Jose Mourinho at AS Roma: What's gone wrong, and can the Special One's second Serie A stint still succeed?

Six months ago Jose Mourinho was unveiled as the new coach of Roma, but he hasn't fixed his new club's old problems yet

It was July 8th when AS Roma unveiled Jose Mourinho during a press conference in one of the most iconic spots in the Rome, Terrazza Caffarelli, a magical place from which you can see all the beauties of the Eternal City, including the dome of Vatican. When, in a surprise move last May, AS Roma's Twitter account in the space of a few hours first announced the departure of manager Paulo Fonseca and then surprisingly the arrival of the Special One, the fans waited for him with anxiety and hope. They dedicated a street in the city center and a mural to him, thanking him for choosing their club. (You can catch all of Roma's matches, and the rest of Serie A on Paramount+)

Six months later, those images can seem very far away, but they haven't disappeared over the horizon altogether. Most of the fans today are still with Jose Mourinho despite some negative results, a situation which is quite uncommon in the history of the Giallorossi fans. In the recent years many coaches were criticized, and each one in a different way ended up being the target of the fans. The most incredible example is the one of Luciano Spalletti, who in the 2016-2017 season brought Roma to 87 points in the table (best result ever in terms of points for the club), finishing second behind Juventus. Unfortunately for Spalletti, that season will be remembered only for the farewell of Roma legend Francesco Totti. The hero of the fans and the enemy of the coach in that last year of his career. For the fans, 87 points was nothing compared to getting on the wrong side of an icon. 

In an environment which is so inhospitable to manager why is it that Jose Mourinho, for now, is still supported by the club and the majority of the fans?