Jose Mourinho has not won a manager of the month award this year - making him the first boss of the champions not to do so since... Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese has long spoken of a conspiracy against him among league officials and the announcement that Leicester City's Nigel Pearson has taken the gong for April will add weight to his claims.

In the history of the Premier League there have been only two occasions on which the manager of the champions has gone through a season without winning a single monthly award: in 2005-06, when Mourinho's Chelsea lifted the trophy, and now this year.

This is the second season for Jose Mourinho where he has won the title but not a Manager of the Month

Nigel Pearson took Manager of the Month for April, meaning Mourinho will not win the award this season

Mourinho is the only manager to lead his side to being champions without taking Manager of the Month once

A look back through previous seasons shows that Sir Alex Ferguson (2002-03) and Arsene Wenger (2001-02) have picked up their first awards of successful seasons in April, preventing such a situation arising.

Mourinho may well be named Premier League Manager of the Year later in May but the season-long snub will no-doubt leave many at Stamford Bridge scratching their heads.

Mourinho (centre) has only been named Manager of the Month three times in around four seasons at Chelsea

Mourinho's three manager of the month awards came in 2004-05 (two) and 2006-07

He departed Chelsea two months into the 2007-08 season and has not picked up the award since returning

MANAGER OF THE MONTH BREAKDOWN MONTH 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2013-14 2014-15 August Arsene Wenger

(Arsenal) Stuart Pearce

(Manchester City) Sir Alex Ferguson

(Manchester United) Sven-Goran Eriksson

(Manchester City) Brendan Rodgers

(Liverpool) Garry Monk

(Swansea) September David Moyes

(Everton) Paul Jewell

(Wigan) Steve Coppell

(Reading) Arsene Wenger

(Arsenal) Arsene Wenger

(Arsenal) Ronald Koeman

(Southampton) October Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth) Paul Jewell

(Wigan) Sir Alex Ferguson

(Manchester United) Mauricio Pochettino

(Tottenham) Sam Allardyce

(West Ham) November Jose Mourinho

(Chelsea) Rafael Benitez

(Liverpool) Steve Coppell

(Reading) Alan Pardew

(Newcastle) Alan Pardew

(Newcastle) December Martin Jol

(Tottenham) Rafael Benitez

(Liverpool) Sam Allardyce

(Bolton) Manuel Pellegrini

(Manchester City) Manuel Pellegrini

(Manchester City) January Jose Mourinho

(Chelsea) David Moyes

(Everton) Rafael Benitez

(Liverpool) Manuel Pellegrini

(Manchester City) Ronald Koeman

(Southampton) February Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) Alan Pardew

(West Ham) Sir Alex Ferguson

(Manchester United) Sam Allardyce

(West Ham) Tony Pulis

(West Brom) March Harry Redknapp

(Portsmouth Sir Alex Ferguson

(Manchester United) Jose Mourinho

(Chelsea) Brendan Rodgers

(Liverpool) Arsene Wenger

(Arsenal) April Stuart Pearce (Manchester City)

Harry Redknapp (Southampton) Martin O'Neil

(Aston Villa) Tony Pulis

(Crystal Palace) Nigel Pearson

(Leicester)

The manager has been accused of deploying negative tactics at times, despite the fact only Manchester City have scored more goals in the Premier League this season.

And few can deny the scale of his achievement on his return to west London.

Successfully navigating Uefa's Financial Fair Play restrictions Mourinho has led Chelsea to a title romp while making a profit in the transfer market - something not done for eight years.

They have been crowned champions with three matches to play and hold a 13-point lead over second place.

Clearly, however, that has not been enough to impress a voting panel of 40.

Earlier this season, when asked about his failure to win the award, Mourinho was in typically feisty form.

His second gong was for March 2006, a season where Chelsea won the league for the second time under him

Mourinho's last award for Premier League Manager of the Month came in April 2007

Chelsea have been accused of winning the league with negative tactics, despite being second-top scorers

Manuel Pellegrini (left) took Manager of the Month twice as Manchester City won the league in 2014

'I don’t care,' he said. 'But there is something that is not right because, in four years in the Premier League, I’ve won the manager of the month three times.

'So, for sure, they don’t like me. But I don’t care. I just want my team to win.'

In December, Barclays Manager of the Month spokesman Andrew McDougall denied there was an anti-Mourinho agenda.

He said: 'The panel is made up of around 40 people, all involved in football, from ex-footballers, football writers and representatives from the League Managers Association, the FA and Premier League.

Tony Pulis took huge plaudits last season for guiding Crystal Palace to Premier League safety

A panel of 40 people decide who takes Manager of the Month and Mourinho could take Manager of the Year

Mourinho has spoken of his surprise at how the award is distributed but added he ultimately doesn't care

Chelsea's league title win this season is the third Mourinho has won with the Stamford Bridge side

'The person who wins is simply the one who gets the most votes. I am sure Jose’s name is considered every month but it also comes down to relativity. Take for example Sam Allardyce winning in October with three wins and a draw.

'It is weighed up against Jose going unbeaten but doing it with a much stronger squad to pick from. Tony Pulis was manager of the year last season for turning around Crystal Palace’s fortunes.

'There is certainly no bias against Jose, who we all know is a great manager.'