Mourinho's methods are 'exhausting', says Demba Ba

Demba Ba has given a critical assessment of Jose Mourinho’s methods describing them as "exhausting" after the Portuguese was fired by Chelsea on Thursday. 

The Shanghai Shenhua striker, 30, worked with Mourinho at Stamford Bridge between 2013 and 2014 but left the club for Besiktas in July 2014.  

“I thought Chelsea would continue with Mourinho,” he told RMC. "It's rare to see Mourinho manage three years at the same team. And this has confirmed that. 

"His methods are exhausting, very tiring. He's someone who likes to win and when he loses, you could say that the sky comes crashing down on his head. Things get complicated when he loses because he gets annoyed. It looks like his face is overcome with anger, although this is probably not the case in reality. 

"It's because he is a winner – when he loses, it affects him. This is not bad – he’s proven, he has won an enormous amount of titles. Whether you like him or not, he does not leave you indifferent – though I'm speaking of him as a coach, not a man." 

The former West Ham and Newcastle United forward signed for the Chelsea in January 2013, scoring 14 goals in all competitions, including the winner in a 1-0 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain in 2014, but he was never favoured by Mourinho, spending long periods of time on the bench.

And, from his experience, Ba does not feel Mourinho is a coach who seeks to motivate or inspire his players. 

"He’s not someone who is there to give confidence to his players. He is there to get what he can out of his players," Ba added. 

"He expects you to motivate yourself. If you lack confidence, all he does is put you on the bench."