The Mourinho Thread

[Essien19 1,415]

Actually,changing some names would change a lot.Let me tell you why.If you look at our starting eleven,you clearly see that we have one right back playing on the left side and a centre back playing as a right back.

Azpilicueta is still our best defender.He knows how to defend fast players and he shows week and week out that he defends attackers from crossing the ball to the penalty box.

Iva can´t defend that.I know you rate him highly,but let´s be honest,every player that comes from the left side,will cross into the box because Iva can´t defend that.

That´s why it is so important to have some modern fullbacks.

Just bench Iva and if Mou loves Iva so much,play him as a CB.Maybe he plays better there.I highly doubt that,but maybe he really does.

If that somehow happens,we will have two modern fullbacks playing on our side.

Azpi switches to his natural side and Baba comes in,who is just brilliant when going forward because he actually can cross the ball into the box.

Moreover,this means that players like Hazard and Pedro will have much more freedom to create something and our play would benefit from is so much.

Today,I watched Barcelona playing an average team.I saw that Jordi Alba,who is the best or second best LB at going forward(mayba Alaba is better),was injured and Adriano replaced him.Adriano was very poor at going forward and Neymar played horrible because he had to face always three players.Not an easy job,if you ask me.Hazard has the same problem with Azpi.The only difference is that Hazard always has this problem,while Neymar only had it today.

The funny thing though was that Barca playerd very good from the right side.Why was that?Sergi Roberto played brilliant football as a right back and Munir and him played very well together,which created a lot of space and as a result of that,many chances.

On the left side,there was no sign of modern football,but on the right side,we saw some quality football,which shows the importance of actually having some modern fullbacks.

Chelsea is the only club I know that does not have modern fullbacks.

Changing one player would immediately improve our game.Just one.

Me personally,I would also bench Oscar and replace him with RLC,who always has his good games and if Mou refuses to give him his chance,just play Rami,because he at least gives always his best.

Cheers mate

Nice, a few years back we had somebodys back during the legendary reign of Fernando Torres, now we are in deep shit and battling it out.

I see that you brought a gun to the fight, i mean as always you found some good arguments, let's get it started, lol.

Ivanovic isn't up to the level which he consistently showed last season.

I am right there with you!

Even though Ivanovic had his poor moments, for me he upped his performances a little bit in recent times, but it continues to be poor to this day.

I believe that Mourinho has recognized it, that's why Ivanovic has decreased his way going forward...

Yes, some of his turnovers are really dangerous, a lot of his crossings going wayward and he is often exposed, because they target him!

But Ivanovic is far more than a normal right back, he is one of the leaders in the team.

He is a well respected member of the squad, he worked hard to achieve his goals, he is a personality who doesn't take shit,

he directs his team mates, he stands up to the opponents during fights and he speaks to the officials!

Should Baba become his immediate successor?! Apart from the money, which raises the expectations, i am not so sure yet!

Baba is 21 years old, new to the country and this level of football. In addition to it he wasn't even match fit for Mourinho despite of

playing for Ghana.

When you take a look at the big picture, i mean long term project, then i think he will succeed Ivanovic as a right back but not today!

Mourinho will establish him, step by step.

Fullbacks can be an important part of the game. That's right!

Last year Luis couldn't breakt into the team and now Baba needs still time to adapt.

Yes, a David Alaba would be perfect for the team, but that's impossible now.

Some years ago Ribery excelled during his partnership with David Alaba, Messi and Alves are a force to be reckon with and the list goes on.

Would Hazard and Pedro improve having an supporting player around where they can give the ball to?

Absolutely, but as a already said, i think Mourinho isn't completely wrong by choosing Ivanovic over Baba.

Today, i haven't watched Barcelona play, either i shut my mouth or i watch it in the next time, still undecided, lol.

All i can say, for me Alba is good in the offensive, but his positioning in the defense isn't that good, some might say headless chicken!

Last season he performed well, maybe he can continue, we'll see.

