The Mourinho Thread

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

I can understand why people are upset we sold De Bruyne, Mata etc but let's be realistic for a moment. We are only clamouring for them now because we're doing shit and they are doing well in their respective teams. No one was crying out for them last season when we strolled to the title (and mind you, players like Mata hardly shone last season). I think the main issue here isn't really about selling those players. It's more gotta do with the quality of players we brought in to replace them. We bought duds and tossed them out 6-12 months later after realising they aren't actually good at all. The mess we're in right now has exposed the lack of quality players we have in the squad.

I cried about Bertrand ALL of last season even when we had Luis if you check his thread

but you are right.

[Stingray 9,441]

What bothered me was the post match talk. There is a lot of talk about 'if the board wants to sack me'. I think he has lost support, inside the player group and outside. It is happening right now. I never expected this, but Mou is breaking down real fast.

[Jase 43,479]

People did. Even though we won the title, when it was Hazard who was mainly stepping up more than other players and Oscar went back to hiding again, many people were making it clear that KDB should be here. Not so much Mata, but KDB especially as he was always scoring or assisting if not both every week in the Bundesliga. Mata despite not being excellent last season still got into double figures with goals and that is considering one stage he struggled to get in the team. Mata was a fans favourite and one of our best players and while we got a big fee for him, his replacement is not as good and has not lived up to the hype Mourinho gave him which is more frustrating.

They did but the shouts then weren't as loud as now especially when he wasn't playing for one of our direct rivals in the league. If we had brought in proper replacements, quality replacements, we wouldn't be talking about the ones we sold right now.

[CFC-Hazard10 19]

I think the board needs to ask themselves a big question, as early as Monday;

Do we want to save our season?

If the answer is yes, then Jose needs to go now. We have been in poor form throughout 2015, and if it wasn't for set pieces/individual wondergoals, we'd be even worse off than where we are at the moment. We have no setup, no passion, like the players just don't want to play for the manager/shirt anymore. Something needs to change. We've tried different players/slight tactical changes and absolutely nothing has helped. Somewhere along the line, the blame has to be with the manager.

We need a positive thinking manager. Someone who can actually be here a number of years, actually have the mentality of building a dominant squad with a tactical awareness to play flowing, winning football. I would look no further than Klopp.

If the answer is no, and we are writing off this season; then Baba, RLC and Kenedy/Traore needs as many minutes as possible. If we are just playing to finish this season, why not give them extensive minutes to develop/get used to the flow of the Premier League? Besides, they cannot play worse than our current crop. Use them, develop them. Also, if we write off this season and finish 7th for example, then some players will want to leave purely for the fact that they won't play Champions League football with Chelsea that upcoming season.

[Pizy 19,377]

Has anyone even thought about the financial consequences that sacking him would have? The pay off would be massive of course, but you then have to pay the next big name manager a huge salary and possibly have no CL football which handicaps him straight away because we'd have less money to back him with and a smaller pool of players to recruit from. We'd basically have to tell the next manager that he must "work with what we have" even if the players may not suit the new guy. We're seeing now what that mentality is doing for us.

He pretty much HAS to stay.

[bethos1 802]

What pisses me off the most is the fact that we still play without real fullbacks, well we do play one but he has to play out of position... I wonder how the fuck he even came up with that idea.

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

I would love to see what is going on behind the scenes. The problem for me doesn't begin and end with Mourinho, as i said several posts ago sacking the manager would be beneficial in the short term, but after a while the same cracks we're seeing now would show up again. The best possible outcome from the club as a whole would be to come out of this situation with the current staff and players, everyone would mature and grow some balls out of this situation, but to do this the general "aura" for a lack of better words, has to change, beginning from José. Sadly things don't look like changing much, today was a disaster, hell was probably the worst football match i've ever seen, it looked so depressing and without hope. I'm lost for words and as i said i would love to see what's happening behind the scenes.

[The Skipper 20,609]

No I accept that, we've been playing like shit all of 2015. I don't know what the fuck happened to Hazard, Cesc and co this year, because whatever bright spark they had has gone.

But at the same time what's the use in changing manager. Again?! Firstly, there's no suitable replacements out there so we'd probably get stuck with someone shit like Avram Grant or something. Secondly, anyone who is brought in will literally never see a third season either because we'll just turn on him.

Klopp would be more than suitable tbh. I feel like he'd properly unlock Eden's potential.

[Iggy Doonican 4,187]

Just got back from the game extremely drunk. I personally think there's no going back we were totally outclassed by Southampton. Really want to hear from Chelsea fans positive or negative lets have it. And no holding back say what you feel this is not The Shed End Forum.

[Jase 43,479]

Klopp would be more than suitable tbh. I feel like he'd properly unlock Eden's potential.

But you have to ask - Is the current crop of players suitable to play Klopp's style? We wouldn't want another AVB situation like we had 2-3 years ago and there were even accusations that Klopp didn't know how to change or what to do when his playing style wasn't working anymore for Dortmund last season.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Klopp would be more than suitable tbh. I feel like he'd properly unlock Eden's potential.

But you have to ask - Is the current crop of players suitable to play Klopp's style? We wouldn't want another AVB situation like we had 2-3 years ago and there were even accusations that Klopp didn't know how to change or what to do when his playing style wasn't working anymore for Dortmund last season.

