Stroll in the park for Jose

Later, as the weather grew chill, he turned for home and switched on the television to watch Manchester United's second half at Portsmouth. By the end of the day, his smile was wider than a mile.

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Mourinho has done all he humanly can to defend Chelsea's Premiership title. Long-term, they are unbeaten in 60 Premiership home matches and closing in on Liverpool's record of 63.

In the shorter term, they have secured eight successive wins through eight successive clean sheets. Even the result at Fratton Park carries no guarantees, and he knows that all his efforts may prove insufficient.

But Mourinho seems reconciled to that fact, just as he seems reconciled to his days at Stamford Bridge crowding to a close. He still goes through the mischievous motions, as he did yesterday with some gentle ribbing of United: "They play well, they win; they don't play well, they get a penalty, they still win."

But he was a poor prophet, and in any case, he really wasn't trying too hard. Indeed, the most controversial statement he uttered was: "The game, in my opinion, was very good."

In fact, as he well knew, it was nothing of the kind. It was a wretchedly soporific scuffle involving a Chelsea side who sense that the season may prove far less rewarding than it promised, and a weary Spurs team which had concluded a UEFA Cup match in Seville precisely 39 hours before yesterday's kick-off.

Along with their weariness, Spurs were also miserably lacking in ambition.

They looked like a side which had come for a goalless draw and did not possess a Plan B upon falling behind.

So it was that Ricardo Carvalho's 52nd-minute goal was enough to collect Chelsea's points.

And a fine goal it was, as the Portuguese defender collected a ball in the centre circle and came loping forward. Ricardo Rocha, the Spurs central defender, failed to close down the run and Carvalho simply kept on going to strike a strong, 30-yard drive.

Paul Robinson was given a good deal of time to assess the shot, but he was unequal to the task and his team's shoulders were starting to sag as the ball hit the net.

We sensed even then that it might well prove enough for the match was almost entirely devoid of the edge which traditionally accompanies this fixture. The first half had been largely undistinguished, almost as if they were both yearning for the season's end.

Spurs fans informed Mourinho that he would be "Sacked In The Summer", while the Chelsea fans trilled tributes to the Seville police for their energetic engagement with the Spurs followers.

It might well have been different had Chelsea buried their early chances, the first arriving within 10 seconds when Shaun Wright-Phillips scampered down the right and whipped over a cross which just evaded the head of Didier Drogba.

Another chance instigated by Wright-Phillips ended with Salomon Kalou driving the ball high into the stand, and for a while everybody tried to persuade themselves that this match was the most important event on the planet, and that not even a part of their mind was trained on affairs in Europe.

Spurs could have pointed to the absence of Aaron Lennon and Robbie Keane, as well as the presence of Dimitar Berbatov on the subs' bench. But their midfield was devoid of creative inspiration, while at the front the combination of Jermain Defoe and Mido perpetually malfunctioned.

Carvalho had sounded his warning with a shot from close range which drew a fine instinctive save from Robinson, but Chelsea had been scarcely more impressive.

Frank Lampard was performing for Chelsea as he too frequently does for England, while John Terry lacked his usual commanding assurance as he fell victim to the prevailing malaise.

Strangely, and wholly against the run of play, Spurs were given the most plausible chance of the lead when Pascal Chimbonda's cross was met by Hossam Ghaly's shrewdly cushioned header and Mido, from just five yards, struck his header straight at Petr Cech.

But Carvalho's goal was a better representation of the match, and it remained to be seen if Chelsea could lift themselves to inflict a beating.

They couldn't.

As substitutes came and went and the game lost whatever shape it ever had, the home support sat quietly worrying.

A more adventurous team than Tottenham might have given them good reason to worry, but Martin Jol's side had left their legs in Seville. They will attempt to improve their season in Thursday's second leg, just as Chelsea will try to qualify through their ordeal in Valencia on Tuesday.

Whatever happens, it will almost certainly not be sufficient to preserve Mourinho's term at the Bridge.

But we should have given a good deal more than a penny for his thoughts yesterday afternoon, as he took his ease with his family in a park in London. And pretended that he wasn't the slightest bit interested in that skirmish on the South Coast.