Mourinho always preferred having a defender who knows how to win an aerial duell and knows how to defend.

Some time ago he told Ronaldo because of his style of play and refusal to help out in the defense his is out there on his own.

That's how Jose sees the game, sometimes Hazard plays similar.

I think you are a bit too hasty, Baba will be playing more and more, similar to Zouma who has taken Terrys place.

Loftus-Cheek is now too big to fail, but he is just 19 years old, you don't have to be so impatient!

Would you have forseen Oscars bad performance?

I am not sure, but you would have put Loftus-Cheek in the starting eleven, but Oscar is a rightful member of the squad who has earned some playing time, that's difficult to decide.

He wasn't even on the bench, maybe he had health issues, don't know.

I personally will never succumb to this best manager argument, even if Mou is the best manager it doesn't mean he is the best manager for Chelsea. The correct thinking is what manager is best fit for Chelsea, not which manager accomplished the most.

Barca won a treble with Luis Enrique, not a good manager for Roma. But great manager for Barca because of his personality and understanding of Barcelona.

No question it is a better approach, a Ferrari is an amazing car. But it doesn't mean it is the best car if you need it for a long commute to work

Superlatives shouldn't be important. Who is the best, or the worst, that's a continuous graph!

Some time ago, i really liked those discussions, sometimes it got rough, but as an adult, it's less important to me.

Approximately a year ago, Enrique was under huge pressure, i remember the time, where the "Messi to Chelsea" rumours made the rounds, lol.

Some "Cules" called for his head, but the executives gave Enrique more time, look how it worked out, i think nobody complains now!

I agree with you, that the philosophy and the personality from the man in charge should matter.

Jose Mourinho knows the club very well, he has had quite some success, yes, his approach of the game isn't the way football is played with your friends, but he actually wins things, he is a smart and well educated guy with a degree from university, and he really likes it here.

Take a look at his emotions against the 2:0 against Liverpool or his beautiful phrase "happy one".

For me, he is the perfect man and i don't mind having a difficult season, because i know that a guy like Jose Mourinho will bounce back.

Yes, you can call me deluded, but that's my understanding and i have seen a lot of games over the years.

At the end of the day, we all have the same motive, but it's really depressing here, so much negavitity over the last months,

seriously i have to ask some guys if it's been always this way because then, i am not so sure whether i am a good fit...

[The Chels 2,502]

But Ivanovic is far more than a normal right back, he is one of the leaders in the team. He is a well respected member of the squad, he worked hard to achieve his goals, he is a personality who doesn't take shit, he directs his team mates, he stands up to the opponents during fights and he speaks to the officials!

Ivanovic is a leader? Hah! The only time he directs his teammates is when he tells them to do the defending for him. An awful choice for untouchable status and captaincy, truly awful.

[Stats 6,980]

I know we all want to see Baba play more but tbh I blame Mourinho for letting Bertrand leave firstly then letting Luis go. A major club competing for all honours should not be playing a CB at RB and a RB at LB long term. Like I have said before that should have been a short term solution, not a long term one. How many top teams in the world have two players constantly playing in an unnatural position? Teams will work us out as they know Azpi will struggle to get forward and Ivanovic will get caught out defensively when he attacks because he is not the fastest.

Some people here will say Bertrand wanted to go or he was not good enough. First response to that is he would not have wanted to go if he was promised first team football which he should have been. He was arguably the best LB last season and when he stepped in for Cole he performed very well and considering he is HG and developed through our academy I would have liked to see him at LB. Look at Bellerin at Arsenal. They gave him a chance and now has turned out to be one of the best RB in the league at the age of 20. We turned down the chance to sign Shaw when he could have solved our LB problems for years to come. But Bertrand is the one that annoys me. One of the best attacking and defensive LB around but we let him go, God knows why.

Then Luis, one of the best LB in Europe when we bought him came here and rarely started. Like why buy a player to rarely play him then sell him? Makes no sense.

