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The final whistle at the Estádio dos Barreiros brought a certain confidence to Benfica, their players and their fans. Their celebrations in the center of the pitch after a 1-2 victory were those of a team that had fought long and hard all season, only to now be within reaching distance of the league title, with just three matches remaining.
What happened after Benfica's trip to Madeira will certainly go down in history, not only for the Portuguese League, but for Benfica as well.
How is it possible that a team with a four point advantage, heading into the final three matches of the campaign can throw that all away? Not to mention that two of those final three were at home.
Some will point the finger at Jorge Jesus, while others will blame the club's president. At the end of the day, the manager is always at fault whenever the team underachieves, but if we really take a look at the whole picture, are the critics being fair with the Benfica manager?
Bringing Back Some Of Benfica's Glory
Throughout his time at Benfica, Jorge Jesus has helped turn Benfica's style of play into something magnificent. Offensive firepower, with breathtaking transitions and individual brilliance in the mix. Before Jesus, Benfica continuously struggled with consistency on the pitch.
While it is obvious that in order to win titles you do not have to put on a show every match, but before Jesus arrived, Benfica did not play attractive football, yet they still did not win on a consistent basis.
With Trap and Alvaro Magalhães, Benfica managed to fill the streets of Lisbon, just as Jorge Jesus helped them do during the 2009/10 campaign, in his first season at the club. Two different seasons, with two very different managers, yet both titles were won in the final match of the campaign.
Now in his fourth year as Benfica manager, Jesus has been part of a love/hate relationship with some fans, but now, he is the center of attention once again.
What will be his final decision? Does he deserve to be crucified the way he has been during his four years at the club?
One thing is obvious, Jorge Jesus is not at the level of one Jose Mourinho or even Jupp Heynches, who also spent some time at the Lisbon club. But lets also not forget what he has done for the club since his arrival.
Alongside Luis Filipe Vieira, Jorge Jesus has helped bring back some of Benfica's history and passion. He has helped make Sport Lisboa e Benfica a household name across the globe, just as it was in the days of Eusebio. It is even to the point that Johan Cryuff was extremely delighted with Benfica's style of play, warning others of great things to come for the club in the near future.
It is not everyday that you get a chance to claim three major titles in three weeks, but it is also not normal to lose three in such a short timeframe. But, to get these opportunities, something has to be going right.
When was the last time Benfica was within reaching distance of the Portuguese Title, a finalist in a European Competition, and a finalist in the Taça de Portugal?
Obviously Jorge Jesus has had his fair share of mistakes along the way, but the desire to win from the Benfica fans leads them to forget the brilliant moments. Was it Jesus who missed so many opportunities in the first half of the Europa League Final against Chelsea? Was it Jesus' fault that the linesman did not call an offside against V. Guimarães on their first goal, not to mention Artur's poor clearance? And was it Jesus who gave the ball back to Porto in stoppage time, after the Lisbon side had a throw-in in their favor, with time nearly up? I think not.
Do not forget that Jorge Jesus helped put Benfica's name back on the European map, something that had not happened in quite sometime. Benfica has grown a lot over the last 10 or so years, after having gone through some very difficult times.
Sacking Jesus Would Be A Step Backwards
I honestly believe that dismissing Jesus would be a mistake the size of the Estádio da Luz. Why?
Not to mention the reasons stated above, if Jorge Jesus is to walk away from Benfica, he almost certainly has one opportunity waiting for him... Futebol Clube do Porto. The Portuguese manager on Porto would be an almost guarantee for yet another league title for the Dragões.
Am I saying to renew with Jorge Jesus to keep him from signing for Porto? Not really, but it is also not a coincidence that the current Portuguese Champions are paying close attention to Jesus' situation with Benfica, after having won two league titles with Vítor Pereira.
One more reason -- the system Jorge Jesus has been implementing has started to flourish over the last year or so. Apart from the three heartbreaks this season, Benfica has been playing well and on a more consistent basis, they are just lacking that killer instinct in crucial moments.
Letting him go now would throw away all the work he has done over the last four years. Benfica would basically have to start all over again, with a new manager who will obviously have his methods of working, which will take time for the players to get used to, after having spent four years learning Jesus' system.
Looking at Benfica's campaign as a whole, Jesus was nearly seconds away from being considered a hero in the eyes of all Benfica fans. But, due to two stoppage time goals and lack of composure in the final of the Taça de Portugal, the Portuguese Manager is now at the center of a very heated discussion.
With a bit more humility in his approach, and some added composure, Jesus should be the right man to take Benfica forward.
What do you think about this situation? Does Jorge Jesus have what it takes to offer Benfica titles on a consistent basis? Or should the Lisbon giants part ways with their manager?