I feel like Klopp needs another managerial position before he steps up to the Madrid/Barcelona/Chelsea's of the world. See if he can adapt to another league and still demonstrate the same attributes that made him a success at Dortmund

[Jase 43,479]

From the BBC interview:

Interviewer: Southampton also questioned about having penalties in the first half...

Mourinho: I prefer not to comment. [leaves]

Really Mourinho? You were slagging off the ref because you think refs are scared to give us a penalty but Southampton also had strong penalty shouts and they also didn't get!

You are not being honest Jose, you are looking more arrogant and ignorant than ever.

Not sure why that needs to be pointed out. We know managers always turn a blind eye when a decision goes against the opposition/in their favor. Nothing new here and certainly not when it involves Mourinho.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

But you have to ask - Is the current crop of players suitable to play Klopp's style? We wouldn't want another AVB situation like we had 2-3 years ago and there were even accusations that Klopp didn't know how to change or what to do when his playing style wasn't working anymore for Dortmund last season.

I definitely think so.

The only player who is clearly not suited to his system would be Cesc, because he cannot press to save his life, but Costa, Oscar, Willian, Matic all are capable ball winners and pressers. We even have the athletic and mobile Fullbacks too in Baba and Azpi.

[Pizy 19,377]

But you have to ask - Is the current crop of players suitable to play Klopp's style? We wouldn't want another AVB situation like we had 2-3 years ago and there were even accusations that Klopp didn't know how to change or what to do when his playing style wasn't working anymore for Dortmund last season.

I think we would immediately see a change to our attacking play under Klopp. The tempo and build up would surely improve. Also think he'd utilize Baba straight away and let Ivanovic go at the end of the season. Not sure a player like Fabregas would suit his style at all so that would be a big problem.

Again, this will be the problem with anyone we bring in if José is sacked. He's got loads of guys that perfectly suit HIS football so whoever we get will need at LEAST a couple of transfer windows to create their team.

[Vytis33 1,408]

The manager can only do so much. At some point it falls on the players shoulders. Cesc has been pitiful. Matic is unrecognizable. So the middle of our team has been gutted which puts more pressure on everyone else. Then everyone on this forum is pissing and moaning about Ivan which is fair. But did it ever occur that he might truly be the best option (as scary as that sounds)? Baba has hardly looked convincing in his few appearances.

We had a whole transfer window to strengthen the team and did almost nothing. Fairly confident that if Jose had carte blance he would've brought more players in...so not sure he's entirely to blame here.

[Jase 43,479]

I definitely think so.

The only player who is clearly not suited to his system would be Cesc, because he cannot press to save his life, but Costa, Oscar, Willian, Matic all are capable ball winners and pressers. We even have the athletic and mobile Fullbacks too in Baba and Azpi.

But what about the center backs? We can't have slow and reactive defenders in the back 4 if we're going to go down that route and if that playing style can't be sustained, can Klopp find another way to make things work? His last season at Dortmund suggests 'No'. We wouldn't want a manager who knows only one way of playing and has no idea what to do when that style isn't working.

I think we would immediately see a change to our attacking play under Klopp. The tempo and build up would surely improve. Also think he'd utilize Baba straight away and let Ivanovic go at the end of the season. Not sure a player like Fabregas would suit his style at all so that would be a big problem.

Again, this will be the problem with anyone we bring in if José is sacked. He's got loads of guys that perfectly suit HIS football so whoever we get will need at LEAST a couple of transfer windows to create their team.

That's likely to happen regardless of who we replace Mourinho with. But here's the thing, the players' improvement then might have more gotta do with the old manager going and a new one coming in and they are just reacting to that change before everything goes back to the dull state again.

[Myself 793]

I don't think sacking Mourinho right now would be the best choice - give him until January, I say. Even at this early point of the season, I don't think we're going to finish at the top, so what's the worst that could happen? If stability is truly what we're after then the man who's won the title thrice with us deserves until January. He OBVIOUSLY wants to stay here, and if Abramovich talks to Jose about the teams playstyle I don't understand why he wouldn't change it.

I think what we really need to do is get rid of deadwood and for the meantime use our academy, the likes of Baker/RLC/Solanke are definitely ready, willing, and able and more importantly infinitely better than Ramires/Mikel/Falcao/Cuadrado etc.

[Jase 43,479]

But the irony. He said he'll never run away, but then runs away when he's asked about the Southampton penalty shouts.

You're now just taking his words out of context. When Mourinho said he won't run away, he meant he won't leave the job on his own accord.

[Hybrid Angel 2,130]

There is no comeback for Mourinho. I like to believe but it won't happen because he has shown no sign of that. People who are defending him, did you even read his post-match comments? When he is showing no will to make things better, there is no need to support him. Side note: Supporting the manager is not the same thing as supporting Chelsea.

I want Klopp. He is a key to our Hazards, Pedros, Oscars, Fabregas' and Willians. Hope the scourses don't get him.

[Myself 793]

There is no comeback for Mourinho. I like to believe but it won't happen because he has shown no sign of that. People who are defending him, did you even read his post-match comments? When he is showing no will to make things better, there is no need to support him. Side note: Supporting the manager is not the same thing as supporting Chelsea.

I want Klopp. He is a key to our Hazards, Pedros, Oscars, Fabregas' and Willians. Hope the scourses don't get him.

Dortmund's 15/16 season was a terrible one. He started just like we are and he finished just like some of you guys think we might (not saying you in specific haha). Why would you want him?