Jose readies blueprint

Jose Mourinho has prepared a blueprint for English football success in anticipation that the Football Association will make formal contact this week for discussions over the vacant England manager's position.
There have been several indirect approaches from managers and players led by the national captain, John Terry, amid a groundswell of public support for the Portuguese. Mourinho believes the approaches have been made on behalf of the FA, since Terry and others asked whether his personal contact details could be handed over to FA officials.
The Portuguese declined, saying that all contact must be businesslike and directed through his agent, Jorge Mendes. The former Chelsea manager is preparing to go on a 10-day family holiday before Christmas but is beginning to miss being involved with football. If the FA wants to make its move, Mourinho is keen to hold discussions before the year is out.
Mourinho's blueprint includes restarting the building of the National Football Centre at Burton, the creation of an organisation based on club structures and a full-time medical department unconnected with any Premier League team.
Although he has made no decisions about whether he would accept a job offer, Mourinho has certainly not ruled out becoming Steve McClaren's successor. That is in contrast with a report in one national newspaper yesterday, which declared that he was preparing to "defect" to Milan after being offered the job of managing the European champions.
The article suggested Mourinho is using the FA's putative interest as leverage to land a position at a top club in Spain or Italy. However Mourinho, who won the Champions League with Porto before lifting the Premier League trophy in successive seasons with Chelsea, has been angered by the report and was keen to send that message to the FA yesterday.
"These are lies; Jose is not waiting for an approach from these clubs," said Mourinho's media consultant, Eladio Parames. "Jose has had no approach from any club and no one has contacted Jorge [Mendes]. If there is an approach from the FA, Jose will decide."
Whether he would find any offer from the FA acceptable would depend on how Soho Square officials react to his vision for England's future. Unlike other foreign candidates, such as Fabio Capello and Guus Hiddink, Mourinho has intimate knowledge of the English game and has received intelligence on the workings of the international team from the England players at Stamford Bridge.
That has prompted him to formulate an outline of the reforms he believes would be required for England to have a chance of winning a first trophy in 44 years at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. He would be excited at the opportunity to work with English players, having derived huge enjoyment from his involvement in the Premier League. His family have also enjoyed their stay in London and he would be keen to keep that lifestyle.
A friend of Mourinho said yesterday: "In my opinion if they want him - and I believe they do because there's a lot of pressure from the players and people in general in England - and if they accept his plans, I think he could be England's next boss."