The Mourinho Thread

[The Chels 2,502]

Yeah...but we have also won games after throwing away a 1-0 lead - 2-1 vs Bolton, 2-1 vs Shrewsbury and 2-1 vs QPR. They might not be big teams but the victories were important in getting to where we are right now.

You would surely expect a team like Chelsea to overturn deficits, especially against teams of the quality you mention (we shouldn't lose the lead in the first place). You would not expect us to consistently lose 1-0 leads in the big games, however.

Edited February 1, 2015 by The Chels

[Jase 43,479]

You would surely expect a team like Chelsea to overturn 1-0 deficits, especially against teams of the quality you mention (we took the lead against QPR by the way). You would not expect us to consistently lose 1-0 leads in the big games, however.

But those games weren't about overturning 1-0 deficits...

[The Chels 2,502]

But those games weren't about overturning 1-0 deficits...

Apologies. Misinterpreted what you said & have edited my comment.

[Jase 43,479]

You would surely expect a team like Chelsea to overturn deficits, especially against teams of the quality you mention (we shouldn't lose the lead in the first place). You would not expect us to consistently lose 1-0 leads in the big games, however.

Yeah but it happens. Just because we're Chelsea, doesn't mean we have the right not to lose leads, regardless of who we face. Moreover, the leads we lost against QPR, Strawberry, Bolton are the same with the City, Tottenham, Liverpool ones - they all happened because of individual mistakes.

[supporter 3,088]

Winning the League Cup can change our dynamic in certain games / certain times.

We are Chelsea and for a team like us being two consecutive years without winning any trophy would be a big failure.

I see some anxiety about it. Not only in Jose, also in our players. Last year we were eliminated in the semifinals of the Champions League, and we lost the Premier League at the last moment.

Jose and our players know this, and I think they do not want to risk at times for fear that we will do the same as last season.

So in big games we played with intelligence and pragmatism. Step by step and thinking about any kind of risk.

I think if we win the League Cup, in some way, that could relax the anxiety level we have now, and that can free our players and Jose.

The League Cup is a minor trophy, but can help us to manage better our anxiety.

Regards.

[The Chels 2,502]

Yeah but it happens. Just because we're Chelsea, doesn't mean we have the right not to lose leads, regardless of who we face. Moreover, the leads we lost against QPR, Strawberry, Bolton are the same with the City, Tottenham, Liverpool ones - they all happened because of individual mistakes.

Of course it's natural that we lose the lead on occasions but it has happened a lot this season - too many times for it just to be a coincidence. If you look back at why we have conceded the lead in all the games we have, you will obviously find an individual mistake but they usually come as a result of a bigger issue. For example: City away - sitting too deep against 10 men, United - sitting too deep, Tottenham - huge spaces in the midfield. Personally I don't agree with always completely dissolving the system and the manager of blame when individual errors take place.

[Jase 43,479]

Of course it's natural that we lose the lead on occasions but it has happened a lot this season - too many times for it just to be a coincidence. If you look back at why we have conceded the lead in all the games we have, you will find obviously an individual mistake but they usually come as a result of a bigger issue. For example: City away - sitting too deep against 10 men, United - sitting too deep, Tottenham - huge spaces in the midfield. Personally I don't agree with always completely dissolving the system and the manager of blame when individual errors take place.

We were hardly sitting deep at City when they scored their goal - it happened because two players just went AWOL for a few seconds. At United, their goal came from a set piece (no thanks to Phil Dowd!) and we failed to mark Fellaini and Van Persie. Against Tottenham, it was just one of those days where everything went completely wrong - individual errors, team mistakes which were partly caused the management of Mourinho in the bigger scheme of things.

[The Chels 2,502]

We were hardly sitting deep at City when they scored their goal - it happened because two players just went AWOL for a few seconds. At United, their goal came from a set piece (no thanks to Phil Dowd!) and we failed to mark Fellaini and Van Persie. Against Tottenham, it was just one of those days where everything went completely wrong - individual errors, team mistakes which were partly caused the management of Mourinho in the bigger scheme of things.

Hmm I still disagree. Against City, for example, why were they allowed to progress so far into our half and all the way into our box? When that happens it's inevitable that individual mistakes would prove costly. Schurrle/Ivanovic were obviously at fault but who is responsible for allowing that to happen, for deciding not to press a 10-man team and keep them as far away from our box as possible? The system/manager.

[Jase 43,479]

Hmm I still disagree. Against City, for example, why were they allowed to progress so far into our half and all the way into our box? When that happens it's inevitable that individual mistakes would prove costly. Schurrle/Ivanovic were obviously at fault but who is responsible for allowing that to happen, for deciding not to press a 10-man team and keep them as far away from our box as possible? The system/manager.

Just because they have 10 man, doesn't mean we should just go press them. It's Man City, not some team from the Conference. Mistakes can also happen by opening yourself up to the opponent. Doesn't mean we won't have conceded had we pressed City. Had Schurrle and Ivanovic done their jobs right, this wouldn't even be part of the discussion. You run risks regardless of whichever approach is taken in matches.

