In the court of Roman Abramovich, they have learnt to look out for the telltale signs. He rarely voices his displeasure, but when that often inscrutable face morphs into what they call his “death mask”, that is when the chill descends as the wind of change blows through Stamford Bridge.

Among those who mix loosely in Abramovich’s circles, there is surprise that José Mourinho has, for now, been spared a second sighting of the death mask, but among the inner circle — which tends to mean those who are privileged to address him as Roman rather than as “Mr A” — it is a different story. There they reject the portrayal of the Chelsea owner as a man prone to kneejerk reactions or impulsiveness. “Rash?”