For anyone currently undecided if Jose Mourinho remains a football genius or has become a managerial time-bomb, Alvaro Arbeloa makes for compulsive listening.

He believes his former manager at Real Madrid – who faces Liverpool today knowing defeat could mean the sack – could still one day walk back into the Bernabeu; he says that if players are burned out after two years playing for him, it’s their problem not his; and he believes that if he quit football today he would still go down as one of the greats.

Cards on the table: the former Liverpool full-back is a Mourinho defender in every sense of the word. But he also paints a revealing portrait of Mourinho’s final season at Madrid, 2012-13, where the similarities with this campaign at Chelsea are striking.

Having won the league the year before, Mourinho’s team were out of the title race by November. Star players were dropped and it was Jürgen Klopp beating him in the Champions League semi-final that finished him.

“He was like a bullet-proof vest for the players,” Arbeloa tells me, recalling Mourinho’s first year in charge. “If someone was picked on by the critics he was the first to defend him. He fought against the fixture list; against the kick-off times if he thought they went against us; or against a referee if he thought he had been unfair to Real Madrid. He fights for the interests of the team without bothering about the fact that in the end his image is damaged because of it – he gets labelled as the moaner.”

Now 32, Arbeloa is in the last year of his contract at Madrid. A World Cup winner, he will be a good free transfer for someone next June and he hasn’t ruled out a return to the Premier League where he believes professionals are treated with more respect. “I was a bit surprised to see the boy with the video phone recording Mourinho because that is not something that usually happens in England,” he says of the recent exception to that rule. “There is usually more respect than that. It’s a shame. I’m not sure that any other coach has been bothered and harassed that way.”

Arbeloa is an oddity in as much as he’s prepared to stand in Rafa Benitez’s corner as well as Mourinho’s. He joined Liverpool when the Spaniard – now his boss at Real – was in charge in 2007 and they almost won the Premier League in 2009. In 2010, he had just won the World Cup with Spain when Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid and he played a big part in the first two seasons when the club won the Copa del Rey and La Liga.

“What no one takes into account when they judge Mourinho’s time in Spain is that perhaps if he had not come to Madrid when he did, [Pep] Guardiola would have kept on winning [with Barcelona]. We were up against a team that a lot of people talk about as being, if not the best, then certainly one of the best in history. And he was up against a coach like Guardiola who could have been at the club for 25 years like [Sir Alex] Ferguson at United – that’s how perfect a fit he was for the club – but Mourinho was capable of bringing them down from the mountain. He doesn’t get enough credit for that.”

Knocking Barcelona off their perch is the reason many Real Madrid supporters would welcome him back. The apocalyptic third season is why just as many would not.

Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 Show all 17 1 /17 Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>17) Joleon Lescott (Aston Villa) - new entry</b> Tim Sherwood's sacking at Villa was blamed on an inexperienced squad failing to gel. But looking at the back five who started against Swansea, four of them are over 30 (goalkeeper Brad Guzan, Alan Hutton, Lescott, Kieran Richardson) and Micah Richards has plenty of Premier League experience of his own. Scoring goals was a problem for Sherwood's team, but an experienced defence made plenty of errors. Whoever replaces Sherwood will want to make the team tough to beat, but the likes of Lescott have to improve. Last Fixture: L - 1-2 - Swansea Next Fixture: Arsenal (h) Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>16) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - re-entry</b> It's been another very tough week for Chelsea and their manager, Jose Mourinho. Defeat to West Ham and a half-time red card has left the Portuguese on the brink according to some sections of the media with anything but a win against Liverpool perhaps spelling the end of his second spell. A midweek defeat to Stoke City didn't exactly help. Mourinho has made some baffling decisions this season but, ultimately, he has been let down by his players, who are operating way below the level they were last season. No player has seen a more dramatic drop off than Hazard, who has gone from the standout performer in the Premier League to a man who is without a goal all season. With Diego Costa perhaps missing, Hazard has to be at his match-winning best. Last Fixture: L - 2-1 - West Ham Next Fixture: Liverpool (h) AFP Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>15) Andre Ayew (Swansea City) - re-entry</b> After a blistering start to the season Ayew, like Swansea had cooled off before the trip to Villa Park last weekend. But against the relegation candidates he found his best form and eventually added the crucial match-winner. A much stiffer test will come to this weekend with the Gunners visiting South Wales. Last Fixture: W - 1-2 - Aston Villa Next Fixture: Arsenal (h) Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>14) Steven Fletcher (Sunderland) - new entry</b> What a difference a week makes. The only winless club left in the Football League this time last week finally got off the mark - and what a way to do it, with a thumping win against their most bitter rivals. Sam Allardyce has certainly strengthened up the back line in just two matches in charge (Sunderland deserved a draw against West Brom) but the way they attacked against a lacklustre Newcastle was impressive. Steven Fletcher was superb, holding up the ball well and bringing team-mates into play, grabbing a deserved goal in a morale-boosting win. Last Fixture: W - 3-0 - Newcastle Next Fixture: Everton (a) PA Wire Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>13) Salomon Rondon (West Brom) - new entry</b> Two wins in a row and both by a single goal with a clean sheet at the other end - Tony Pulis football at its finest. The Baggies are gradually getting it under Pulis and it will be interesting to see how their match against Leicester plays out, a team with a completely differing style who play at a breakneck speed. For West Brom and their manager it's all well and good being a team designed to keep the ball out, but you must have someone who can score at the other end. Venezuelan Rondon hasn't made the fastest start to the life in England but he clearly has the physical and technical tools to thrive. Norwich never came to terms with his strength and movement last week. Last Fixture: W - 0-1 - Norwich Next Fixture: West Brom (h) Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>12) Troy Deeney (Watford) - new entry</b> Strike partner Odion Ighalo has taken much of the credit for Watford's comfortable start to the season, the Nigerian scoring five crucial goals so far. But Deeney, the Hornets' captain and cult hero, has been excellent this season in every facet, with three good assists, a high work rate and great link-up play, except in front of goal. That changed at Stoke, where Deeney scored a deserved first goal of the season. He is a real handful. Last Fixture: W - 0-2 - Stoke Next Fixture: West Ham (h) 2015 Getty Images Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>11) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) - down 8</b> The stats tell their own story: 55 per cent passing accuracy, 0 shots on target, 0 chances created. Wayne Rooney was terrible in the Manchester derby and wasn't much better as Louis van Gaal's team crashed out of the League Cup. He looks less and less like a striker every week and his playing up top means United's mst dangerous attacker, Anthony Martial, has been shunted out to the left, blunting his threat. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him dropped for the game at Selhurst Park. Last Fixture: D - 0-0 - Man City Next Fixture: Crystal Palace (a) EMPICS Sport Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>10) Sadio Mane (Southampton) - new entry</b> Graziano Pelle has previously appeared on this list and continues to be excellent, but Mane has 'it' (whatever that may be). Manchester United were laughed at when they made a move for the Senegalese in the summer, but every week that move looks like it would have been a coup. Mane is fearless, direct and fast, striking fear into whichever defender is tasked with marking him. He also has an eye for goal and has no qualms about working hard defensively to help the team. A top player. Last Fixture: D - 1-1 - Liverpool Next Fixture: Bournemouth (h) Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>9) Anthony Martial (Manchester United) - new entry </b> He probably should have been on this list sooner given the impact he's had at Old Trafford since his eyebrow-raising move from Monaco. Worryingly for United, the teenager is now the club's biggest threat and most obvious match-winner, a trait that has only been so much more evident in the last couple of matches where he was pushed out to the left. Van Gaal needs him back in the centre, and back in the goals, soon. Last Fixture: D - 0-0 - Man City Next Fixture: Crystal Palace (a) - Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>8) Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) - re-entry</b> His Arsenal career looked dead and buried at the start of the season when Theo Walcott was scoring and he was getting sent off in the Champions League. But where Walcott dropped, Giroud stepped up and has been impressive in cameo appearances against Watford and Bayern Munich, before he was superb against Everton. Depending on the outcome of a scan on Walcott, Giroud could be Arsene Wenger's main man for the next few weeks. Last Fixture: W - 2-1 - Everton Next Fixture: Swansea (a) PA Wire Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>7) Yohan Cabaye (Manchester City) - up 8</b> A fixture in these rankings this season, the Frenchman had a relatively poor game against Leicester, where he was overpowered by the athletic Danny Drinkwater and N'Golo Kante. But his quality and temperament were conspicuous in their absence as Palace were overwhelmed in their worst defeat of the season at Manchester City in the League Cup. Cabaye will certainly be back in the side when Manchester United visit at the weekend. Last Fixture: L - 1-0 - Leicester Next Fixture: Man United (h) PA Wire Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>6) Christian Benteke (Liverpool) - re-entry</b> With Daniel Sturridge still not 100 per cent fit, Christian Benteke has returned at the perfect time for Jurgen Klopp (and a terrible time for under-pressure Jose Mourinho), scoring a good goal in an impressive second-half performance against Southampton. Liverpool will want to be compact and work hard at Stamford Bridge and the big Belgian will be crucial to relieving pressure for the Reds with his hold up play. Mourinho will be hoping he forgets his shooting boots. Last Fixture: D - 1-1 - Southampton Next Fixture: Chelsea (a) AFP Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>5) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - down 3</b> He was relatively quiet at Old Trafford and let down by some poor deliveries, but it was telling that the Belgian still carried the biggest threat for Manuel Pellegrini's team at the home of their rivals. Was impressive, and on target again, in the League Cup and should enjoy an easier ride against a Norwich team who have been poor defensively. Last Fixture: D - 0-0 - Man United Next Fixture: Norwich (h) Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>4) Harry Kane (Tottenham) - up 7</b> The Harry Kane of last season finally arrived this term. It had been a long, hard struggle for the England striker, but he was at his very best at Dean Court, scoring an impressive hat-trick (although the defending wasn't the best). Spurs play on Monday night giving the squad an extra couple of days to rest and Aston Villa - who look likely to still be without a manager - should be there for the taking. Tottenham still need a striker to arrive in January, but at least Kane is back and firing once more. Last Fixture: W - 1-5 - Bournemouth Next Fixture: Aston Villa (h) 2015 Getty Images Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>3) Dmitri Payet (West Ham) - up 3</b> Andy Carroll and Jose Mourinho may have got all the headlines after West Ham's brilliant win at Upton Park, but make no mistake, the Frenchman Payet was hugely influential in the victory. Not only did his work rate force Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabgregas and Ramires into mistakes, but Payet had the quality to ensure the Hammers - who mostly sat deep and let Chelsea dominate possession - were able to attack quickly and effectively. He delivered the corner for Mauro Zarate's opener and had a huge hand in the build up for the second. Last Fixture: W - 2-1 - Chelsea Next Fixture: Watford (a) Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>2) Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) - up 3</b> We could just copy and paste what was written last week but Vardy continues to prove the doubters wrong with his match-winning style. He's the fastest player in the Premier League, arguably the hardest worker and now he has the skill, and confidence, to score on a regular basis - the touch to dink the ball over Alex McCarthy at the weekend was absolutely superb. Real Madrid links seem a bit premature but if he carries on as he has been... Last Fixture: W - 1-0 - Crystal Palace Next Fixture: Man United (a) Premier League Power Rankings: Week 11 <b>1) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) - non-mover</b> Other players were better against Everton last week but it doesn't really matter, Sanchez is still the best individual performer in the Premier League. There are just so many ways in which he can put his mark on a football match, not just goals. He can create for others, he helps his defender and the work rate and effort he puts in rubs off on the rest of the Arsenal team. No other player in the Premier League is as important to their club as Sanchez - just look what happened to the team when he was rested against Sheffield Wednesday. Last Fixture: W - 2-1 - Everton Next Fixture: Swansea(a)

