Filipe Luís

[Dion 2,476]

No I was just complying with your request

I think Cesc got the most hype simply because we get to rub it in Arsenal's face. But among the three signings, for me, Costa is no doubt the most important. Yes, Luis and Cesc will offer a lot but we just weren't as desperate for them as we were for a striker.

I agree with you but at the same time I'm afraid about how Costa is going to perform. Strikers usually struggle a bit playing for us and the fact that Costa is a player who relies massively on others to create chances for him makes me uneasy. My head says he will do really good because our midfield is looking bright this season but I just have this gut feeling that everything seems too good to be true.

We need it, Azpilicueta was very solid defensively last year but overall was overrated because he offered nothing offensively at all. No goals, no assists, the worst passing percentage by a defender and he offers nothing on set pieces (Cahill, Ivanovic, and Terry are all dangerous in the air). He had 5 fewer key passes than Cole in roughly double the number of games. Hard to blame Azpi though as he was on his off side playing a newish position and he was extremely solid defensively. However, Luis can give us some natural width which we desperately need. Last year, almost all of our crosses came from Ivanovic because nobody else played wide. A wide player on the left will stretch the defense and create more space for forwards to run into and attack the ball.

Hazard will surely enjoy someone to overlap with him and to do one-twos.

[pHaRaOn 2,131]

Filipe Luis singing Ai Se Tu Pego

[The Chels 2,502]

That Jenny person isn't telling anyone where she found the original vids just so she can reupload it (with poorer quality) and take all the credit

[The Rising Sun 696]

He isnt the attacking threat i thought he would be but defensively solid and can pick a pass and get involved in play alot.

Ofcourse this is pre season, and judging is not sure shot, but this is the feeling i got after watching his first full game, almost.

Most important will be his ability to get midway close to hazard, open up some space for a one two through ball to set hazard racing.

[Special Juan 27,104]

He's been the solid and reliable wing back I knew he was thus far this pre-season, he just needs to up his fitness like them all and once he does we should see why we bought him.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

I didn't know Luis and Willian shared a birthday. What a strange coincidence.

He played better yesterday than he did in previous two games, IMO. Should become better with more training.

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Happy Birthday!!! ​

[Shakez 755]

Happy Birthday Filipe!

[BlueLion. 21,491]

He isnt the attacking threat i thought he would be but defensively solid and can pick a pass and get involved in play alot.

Ofcourse this is pre season, and judging is not sure shot, but this is the feeling i got after watching his first full game, almost.

Most important will be his ability to get midway close to hazard, open up some space for a one two through ball to set hazard racing.

We could sign the world's most attacking full-backs (Dani Alves and Marcelo, for instance), and Mourinho wouldn't let them cross the half-way line. Don't expect anything cavalier from him. Filipe is quality going forward but I doubt he'll get the chance to bomb forward too often unless Ramires is playing - Cesc and Matic aren't mobile enough to cover the marauding full-back.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,742]

his profile picture makes him look like Marta

[BlueLyon 9,359]

When you see barca spending 40m on 30 y.o. Mathieu and injury prone Vermaelen or Psg 50 on Luiz, 20m for Filipe doesnt look too much.

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I liked Luis performances so far, good on the ball and defending, but definately needs to improve in attack and gain some more fitness. He should reach that by end of month I guess.

[DH1988 1,199]

At the moment I'm really not impressed but its pre-season, admitted he's not match fit, new team, new surroundings etc.

[HD3D 1,038]

We could sign the world's most attacking full-backs (Dani Alves and Marcelo, for instance), and Mourinho wouldn't let them cross the half-way line.

LOL! You've clearly never seen Mourinho's use of Marcelo at Real Madrid. You don't know what you're talking about mate.

[lucio 5,402]

LOL! You've clearly never seen Mourinho's use of Marcelo at Real Madrid. You don't know what you're talking about mate.

maicon was pretty high flying at inter, if i remember right?

[Barbara 15,149]

Yep, Mourinho had Maicon and Marcelo playing as very offensive fullbacks, especially Maicon - who already defended well when Mourinho arrived (Marcelo was much worse than he still is currently).

As Maicon has always been very resilient and had tons of stamina too, he used to run the wing up and down the whole match, but if we could find some stats about it (maybe they even exist) I think Maicon probably had more crosses under Mourinho than any other time in his Inter career. Cambiasso mainly, but also Stankovic or Muntari or Chivu (depending on who was playing) offered a lot of cover for Maicon while he was bombing forward. The pivot players were more fixed and Maicon was more free to attack. It worked pretty well and I think what Mourinho did with that Inter team is almost as impressive as winning UCL with Porto. Inter were dominating Italy for a few years because of what happened to Juve, but they were completely irrelevant in the UCL (just like all Italian teams are right now - Juve included) and Mourinho completely changed that for two seasons in a row.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

LOL! You've clearly never seen Mourinho's use of Marcelo at Real Madrid. You don't know what you're talking about mate.

Marcelo and to a lesser extent, Maicon, are the only exceptions. Though really Maicon benefited from having two DMs and unbelievable stamina. Remember Ashley Cole when he signed in 2006? He looked like a lost kitten because Mourinho curbed his natural game. Even Marcelo was only really able to get forward because of the cover available.

But you're right, I know nothing about football, might as well rip up my UEFA coaching badges and bow to your superior intellect.

[Spike 12,049]

Maicon was some sort of freak under Jose Mourinho at Inter. Pace, strength, technicality, agression and defensive finesse. I doubt Filipe Luis can replicate that though, he is just lacking in those physical characteristics that Douglas Maicon was blessed with.

Mourinho is a very flexible manager. He always has the right balance of defence and attack. I feel the media exaggerates Mourinho's favouritism towards defence and a lot of people buy into it. We will probably see Filipe bomb foward and get stuck in during some games and defend first and foremost in others.

[HD3D 1,038]

maicon was pretty high flying at inter, if i remember right?

Both Maicon and Marcelo had their attacking attributes massively exploited by Mourinho. Marcelo participated in almost all Real Madrid counter-attacks and there were some games where one could even mistake him for a second winger. And this happened even in games where the strategy was supposedly to park the bus.

In this video, for example, you can see just how high Marcelo played on the field even against top teams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OwoTDcNkpY

But you're right, I know nothing about football, might as well rip up my UEFA coaching badges and bow to your superior intellect.

It doesn't matter how many UEFA badges you have. You're claiming Mourinho "refuses to give his full-backs attacking roles" when everything about Jose's history as a manager shows exactly the opposite. So I repeat, on this particular matter, you DON'T know what you're talking about. Period.