I suggested a couple of weeks ago that Chelsea’s manager might be losing his marbles - now I’m not so sure. Perhaps it’s just that he sees everything through Jose-coloured spectacles.

Poor Mourinho’s English is not always perfect and he sometimes says things that are not quite clear to native Brits. But he should have realised that pre-match mumblings that Liverpool were ''not a big club’’ would only motivate their opponents - particularly the Scouse contingent among them. Five European Cups to Chelsea’s none is the factual answer to that - but most pros are well aware that the worst thing you can do in the build-up to a big game is belittle your opponents.

Jose didn't leave it at that, either. There were moans that Rafa Benitez's men would chase Didier Drogba around the field all night trying to get him booked, and that Chelsea had played 27 matches this year and Liverpool only ''three or four''.

'Most pros are well aware that the worst thing you can do in the build-up to a big game is belittle your opponents'


''He makes us laugh from time to time,'' revealed Anfield skipper Steven Gerrard, diplomatically. ''It's a bit disrespectful saying we are a little club.''

No wonder poor Jose finished up with an Agger in his back.

As for the game itself, Mourinho insisted through those opaque spectacles that Chelsea were the better side on the night. ‘’We were the only team that tried to win over 90 and 120 minutes,’’ he maintained. Well, my eyesight’s not too good, either. But for me only one team deserved to win the second leg - and that was Liverpool.

They scored the only goal and hit the bar through Dirk Kuyt, who also had what looked a legitimate goal wiped out for offside. If ever there was a case for video technology being used to decide contentious moments, that was it. But the people who run football, as we all know, are light years behind other sports in moving into the world of 21st-century sport.

I digress. Liverpool, by my reckoning had four times as many real scoring chances on the night as Chelsea. Indeed, the only real drama I remember at the Liverpool end was Pepe Reina blocking Didier Drogba’s close-range blast in the first half.

It’s ironic that for all that, Reina was man of the match - primarily for his saves from Arjen Robben and Geremi in the penalty shootout but also for his faultless handling throughout the evening. No wonder Gerrard described him after the game as the best keeper in the world.

A 1-0 Liverpool win was somewhat inevitable in a game in which we knew defences would dominate. Both back lines were superb throughout and it’s ironic that it needed a bit of gamesmanship by Kuyt in blocking off Salomon Kalou that allowed Daniel Agger the space to blast the only goal. Not really something Mourinho can complain about, though - I distinctly remember TV analysis earlier in the season of a Chelsea goal that was scored using similar ‘underhand’ tactics. It’s all in the game, as they say.

So it’s two down (effectively), one up and one to go for Mourinho’s boys in a season that promised the ultimate prize of four trophies. The one consolation is that even if Manchester United beat them in the FA Cup Final, they’ll still have some silverware in the trophy cabinet.

And that’s more than Arsenal can say.

Will Liverpool make it six of the best - or will their Champions League dream end in Athens? We'd love to hear from you at Sportingo.