’t attacking. With Cole, Duff and Robben on the pitch, Chelsea did have options going forward. But this was a game that cried out for two big strong strikers.

In fact, the sight of Robert Huth lumbering around up front for the last 10 minutes like some prehistoric missing link, giving away free-kicks for fun and generally doing a fantastic impression of a fish out of water, showed that Jose realised he had been wrong from the start.

To give the man some credit, he at least admitted after the match that the better team had won. And there can be no denying that. At times in the second leg Barcelona, in general, and Ronaldinho, in particular, were just taking the mickey out of the English champions.

Although it would be wrong to say their Champions League exit makes this a bad season for Chelsea – another title and possibly the FA Cup is hardly a poor return – you somehow feel that Roman Abramovich expects more for his money.

Ironically, an early exit from the biggest money-spinning competition of them all would normally mean a tightening of the purse strings for most clubs.

In Chelsea’s unique case it probably means the opposite. So expect Jose to go on another spending spree this summer as he bids to break his two-year European jinx.

How much for Ronaldinho you said?

Meanwhile, while it was a disastrous week for Chelsea, Rangers and Liverpool, it simply couldn’t have been any better for Arsenal.

Their 0-0 draw against Real Madrid secured their passage to the quarter-finals stage and they were good value for it as well.

The match itself was one of those rarest of commodities, a goalless game which was thoroughly entertaining and totally absorbing to watch. In reality it could easily have been a 4-4 draw which would have probably been a fairer reflection on the quality of play on show.

For me the one player who really shone was previously unheralded Hleb. His movement and passing were excellent and Arsene Wenger may have found himself a midfielder around which he can truly rebuild his team.

I still find it astonishing that a side which can’t beat Portsmouth in the league can play so fantastically against the combined stardom of Madrid, but maybe that is what Arsene wanted out of this season.

Either way, the club is now another step closer to its main priorities – securing a Champions League birth for next season and keeping Henry at Arsenal.

Although on that display they might want to think about offering Hleb a better contract too.

Ian Holloway

Remember Ian Holloway? The former QPR manager who decided he wanted away from the club so he could take over at Leicester only for Leicester to appoint somebody else?

At the time QPR decided he was no longer in the right frame of mind to be their boss but, to make things a little tricky for him, they put him on ‘gardening leave’ instead of releasing him from his contract.

That was more than two months ago.

Last week he broke his silence over the situation but only to utter these excellent words:

“If I’d known this was going to happen, I would certainly have got myself a bigger garden,” he said, before wandering off to replant his petunias.

Don’t worry mate. Sure you will be back in football soon. If not as a manager then at least as a groundsman…

Formula 1

Formula 1’s new season is finally here after what seems like an eternal wait and it looks like this year’s competition might just be a bit more entertaining than usual.

Unlike previous seasons, which have invariably been dominated by one or, at the most two, teams, this time the experts reckon there are at least four capable of making a go of it.

Renault will obviously be favourites to build on last year’s success but Ferrari, Mclaren and Honda should all be able to give them a run for their money.

And, to be honest, a good, close, competitive season is just what the sport needs after far too many years of predictable dullness.

Personally I will be looking for Jenson Button to finally break his winning duck. The English driver has so far taken part in more than 100 races and, despite several good podium finishes, has never taken the chequered flag himself.

Button can certainly no longer be considered a novice so it’s time for him to stop showing potential and start showing results.

Otherwise he could well become known as the Tim Henman of the motor racing world…

Contact James on: [email protected]