Jose Mourinho's mouth costs him the Barcelona job

By Martin Lipton in Laptop with Martin Lipton

Published 16:57 15/09/09

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The FA did what it had to do and hit Emmanuel Adebayor where it will hurt both the striker and Manchester City .

For once, even the City fans will probably accept the Togolese hitman deserves punishment for his stamp on Robin Van Persie and the three match ban that will be confirmed by Thursday will certainly fit the crime.

As for the other charge, relating to his ludicrously over the top goading of Arsenal fans after scoring on Saturday, I am caught between two stalls.

On the one hand, what Adebayor did risked inciting a serious situation. On the other - and while he was responsible for stoking the feelings up in the first place - the City man was only giving a bit of what he had received back to the Gunners supporters - the self-same supporters who were outraged when Tottenham fans sang the same despicable song while Adebayor was an Arsenal player.

Balancing it all up, though, Adebayor took it too far by running 100 yards or so to make his point. If he had scored in front of the travelling supporters, it might have been acceptable but this was a sprint too far. I feel an extra game on top, making the total four, will be about right.

Adebayor's former club are now in Belgium ahead of their opening Champions League game with Standard Liege and while Chelsea and Manchester United are in action this evening, the other member of the Big Four should romp home against Hungarian minnows Debrecen tomorrow.

Rafa Benitez, however, has recognised what the Liverpool fans are feeling as he admitted domestic success is how he will be judged this season .

Rafa is right on this one but those early defeats against Spurs and Aston Villa could come back to haunt him, just like the costly home draws against the likes of Fulham, Stoke, West Ham and Hull did last term.

Meanwhile, one of Benitez' former managerial sparring partners, Jose Mourinho, may have missed out on the job he wanted because he can't stay out of a fight .

If this is true - and it has a stamp of authenticity from both sides - it is pretty much in the character of a man who will be back in England before too long, and quite probably in Manchester, although the colour of the shirt will depend on what happens between now and May.

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