IT seems, according to reports of his demise, that Jose Mourinho had barely forked up the final sliver of turkey from his plate at Chelsea's Christmas dinner, before he was summoned to be sacked.

Did he trot off to the chairman's office, napkin still in hand, paper hat from his Christmas cracker on his head, the faint smile at the terrible joke that accompanied it fading from his lips as he began to realise this was the footballing equivalent of the walk to the gallows?

Had his players, in a last act of rebellion toward their soon-to-be-former boss, insisted that he don a Santa Claus outfit, complete with false beard?

Or had he misjudged the situation completely? Did he think he was about to receive, however inappropriately dressed, a big fat Christmas bonus?

There he would have been however, tinsel wrapped around his neck, perhaps a set of flashing reindeer antler deely boppers perched on his skull, as Bruce Buck uttered the inevitable words, "sorry Jose, it's over."

Surely even a man of such seemingly unshakeable self belief as Mourinho must have known in his heart of hearts that his second spell at Stamford Bridge was coming to an ignominious end?

Or was he temporarily befuddled by all the festive accoutrements he had donned at the aforementioned Christmas lunch, in a doomed attempt to get back on the right side of his players after accusing them of betraying him following last Monday evening's defeat by Leicester City?

There was a photo doing the rounds of national press and broadcast media yesterday (FRI) of the freshly dismissed Mourinho hunched up in the front seat of a car, with what appeared to be a hoodie pulled down over his face.

But Mourinho has never been one to duck the press, even at times of crisis. Could it have been that he did not want to photographed after being ushered out of Chelsea without even being given the time to divest himself of his festive garb?

Under that hoodie, is there the now almost dislodged reindeer antler deely bopper, flashing lights stilled by a flat battery?

Does that tinsel, blue of course, still hang around his neck? Is he still wearing his paper hat?

This is all speculation of course, but it is not devoid entirely of reason.

For I suspect it is no coincidence that on the same day Mourinho was sacked, the RSPCA issued a warning about the potential consequences for owners who insist on dressing up their pets, at Christmas or indeed on any other occasion.

The charity is concerned that kitting out your animals in yuletide outfits - apparently novelty dog attire is big business these days - can cause them stress and worry because, if ears, tails and even whole body positions are obscured, they lose much of their ability for visual communication.

I have always been of the opinion that attempting to clothe an animal at all is just plain pointless and wrong, unless of course it is a traditional coat or cover to protect, for instance, a short-haired dog or other animal which might be susceptible to the cold.

Sticking a big Santa hat on your, for instance, spaniel's head isn't going to make he or she lovely - it's just going to confuse it, and as this particular type of dog uses the set of its ears as a communication method, and relies a lot on its hearing, anxiety and upset will most likely follow.

The RSPCA warned that in some cases owners could end up being prosecuted for forcing on their pets clothing that could be considered harmful.

Of course, this is not to claim that Jose Mourinho will require the services of the RSPCA any time soon.

Indeed, judging by the reports that have been emerging from Chelsea in recent days, it is his players who have perhaps been more in need of protection, what with all the accusations of betraying his hard work, and allegations of dressing room dressings down for those who haven't performed on the pitch (that will be all of them, then).

But did they have the last laugh? Was that Christmas dinner on Thursday a sort of confusion-inducing, festive fancy dress Last Supper?

"C'mon boss, pull some crackers with us, that's it, eat, drink and be merry. Nice deely boppers, by the way. Oh, I almost forgot, the chairman wants to see you after..."