[The Chels 2,502]

Just because they have 10 man, doesn't mean we should just go press them. It's Man City, not some team from the Conference. Mistakes can also happen by opening yourself up to the opponent. Doesn't mean we won't have conceded had we pressed City. Had Schurrle and Ivanovic done their jobs right, this wouldn't even be part of the discussion. You run risks regardless of whichever approach is taken in matches.

If we had 8-9 players behind the ball and were compact with an initial press starting as soon as they got into our half (didn't have to be particularly aggressive) then there's no way they'd have been allowed to waltz so easily into our box like they did. Yes we might still have conceded but it would have reduced the chances and that's what football is all about - manipulating the probabilities in your favour. Take the Atletico home game last year: I assume you would just blame Hazard for 2 of the 3 goals we conceded because he switched off. Personally I would also look at the manager because it was he who was responsible for assigning a not-so-defensively-diligent winger the role of tracking a dangerous FB all the way back into our box and thus allowed for that individual error to be a big possibility.

The bottom line is mistakes will happen regardless of the system, but I don't think that our current system (especially when we take the lead) gives us the best opportunity for those mistakes not to be costly. I feel like a broken record moaning about Mourinho's tactics so I'll happily agree to disagree with you on this one!

[Jase 43,479]

If we had 8-9 players behind the ball and were compact with an initial press starting as soon as they got into our half (didn't have to be particularly aggressive) then there's no way they'd have been allowed to waltz so easily into our box like they did. Yes we might still have conceded but it would have reduced the chances and that's what football is all about - manipulating the probabilities in your favour.

You could have 8-9 players pressing the opposition together but if someone switches off like Schurrle and Ivanovic did in the City, then the pressing would become useless, the opposition can just play around us and we would probably concede because of that. What we did then against City was nothing wrong. They thrive on spaces and we denied them. We minimized their chances of scoring. They only scored because two players went AWOL.

Take the Atletico home game last year: I assume you would just blame Hazard for 2 of the 3 goals we conceded because he switched off. Personally I would also look at the manager because it was he who was responsible for assigning a not-so-defensively-diligent winger the role of tracking a dangerous FB all the way back into our box and thus allowed for that individual error to be a big possibility.

Defensively diligent or not, it was Hazard's job to mark his man and he didn't, regardless of whether it was in our own penalty box or outside of it on the left flank.

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

I wonder if Jose Mourinho will say to himself one day. I am tired of this. I must leave from Chelsea FC and England because the English Media and English FA are ruining my life and Health I should go back home to Portugal were my people will Love me and not treat me like shit like in England because I would've freaking exploded with anger at The English Media by now if I was Jose.

[manpe 10,861]

I wonder if Jose Mourinho will say to himself one day. I am tired of this. I must leave from Chelsea FC and England because the English Media and English FA are ruining my life and Health I should go back home to Portugal were my people will Love me and not treat me like shit like in England because I would've freaking exploded with anger at The English Media by now if I was Jose.

Jose has repeatedly stated his love for English football. I suspect he thrives on the attention he gets from the media, it makes it easier for him to set baits.

[We Hate Scouse 10,286]

I wonder if Jose Mourinho will say to himself one day. I am tired of this. I must leave from Chelsea FC and England because the English Media and English FA are ruining my life and Health I should go back home to Portugal were my people will Love me and not treat me like shit like in England because I would've freaking exploded with anger at The English Media by now if I was Jose.

The same happened in Italy and Spain and the Portuguese don't like him...http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3696708.stm

[Special Juan 27,424]

Rumors are that he told SKY to basically fuck off from Cobham today.

[lionsden 4,689]

With regards to losing leads. There's a solution to that. Don't rely on one goal to win a match. Push for more when you can. The heart attack inducing pressure of watching your team defend a 1 nil lead in the closing stages alone makes me hate the idea of sitting on one fragile goal. Especially with the way we just sit back and invite pressure, there's always an element of luck involved in keeping a one goal lead.

So we can either learn how to kill off the opposition with goals or their momentum by controlling the game I.e better in game management. Relying on th defence won't cut it.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Rumors are that he told SKY to basically fuck off from Cobham today.

Does Jose hate Neville now?

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Winning the League Cup can change our dynamic in certain games / certain times.

We are Chelsea and for a team like us being two consecutive years without winning any trophy would be a big failure.

I see some anxiety about it. Not only in Jose, also in our players. Last year we were eliminated in the semifinals of the Champions League, and we lost the Premier League at the last moment.

Jose and our players know this, and I think they do not want to risk at times for fear that we will do the same as last season.

So in big games we played with intelligence and pragmatism. Step by step and thinking about any kind of risk.

I think if we win the League Cup, in some way, that could relax the anxiety level we have now, and that can free our players and Jose.

The League Cup is a minor trophy, but can help us to manage better our anxiety.

Regards.

Agree, also the fact we're facing Spurs. No matter in a final or friendly match, we cannot afford to lose against those c****