We need natural width and the lack of it is costing us and Mourinho is to blame. We let the best LB available go and now we basically are doing the same we did with Luis to Baba. Luis was proven and should of had that LB spot guaranteed tbh but look. Mourinho and his choices of players who he keeps and let's go is extremely baffling.

[kobematabryant 400]

has it crossed your mind we might have been better keeping those players ..The DOUBLE you talk about included the COC .. The real Domestic double we have won once, Google to check out our manager then ,, We have also won the CL once Check who won that for us .. Oh and Check the Europa League at the same time

David Luiz? No way we would be better. Mata? Well he doesn't track back. Yes we would've been better with KDB in our team but still Mourinho, has managed to keep a good Net spend while achieving loads at Chelsea, something good these days with FFP laws. Plus, out of all the long term Chelsea managers, Mourinho has the highest win percentage, both of this terms are the highest.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

got any potential names?

Ancelotti and Klopp are fine. I've personally lobbied for the latter to be our new manager. But why not Emery at Sevilla? Love him. Marcelino at Villareal? Nuno? La Liga is producing some of the most talented managers in Europe right now. Schmidt. Montella. Pochettino and Conte. I liked Tuchel but he's now at Dortmund. Only 42, but talented. He's gone there and stabilized the ship. THIS, is what we should be looking at.

Young, hungry managers with new, fresh and the latest and most up-to-date ideas in football. Young, hungry managers who practice and preach an attacking/expansive football philosophy and actually implement it. Young, hungry managers who aren't afraid to trust in youth. Young, hungry managers who manage to attain a certain level of success relative to the teams' they manage. Other teams with far less resources than us are able to achieve these, so why not us?

We have to take some risks now and look at these sort of managers. These are the ones that can bring true stability to the club. If we want to stop the culture of firing managers, we have to start a culture of hiring the right men in the 1st place! Scolari, AVB, Di Matteo, Mourinho for the 2nd time, NEVER should have happened for several reasons many of us already know. The people responsible for these decisions need to be held accountable for their errors.

In more than a decade under Roman, we're yet to find a manager that even ticks most of the boxes. If we want to find that guy and pursue stability under that guy, Roman and the board are going to have to start thinking outside the box and taking some risks. (Preferably on managers from the truly big European leagues, who've shown their mettle, we don't want another AVB)

[Essien19 1,415]

Ivanovic is a leader? Hah! The only time he directs his teammates is when he tells them to do the defending for him. An awful choice for untouchable status and captaincy, truly awful.

A agree with you that this season he had bad moments.

But that doesn't take away his personality and his standing within the team.

In my point of view he is well respected and taken serious, that shows his captaincy,

a guy like Jose Mourinho doesn't give it to a nobody.

Agree to disagree i think!

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Those wanting Klopp in, are being very contradictory here. We are wanting the best manager in the world out because of inconsistency but we are wanting another inconsistent manager to take over? Shit makes no sense.

Yet another attempt to discredit a world class manager like Klopp in order to big up "best manager in the world", Mourinho. Last I checked, Klopp's Dortmund absolutely destroyed Mourinho's Real Madrid 4 goals to 1, while playing some of the most beautiful football I've seen in the last decade. That Dortmund team was built from scratch by Klopp. Mourinho had at his disposal the most expensively assembled team in the history of football (at least at the time).

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

The Ancelotti galore is what gets me in this thread

Here's an idea, let's bring back from retirement the great Arrigo Sacchi! Him i would accept over José

[zolayes 14,489]

David Luiz? No way we would be better. Mata? Well he doesn't track back. Yes we would've been better with KDB in our team but still Mourinho, has managed to keep a good Net spend while achieving loads at Chelsea, something good these days with FFP laws. Plus, out of all the long term Chelsea managers, Mourinho has the highest win percentage, both of this terms are the highest.

well I guess youre really one happy bunny ,, long may your deluded world last

[kobematabryant 400]

well I guess youre really one happy bunny ,, long may your deluded world last

Name me your ideal replacement.

[zolayes 14,489]

Name me your ideal replacement.

Ancelloti

[kobematabryant 400]

Yet another attempt to discredit a world class manager like Klopp in order to big up "best manager in the world", Mourinho. Last I checked, Klopp's Dortmund absolutely destroyed Mourinho's Real Madrid 4 goals to 1, while playing some of the most beautiful football I've seen in the last decade. That Dortmund team was built from scratch by Klopp. Mourinho had at his disposal the most expensively assembled team in the history of football (at least at the time).

Faux. Mourinho completely Built Porto FC from scratch and won them the Champions League, plus 2 Portuguese titles. Same thing can be said about his Inter side. At least Mourinho did not finish 7th in any of his seasons. Anyways, I'm not discrediting Klopp but at this current juncture, Mourinho is still our best possible manager to take us forward.

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

Ancelloti

So, tell us why would you prefer Ancelotti over Mourinho, with some sort of explanation to your choice, not just your usual ridiculing other members of the forum who happen to disagree with you.

Please do, i'm yet to see that.

[zolayes 14,489]

Faux. Mourinho completely Built Porto FC from scratch and won them the Champions League, plus 2 Portuguese titles. Same thing can be said about his Inter side. At least Mourinho did not finish 7th in any of his seasons. Anyways, I'm not discrediting Klopp but at this current juncture, Mourinho is still our best possible manager to take us forward.

well if he cant take us forward from our current position then we really are in the shit, btw do you mean he built a complete Porto team in the short time he was there ,

and he built the Inter side as well ... I DO know he didnt build the first team he had at Chelsea ,, Ranieri did that

[blues.bridge 340]

Faux. Mourinho completely Built Porto FC from scratch and won them the Champions League, plus 2 Portuguese titles. Same thing can be said about his Inter side. At least Mourinho did not finish 7th in any of his seasons. Anyways, I'm not discrediting Klopp but at this current juncture, Mourinho is still our best possible manager to take us forward.

mou yes, has built porto, but 13-14 years ago... the football is changed

[zolayes 14,489]

So, tell us why would you prefer Ancelotti over Mourinho, with some sort of explanation to your choice, not just your usual ridiculing other members of the forum who happen to disagree with you.

Please do, i'm yet to see that.

In the short time he was with us he won the League and Cup double ,, Without googling I think that has only been achieved by about 5 clubs i about 130 years ,

he encouraged youth ,, Wad more willing to give them genuine chances . Was able to both win and lose with grace . Made the Club less hated .

Was respectful to interviewers . That is a start.

[Billy. 2,739]

In the short time he was with us he won the League and Cup double ,, Without googling I think that has only been achieved by about 5 clubs i about 130 years ,

he encouraged youth ,, Wad more willing to give them genuine chances . Was able to both win and lose with grace . Made the Club less hated .

Was respectful to interviewers . That is a start.

Spot on. I was gutted when he was sacked.

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

In the short time he was with us he won the League and Cup double ,, Without googling I think that has only been achieved by about 5 clubs i about 130 years ,

he encouraged youth ,, Wad more willing to give them genuine chances . Was able to both win and lose with grace . Made the Club less hated .

Was respectful to interviewers . That is a start.

Do you know however of Ancelotti record in a league?

In the 2010/11 season he went 6 matches without winning a single game, he's incredibly slow at understanding what the real problem is with a team in crisis (while José has been slow up until now he's slowly making changes) he's a tactically overrated manager and he's the last manager that should be around a team in bad form.

Ancelotti is only good when a team is built for him by his predecessor, you say he encouraged youth? Please...he's more stubborn than Mourinho in playing 28 years old players. And i've probably seen more of his teams than you ever did, so take it from me, he's not the right one for us.

But hey, he's a nice guy and reveals the first XI in the PC, so everything is fine.