The Mourinho Thread

[kmk108 1,186]

Thats really an absurd way to defend Mourinho. Its just unbeliveable how far some people go. To be honest I never see anyone paying attention for "minutes per interception" and "minutes per tackle" stats coming from players like Neymar, Messi and Robben. I just can't imagine City, United, Barcelona, Real or Bayern dropping an attacking player because he won't defend well against a team in the botton of the table.

The stats show he doesn't defend. You can't argue that he does. Whether or not he needs to is a completely different issue altogether. If our defense was doing fine, I wouldn't have a problem with his workrate on defense (like in past seasons), but when we're struggling at the back as much as we have been this season, it's not absurd to ask him to do more to help out the team.

[Weckerz 3,781]

How is it absurd to say he doesn't defend enough? The players compared aren't really comparable, but look at the numbers. He doesn't put any effort into defending, and we know Mourinho values that over everything else.

An attacking midfielder about as large as a 12 year old defensively inept.. outrageous ^^

There were days wingers were rated on their chance creation and crosses, since Ronaldo wingers have to score 30 goals a season, now they have to be defensively solid.

He's been shit, but stop this nonsense about defending, it's absurd.

[Henrique 9,133]

The stats show he doesn't defend. You can't argue that he does. Whether or not he needs to is a completely different issue altogether. If our defense was doing fine, I wouldn't have a problem with his workrate on defense (like in past seasons), but when we're struggling at the back as much as we have been this season, it's not absurd to ask him to do more to help out the team.

I would understand if he was dropping Hazard for a game against Barcelona in the Camp Nou, but when the team have 4 bad defenders, and won't be happy if an attacking player is getting the blame, when midfielders with more important defensive duties (Fabregas) are doing bad in that aspect, and that would be even worst if we are talking about a game against Aston Villa.

[kmk108 1,186]

I would understand if he was dropping Hazard for a game against Barcelona in the Camp Nou, but when the team have 4 bad defenders, and won't be happy if an attacking player is getting the blame, when midfielders with more important defensive duties (Fabregas) are doing bad in that aspect, and that would be even worst if we are talking about a game against Aston Villa.

Why would you want to drop Hazard for a game against Barcelona, when we can do without him against Villa. That was the point of Mourinho dropping him for this match. We did fine against Villa without him, and he's rested and fresh for the game against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.

You won't get any argument from me that Fabregas deserves the bench more than Hazard, but Mourinho dropped Hazard to send a message to him that he needs to earn a spot in the team. He knows he can do this with Hazard, because he'll respond to it and work harder.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

The Homer Simpson's thing was perfect to describe your post.

Hardly. People like you spend your time winding up people that don't hate Mourinho and then cry when those people bite back.

[Fulham Broadway 17,810]

He wins trophies, and nobobdy is even debating this, what people are discussing is if that strategy work on the long term. He is winning trophies for over a decade, but not with the same team. He won a PL last season, and somehow his tactics paid off, but right now what really matter is not what happened in the past.

I also beleive its time to come up with "Fergie" every time someone want to defend a manager. Its not wrong with a manager wants to criticize a player, the problem is the reason why and the timing.

Still its great to be a Chelsea fan eh ? C'mon Henri its not all doom and gloom is it me old mate ? Eh ? "championes championes, ole ole ole ole Chelsea Chelsea !!'

You have to admit its a great club to support isnt it ? We're having a few difficulties, but who doesnt ? Who the fuck doesnt -eh? I know you dont like him because of the Portuguese/Brazil ting, but we've got the greatest manager Chels ever had at the helm havent we ? Give the cunt a bit of slack. Roman n the Board have. Cmon.

[Pacquiao 1,834]

So we finally got to see what Mou's answer was to this crisis:

Remove the last bit of creativity from our team and go even more defensive.

This guy is just a portuguese Tony Pulis but with a bigger ego and a bigger budget.

We were in the process of building a team who could win things by playing more attacking and entertaining football and he singlehandedly killed it just to win a league title in the short term

yes because Pulis could obviously win the treble with Porto and Inter and back to back PL titles with Chelsea.

[Henrique 9,133]

Why would you want to drop Hazard for a game against Barcelona, when we can do without him against Villa. That was the point of Mourinho dropping him for this match. We did fine against Villa without him, and he's rested and fresh for the game against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.

You won't get any argument from me that Fabregas deserves the bench more than Hazard, but Mourinho dropped Hazard to send a message to him that he needs to earn a spot in the team. He knows he can do this with Hazard, because he'll respond to it and work harder.

I'm against using that kind of primitive strategy to send messages to your player.

[Spike 12,049]

I'm against using that kind of primitive strategy to send messages to your player.

What enlightened strategies would you use?

[Henrique 9,133]

What enlightened strategies would you use?

I'm not a manager, so I don't habe any elightened strategy, but I think I'm a good boss, so I would try to have a private convertation with my player and try to understand whats wrong and explain why I think he could be a better player if he develop some aspects of his game. I think I also would try to understand what my players can and cannot do, and would try to play with a strategy that would get the best ouf of my players.

Lets be honest, the board should just fire Mourinho and name Henrique as the new manager.

