At times, there can be something distinctly ugly about the way that Jose Mourinho expects his Chelsea side to carry out their business. A harsh assessment perhaps. 

This, however, is a Chelsea team very much cast in his own image. Tough, robust, unyielding — these players fit the profile of what he feels what champions look like. Who are we to argue? After all, he is one. 

What is for sure is that if John Terry is to hold aloft the league championship trophy come the end of the season, this Chelsea team will not be remembered as popular champions. 

What Mourinho doesn’t care much for is for his sides, whether that be Inter Milan, Real Madrid or Chelsea, to be remembered as the great entertainers. 

Far from it. He creates the siege mentality and expects the best from his players when seemingly everyone is out to get them. We’ve seen it time and time again this season. 

The power to galvanise a squad is what marks him out. What he really wants is for Stamford Bridge to become the fortress it was once was. 

His Chelsea title winning sides (2004-05 and 2005-06) hold the record for the most wins in a 38-game league season (29) and jointly a record of 18 home wins in a season. 

He wants his teams to not only be champions but have the swagger of champions.

Where necessary, Mourinho will absorb the attention, deflecting criticism away from his players. It’s something we saw frequently with Alex Ferguson. 

In return, he has a squad of players ready to run through brick walls for him. One only has to witness the performances of a player such as Branislav Ivanovic, relatively limited in talent compared with his teammates but limitless energy and will. 

The recent fallout from the draw against a lowly Burnley, and the subsequent controversy over the events surrounding Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic’s red card — he only misses two games after the club appealed — demonstrated the other side to Mourinho. 

In a recent, lengthy and reportedly impromptu television interview, coming the day after that match, we saw Mourinho repeat his criticism of the referee of that match, Martin Atkinson, whose performance that day was roundly slated. 

The Chelsea boss sailed close to the wind with his assessment of the decisions that went against his players. However, it made for enthralling television and maybe that’s why his comments won’t be treated in the same way had he made them in a media conference. 

At times he can be charming, warm and even self-deprecating. But when it really matters, Mourinho is always ready for a battle. 

It’s easy to forget that Chelsea have only won the league title once since Mourinho’s departure in 2007. Since the likeable Carlo Ancelotti led his side to the domestic crown, the Manchester clubs have shared the titles. 

Reports recently suggest that the Portuguese will be rewarded for his efforts this summer with a new four-year deal that will take his tenure at the club beyond 2017. It’s fair to say Roman Abramovich is happy with the state of affairs. 

The Russian owner has faith in his manager and where players are needed — such as the recent acquisition of Juan Cuadrado — the chequebook will come out. 

Mourinho is not one for huge squads, more fine adjustments. And he will continue to receive what he wants from Abramovich as long as Mourinho is seen to be moving Chelsea forward. 

As things stand, Chelsea are well-placed to finish the season well following the disappointment of the last campaign, which yielded no trophies in Mourinho’s first campaign back following six years away from the club. 

They are already one victory away from silverware, with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur standing in the way tomorrow, in the League Cup at Wembley Stadium. You can imagine how motivated Chelsea’s players will be. 

A draw in the first leg at Paris St Germain leaves the tie firmly balanced, even though events attributed to the club’s supporters leading up to and following the encounter have left a sour taste. 

The league remains intriguingly poised with 12 games to go. Although an eight-point margin was squandered in November as title rivals Manchester City reeled them in, you just do not see Chelsea slipping up again. 

However, the gap has closed once again. And by the time that Mourinho’s men take to the Wembley turf, their rivals, who play Liverpool earlier in the day, could have cut the distance to just two points. 

Should Chelsea emerge victorious come May, much will be forgotten about an eventful season — the Football Association’s fine for Mourinho for remarks that suggested that there was a “clear campaign” against his side, his subsequent refusal to speak to the media, accusations of diving by his players and the numerous touchline episodes over the season (most memorably his confrontation with Arsene Wenger).

However, he remains fiercely protective over the people that really matter — the players. In the slender last-gasp win against Everton earlier in February, Mourinho raced onto the pitch at the final whistle, walking some 50 yards, to celebrate with the club’s current reserve goalkeeper Petr Cech rather than walk down the tunnel as is his way usually. 

Recently, he hailed the current number one Thibaut Courtois as “phenomenal” following his performance in Paris. His remarks are calculated, he does not extend praise unless it is for a deeper purpose, in this case, to appease two players but only one jersey between them. 

It’s typical Mourinho and, next season, we can expect more of the same.