Madrid were out of the title race well before Christmas. “Seeing how hard it had been to get the better of Barcelona and to win La Liga and to then, in a sense, give it away so quickly, Jose didn’t take it at all well,” Arbeloa remembers.

“He demanded all the time more from us. And when there are a lot of demands, and when in the end there is friction, it wears down the dressing room a bit. I used to see him with dark rings under his eyes and thinking: ‘this guy is not sleeping, he is not relaxing’.”

Mourinho’s successor at Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, is the supreme ego smoother. It’s clear from what Arbeloa says that Mourinho is not.

“He is not able to say: ‘How’s it going? What’s happening? How do you feel?’ to a player who isn’t trying. If he has a player who isn’t giving 100 per cent then he isn’t capable of putting an arm around his shoulder.”

He wouldn’t be the first great coach to not indulge under-performers but what of the public criticism of players? Arbeloa sees it as a last resort: “If you give everything but it’s not your day he is never going to come out and criticise you. But if he sees that he defends a player in public and nothing changes then he thinks ‘well, maybe I’ll wake them up another way’.”

This season Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, John Terry and Nemanja Matic have all been picked out. In his last season at Madrid, he took on Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Spats with the former two are well documented; the deterioration of his relationship with Ronaldo was a slow-burner, although there are stories of one heated dressing-room exchange between the pair with Arbeloa among the peacemakers keeping them apart.

“When a coach spends long enough at a club there are always flare-ups. It happened with Mourinho but look at the Ferguson boot incident with Beckham. Every coach, when the pulse is racing, can say something and a player jumps up and responds but Jose, in the three years he was here, we practically never had that kind of situation.”

Mourinho’s style of football was criticised, too. His team liked to let the other side have the ball, wait for them to make mistakes, and then punish them. Klopp decided his Dortmund team would play exactly the same way against Real and the tactic worked.

Arbeloa says: “Everyone gets labelled. Here they say that Benitez is very defensive and yet we are the team that takes the most shots at goal. You don’t win the Premier League the way Chelsea won it last season only playing on the counter-attack. They have top players and they can play perfectly well when it’s the other team that sits back and most of the time teams were doing that last season. You can’t tell me that players such as Matic and Fabregas don’t know how to play.”

He also has no time for the theory that Mourinho burns his players out after two years. “We should be able to cope with the maximum being demanded of us. If us players burn out in the third season I don’t think it’s Mourinho’s problem.”

Energy is something Mourinho himself never seems to lack. At times he looks like someone who once he stares down at the chess board and sees that he’s three moves from being put in check-mate, flips it up into the air sending the pieces flying. Does he hate losing so much, he would rather just lose the plot?

“He is not used to losing, it really burns him up inside,” says Arbeloa. “But I think ultimately it is that inner energy that enables him to turn things around. If he accepted it better – if he settled for second best, if he said: ‘you can’t always win’, he would be just like any other coach. Perhaps that is what distinguishes him from the rest.”

He almost says: “that’s what makes him special”. It’s been a long time since Mourinho, or anyone else called him special without it being a reference to the tired old moniker. Is he running out of suitors should he leave Chelsea?

“He has won the league in England, Italy, Spain and Portugal and two Champions Leagues with two different clubs. You can’t have any doubts about him. He still guarantees success. His problem is that he has spoiled people – every club he has managed, he has won things. He could retire today and he would go down as one of the best coaches in history. So imagine what he can still achieve in the future.”

Could that future even include a return to Real?