SURELY even his most devoted followers have in recent weeks concluded that their hero is a man-child.

Every public utterance is toe-curlingly embarrassing. The behaviour has become more unhinged, the picking of fights beneath his office and lack of self-awareness truly astonishing.

A man so narcissistic that not only would he fall in love with his own reflection, he would even give it his last Rolo.

And what about Donald Trump? He, if anything, is worse.

The above description is apt for the Orange One but I’m talking about the Special One, or so a few folk still call Jose Mourinho when, in fact, had Hans Christian Andersen written about the Manchester United manager he would have him skipping down Deansgate as naked as the day God gave us his second son.

I have never liked Mourinho. For me, there has always been a whiff of the Emperor’s new clothes about him. It pleases me so many are coming around to this way of thinking.

True, he’s had more success than most, has riches beyond even his wildest dreams and he has been rocking that silver fox look for the best part of 20 years now.

In the (distant) past there have been a few funny lines. He does have charisma and at times there is an honesty there which reflects well on him and badly on his peers who find truth a difficult past-time.

Still, it doesn’t stop the man being an absolute walloper.

There can’t be any other high profile manager with such a lengthy list of shameful moments and, yet, Mourinho feels the world is against him, as he clearly does now as he stands on the touchline at Old Trafford wearing the expression of a man who has just remembered he’s left the gas on.

His latest squabble with Antonio Conte, the Chelsea manager, is nothing more than some name-calling that would shame a primary school child.

Mourinho, when asked about his depressing demeanour, said: “Because I don’t behave as a clown on the touchline, it [doesn’t] mean I lost my passion.”

And then went on to call the excitable Conte “Mr Poopy Pants.” Probably.

Mourinho brought up Conte’s “match-fixing” an accusation which the Italian was cleared of during his time with Juventus. You stay classy, Jose.

Who can forget the time he wrongly accused Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard of going into referee Anders Frisk at half-time during their 2-1 defeat to the Catalans in the Champions League.

Or when after two of his Inter Milan players were sent off – one of the great crimes of the 21st century – he crossed his arms to mimic being handcuffed and later told the match officials: ‘Well done, well done... remember your family is watching you on TV’.

And, of course, there was that night when at Real Madrid he poked Barcelona’s then-assistant manager Tito Vilanova in the eye on the touchline.

Then there was 2003 and Seville.

Porto deserved to beat Celtic in the UEFA Cup Final. From one to eleven the Portuguese were the better side but did dive, feign injury and con the referee many, many times.

This was down to their manager.

Paul Scholes, arguably the greatest player to have pulled on the Manchester United shirt, sent some mild criticism the way of £89m man Paul Pogba.

It’s not Paul’s fault he made much more money than Paul Scholes. It’s just the way football is,” was Mourinho’s response which, for me, says all you need to know about him.

He is the ultimate money-chaser. A man who believes Pogba to be better than Scholes, who is hardly in the workhouse, because his wage packet is a double what that little genius earned. Where is the soul?

But like the cheeseburger eating squatter at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Mourinho’s crassness gets a pass, not by everyone, but far too many treat him with respect when disdain would more appropriate.

Mourinho is a busted flush. He makes Sir Alex Ferguson look like Cary Grant. And that’s saying something.

The Special One has been found out.

And Another Thing

NACHO NOVO was the kind of player who didn't mind not being liked by opposition fans.

Indeed, he seemed to revel in such unpopularity during his Rangers days.

Since retirement, Novo has been foolish, and that's being generous, with some comments he's made, or been encouraged to make, on social media which did cross the line.

However, to read some comments in the hours after it was comfirmed that Novo had suffered a heart attack would make you wonder if he was a mass murderer.

Those wishing ill on him really need to take a look at themselves. He is, after all, just a human like the rest of us.

Let's hope he's back on his feet and back with his family in no time.