[quickpassnmove 924]

Dont get me wrong Im not exactly loving Mourinho right now, but to sack a manager who rightly criticises a player is idiocy. If Hazard leaves one day this forum will be left with true fans of the club.

I'm still looking for a reason why I might enjoy watching CFC play now that Drogba's time is truly done. Jose and whatever is going on within the organization are making enjoyment nearly impossible. I'm skipping more matches and fast-fowarding through some of the play.

At this rate, I'll be done watching football within a couple years. better things to do with the time left in life.

[Adnane 1,101]

People are twisting the facts.

Baba is poor defensively at the moment, everyone even on TC ( which is surprising lolz ) noticed that, it would have always been hard to put him in a side where he would have to defend more than behind a Pedro or a Willian, because yes, those two are still miles ahead of Hazard in terms of covering their left back, and Baba really still needs to improve defensively.

I don't understand people, everyone is calling for Baba, Iva is injured, Mourinho puts him, people start moaning because he is protecting him by a more versatile winger, do you guys even realize he is resting Hazard for the same matter ?

Do you realize that Hazard and Oscar burned out in our last two seasons, I'm glad José is learning to rotate and try different options, have different people included.

Hazard is going back to his place next game, and don't be surprised if Jose starts a Zouma/Azpi pair ahead of a Baba/Azpi one as Cahill would be fit, and that would make perfect sense.

I have criticized tons of his choices this season, but you are guys over reacting here, chillax, he isn't going to sell/bench the guy he's been prainsing since he came back here, Mou appreciates Hazard, and we all sense reciprocity in that, remember when he benched him for a home Premier League game and everyone went mad ? When he criticized him against Atletico ? Didn't Eden get better and collect every single individual award last year in the EPL ? Yeah so get your heads around the fact that José knows what he's doing.

As for his situation, I was willing to give him a last chance, he won against Villa, the result was good, factually he did some good decisions, including Baba, Pedro/Willian, RLC and Matic, some bad ones, like Fabregas, but get over it, we won, I'm happy, end of story, onto the next one, I'll slam him again when we lose.

MOAN DOWN, RAM PA PA PAM.

[Spike 12,049]

I'm not a manager, so I don't habe any elightened strategy, but I think I'm a good boss, so I would try to have a private convertation with my player and try to understand whats wrong and explain why I think he could be a better player if he develop some aspects of his game. I think I also would try to understand what my players can and cannot do, and would try to play with a strategy that would get the best ouf of my players.

Lets be honest, the board should just fire Mourinho and name Henrique as the new manager.

You don't know that he doesn't do that. That is near impossible to know; so you are criticising Mourinho based on a hypothetical; which in turn is based on conjecture.

[Ainsley Harriott 2,732]

How does a manager take a public dig a player that he considered top 3 in the world and said he was better than Ronaldo last season... For not defending enough?

Meanwhile, others have been a steaming shower of shit and yet simply don't get benched. Way to go, this man has turned into a professional troll. We're fucked really, the board won't fire him because they'd have to give him around 50M euros + pay the next coach.

[Henrique 9,133]

Still its great to be a Chelsea fan eh ? C'mon Henri its not all doom and gloom is it me old mate ? Eh ? "championes championes, ole ole ole ole Chelsea Chelsea !!'

You have to admit its a great club to support isnt it ? We're having a few difficulties, but who doesnt ? Who the fuck doesnt -eh? I know you dont like him because of the Portuguese/Brazil ting, but we've got the greatest manager Chels ever had at the helm havent we ? Give the cunt a bit of slack. Roman n the Board have. Cmon.

You should just answer the PM I sent you, and avoid this kind of trash the next time, or you could just add me in your "ignore" list.

[Jase 43,479]

Now while I think Mourinho has gone a bit too far in this instance, I don't understand why its scoffed at when people ask about how good wingers are defensively.

But Hazard is not even bad defensively, is he? Let's not also act as if Mourinho doesn't ask the attacking players to do more defensive work than one normally would.

Look at Azpilcueta, he's as solid as you can get as a defender but isn't even considered when talking about the best fullbacks in the world because he isn't the best going forward.

What do you expect when Azpi - a right back is being played out of position at left back? He's not even getting the chance to improve, develop himself and show what he can do - both offensively and defensively - in his natural position on a consistent basis.

[Jase 43,479]

Imagine Baba and Hazard on the same flank. You don't think we would've conceded? Most people were slating Baba saying he's bang average, he's as bad as Ivanovic etc. You then want Hazard, who lets be honest doesn't defend as well as Willian, on the same wing? Then we'd concede and we're back to Mourinho being clueless.

So, in other words, Hazard's inclusion depends on the availability of Ivanovic? God, we are so screwed!

Why did we even let Luis to leave in the summer?! If Mourinho is so concerned about playing Hazard and Baba on the same side, then play the former in the centre or even on the right.

Yeah, the comments weren't probably necessary. But it spurred him on after last season didn't it?

It did. But that approach is getting tiresome but judging by this season alone, it's not really working either. A number of players have been criticized but none have really improved. On top of that, the public criticism - if Mourinho really wants to do it - only works if it's justified but in this case, it's not justified. