The Skipper

Poor goalkeeping, Beeney's better than that.

It has been a pretty good season, but I wouldn't say we overachieved. I said at the start of the season that I expected a top 3 finish, a deep run in the CL and maybe one of the cups if things go our way. So in that sense we've met expectations, but I wouldn't say we've overachieved IMO. Overachieving would be winning the league or/and winning the CL.

Will this be on ITV later?

Yes. Do you?

[Oh look I'm such a hipster] x99

They all have their opinions. So what if they don't fancy Mourinho as a manager? Doesn't mean that they don't support the club or that they don't believe we can win anything next year. It's stupid because you're saying that anyone that criticises Mourinho for what he's done in certain aspects this season (funny, that would include TOPTB too since he criticised Mourinho about the Lukaku loan earlier in the season - what a conundrum) is backing us not to win the title next season. Again, read that out loud and realise how stupid it sounds.

What the hell are you on about? Pretending that I don't know that. Moving the goalposts to suit your argument to make the bullshit you sprouted earlier seem justified. You know that I've consistently said myself that we're still a few players away from a complete team, i.e. a good attacking left back, a creative CM, and a striker. I've been saying that for months. We've had plenty of discussions about that. That still doesn't mean that Mourinho's been perfect given his resources, especially in recent weeks where we've lost again Aston Villa, Sunderland and Crystal Palace and drawing against Norwich yesterday. Surely even you have to admit that we have enough talent to beat those teams. Of course he and the team are going to be criticised for that, you'd have to be naive to think he doesn't have any sort of responsibility on those results. Losing against those sides are bound to make you question the approach the manager is taking. Yeah, we're a few players away from truly playing as well as we we're capable of but that doesn't mean that he could'nt have implemented better approaches in those games. So I think some of the criticism of him have been fair yet some on here like you and didierforever will any criticism of that sort and automatically think that you're downgrading Mourinho as a manager or slating the club which is absolutely ridiculous and mindless. Stop acting like all I've done is criticise Mourinho. I've praised him when praise is due, likewise how I've criticised him when criticism is due. If it was any other manager I would've done the same thing. Criticising what any manager or any player has done in a couple of games does not equate to me believing we're not going to win the league next year or me not being patient and wanting him out. I'm obviously hoping that those are aspects that he and the team improves on next year. It's that simple.

Yes, because criticising certain aspects of Mourinho does automatically equates to someone saying we won't win the league next year. Do you know how stupid you sound?

So my criticism of how Mourinho has set us up this season against the smaller teams that sit deep - our main problem this season, which you refused to acknowledge initially - hasn't been measured at all? It's been completely unfair has it? Have I asked for him to be sacked? You're being overdramatic as usual. Some people don't know the meaning of support? So because you're criticising part of Mourinho's managerial strategy in a set of games you're suddenly heralded by TC's god as someone who doesn't support the club. Wonderful. It's so, so ironic how someone who was blasting Mourinho for loaning out Lukaku earlier in the season now has the audacity to blast other people because they don't like certain different aspects of what Mourinho has done this season. Well done.

Zelalem? Really? :lol:

Ah yes of course that's the reason. Very classy. Very, very classy.

Yes, because all I do on here is slate the team (I've said nothing remotely negative about anyone else), and because I've never been to the Bridge or away games multiple times in my life (in fact, I've got tickets to Cardiff away next week). Get off your fucking high horse mate. Who the fuck do you think you are? See what I mean? Saying anything remotely negative about Mourinho now equals to slating the club to some. Fan-fucking-tastic. This has to be one of the worst posts I've ever read on here. You don't know anything about me or any of those that you've mentioned to come up with stupid shit like that. Get off your fucking pedestal and stop thinking you're some god on TC because you go watch a few games. Stupidity.

Bigger image here as yours wasn't showing properly.

Criticising certain aspects of what Mourinho does DOES NOT equal to wanting him out. For some people though it seems to be that if you say anything slightly negative against Mourinho; that you're suddenly a plastic supporter or a glory hunter.

I'm not making a mountain out of a molehill. Those are the words that Mourinho said. I don't understand how anyone would think that it's stupid for Norwich to come to the Bridge and not go all out attacking gung-ho when they clearly don't have the talent or players to do such. Norwich needed a win but do you seriously think they'd try and win it by going all out attacking against a team that is good at counter attacking but bad at breaking down teams that sit deep? Seriously? That would be incredibly stupid from the Norwich manager. His approach was right - he tried to nick it at the end when the game opened up by bringing on Redmond who caused chaos near the end of the game but it didn't happen for them. I do think he let that slightly affect his game plan - hence why when he realised that Norwich came to defend he changed it up at HT by straight away bringing on Luiz and Hazard. Also partly the reason why we were slow and lethargic in the first half. Mourinho was clearly being reactive again rather than proactive.

Got tickets for this game, hopefully I'll get the chance to check some of the youngsters out live.

I miss his and Mata's link up play and natural understanding.

But at the same time, he has always given his creative players some sort of leeway. He expects creativity from him number 10, Mourinho hasn't really put that as a priority that from our number 10 (Eden has been given the role as the prime playmaker). The problem with Mata wasn't that he wasn't willing to work hard, it was that he wasn't being played in the right place. Mata out on the flanks is a no no, as we all know he's much better in the middle. How many times did Jose actually play him there? It is no coincidence that his best performances for us this season were the ones where he played in the middle (vs. Arsenal in the cup and when he came on against Tottenham earlier in the season). Mourinho didn't use him correctly at all.

Looks like he's off. Top performance today. Thanks for everything Ash, you've been great. You've won everything here, no one can say anything about you moving to us. Top player and the best left back in the world in his prime (and ever in PL history IMO).

He just said in his post match conference to Sky that he didn't expect Norwich to come and sit deep... Seriously Jose?

Also, Ashley Cole was very good today I thought. Shame he hasn't been used more this season.

Brilliant defensive performance from Norwich but once again, our struggles against the smaller teams that sit deep are again highlighted. This is against a team that have lost their last 8 away games. Breaking down these sort of teams aren't easy, but I can't even remember us creating one clear chance. All the chances we created were half chances (Luiz & Schurrle hitting the post) which is again pretty poor. Players like Mata or KDB would've been very useful to us in games like these; we don't have either anymore but Jose left our most creative player, the one that we look to to create things individually (because we don't have a real system going forward) on the bench, and that allowed Norwich to settle into their defensive game. We were way too slow in the first half. I seriously hope we work hard on our attacking system next season, or at least bring in a coach under Jose that can help him with that.

We did have such players before but Mourinho sold them.

That is why people say we don't work on any attacking patterns and that they're non existent. These sort of things have to be coached into the team - when a creative player gets onto the ball - you need to make movements off the ball for him to find you or to find space for himself. Instead we're just relying on individual brilliance. It starts from the top.