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LONDON -- Jose Mourinho is perhaps the only manager who can complete a season at Chelsea without a trophy and not face any calls for his sacking or a fans revolt. What a difference to the way Rafa Benitez was treated -- and the many managers before him. The Spaniard led Chelsea to the Europa League title last year -- a competition sneered at in England but still a leading honour -- and yet jeering supporters were still counting down the days until Mourinho would return to replace him. Yet it is Benitez, not his nemesis, ending this campaign with a trophy, having won the Italian Cup at Napoli. It seems that little, though, can diminish Chelseas infatuation with Mourinho, however dull the football has been at times this season, however antagonistic he has been toward referees, however much he has scolded his players in public. Mourinho knows he can get away with it, for now, without facing backlash from owner Roman Abramovich and the fans who spent so long calling for the return of the self-styled "Special One," who won all three domestic trophies at least once during his 2004-07 reign. Despite an acrimonious exit from Real Madrid after finishing last season without silverware, Mourinho points out how he rebuffed other employment opportunities to rekindle the Chelsea love affair. "I had lots of chances to have easy fairytales, I decided not to have it," Mourinho said after Chelseas realistic hopes of winning the Premier League ended on Sunday. "If I want to win leagues easily, I would choose another league. I would choose another club with another moment that in this moment Chelsea does not have. ... I chose with my heart every aspect the club I want, the club I love, a competition I like very much to play, a city where I like very much to live." Mourinhos missive: Be grateful I returned. Having exhausted so much energy during Mourinhos absence pleading "We want our Chelsea back," the fans can hardly complain that there will be no parade down Kings Road this year. Abramovich, who acceded to the crowds demands, has put away his axe after going through seven managers in the six years between Mourinhos reigns, and is giving the Portuguese the time to forge a new squad without instant silverware. "Chelsea had a fantastic decade but that team, step by step, is disappearing," Mourinho told the BBC. "I came in a moment when there is a transitional moment of the big players of the last decade. Some are not here (anymore) and some are at a certain age, and the younger players are at the beginning of a process." Captain John Terry, left back Ashley Cole, and midfielder Frank Lampard, whose contracts are expiring, were deeply emotional as the stalwarts left the pitch after Sundays final home game of the season, a drab 0-0 draw with Norwich. Chelsea would need Manchester City and Liverpool to lose their two remaining games while winning its own season-ender at Cardiff to win the title. Theres little chance of that happening, so the focus is on the summer transfer window when Mourinho has to bring in a goal-scorer -- Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa is the top target -- to ensure Chelsea doesnt endure another campaign of malaise up front. Samuel Etoo has 14 goals, Fernando Torres 10, and Demba Ba eight. Thats just 32 goals between them. Luis Suarez has netted 30 alone for Liverpool despite missing the start of the season while completing a biting ban and not having European matches to augment his tally. "We dont have the kind of striker able to, in a short space, to make an action, to score a goal, to open the gate," Mourinho said in his latest public criticism of his players. Mourinho demands an attacking player with a "killer instinct". The caveat -- "respecting obviously that we have good strikers" -- seems half-hearted, but he has to extract good money for them to fund the squad rebuilding while working within UEFAs Financial Fair Play rules. Mourinho could test the limits of his bond with fans if he offloads winger Eden Hazard, who was crowned the leagues young player of the year but then rebuked for his performance in last weeks Champions League elimination against Atletico Madrid. In January, though, he sold Juan Mata, the clubs player of the year for the previous two seasons, to Manchester United, jettisoning a creative force from the squad. Have they missed Mata? Chelseas problem hasnt been beating title rivals, completing the double over Liverpool, crushing Arsenal 6-0 at home and drawing away, and winning at Manchester City. What has proved so costly is dropping points while unable to break down weaker teams. The stalemate against relegation-threatened Norwich followed draws in 2014 against West Ham and West Bromwich Albion. Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Sunderland have also managed to beat the 2005, 2006 and 2010 league champions. "We had some limitations in terms of scoring enough goals to win all these kinds of matches against the teams with a more defensive approach," Mourinho acknowledged. "We know that we need a different kind of quality." It was said without a hint of irony, given the ultra-defensive tactics Mourinho employed in an attempt to exploit rivals on the counterattack. Next year, Mourinho will be expected to deliver more expansive football to thrill the crowds -- and a trophy. If he doesnt, perhaps even Chelsea fans will run out of patience with the "Special One." NMD R2 NZ . Unlike last year when nobody got in, there have been estimates of as many as five getting voted in this time around and as few as one, Greg Maddux. Yeezy Powerphase NZ . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. http://www.yeezyshoesnz.com/yeezy-350-nz.html. You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1). Yeezy Online NZ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Ultra Boost Clima NZ . The 49ers announced the deal Thursday. San Francisco selected Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2011 draft out of Appalachian State. He has played in 33 regular-season games, plus all six playoff games the last two seasons. RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico -- James Driscoll matched the Puerto Rico Open record with a 9-under 63 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round. Playing in wind gusting to 20 mph after morning rain at Trump International, Driscoll had an eagle and seven birdies in his bogey-free round. He had a 12-under 132 total. "I had the putter going pretty hot today," Driscoll said. "I was fortunate. I hit a bunch of shots pretty close, too. I judged the wind. Luckily, I read the wind right a couple of times. The wind was pumping pretty good. It was blowing about 20 miles an hour, but there were a few times I had some crosswinds and just judged it perfectly and hit it in there to about a foot or so." Driscoll also shot a 63 in the 2011 tournament for a share of the record set by Derek Lamely in his 2010 victory and also matched by Chris Tidland in 2011 and Scott Brown last year in his victory. "The first 63, I think I was 11 under with like three or four holes to go and made two bogeys coming in, and this one was just kind of, I just kept chipping away at it and birdied the last to get to 63," Driscoll said. "So they were a little bit different, but both pretty special. Both holed a bunch of putts and just one of those days where you hit some iron shots close and make a mile of putts." PGA Tour rookie Chesson Hadley was second after a 65. "Ive kind of been struggling all yeear just with ball-striking, just finding the planet, honestly," Hadley said.dddddddddddd "And yesterday, I dont know, I was just talking to my swing coach again, and we kind of just like, Look, just go back to the basics. Ive always struggled with staying tall through the ball, and I just started thinking about that yesterday before my round, and I hit it great on the range, and it really started to line up yesterday. I hit it great, and then I just pured it everywhere, all over the place today." Eric Axley was 10 under after a 66, and Jonathan Byrd, Wes Roach, Ben Martin and Danny Lee were another stroke back. Byrd and Roach shot 66, Martin 67, and Lee 68. "Im playing solid, hitting a lot of greens right now, being patient, and getting a lot of them close to the hole," Axley said. "So puttings not been too difficult. "Its a little soft right now, after the rain weve had. Yesterday, when we played it was kind of getting a little firmer. If the wind blows a little and no more rain, it could get a little firmer for the weekend. Brown made the cut on the number, shooting 70-73 to tie for 68th at 1 under. DIVOTS: J.J. Henry was disqualified after the first round for failing to sign his scorecard. He shot 74. ... Puerto Ricos Rafael Campos made the cut with rounds of 74 and 69. He was in the tie for 68th at 1 under. ... John Daly also was 1 under with rounds of 74 and 69. ' ' '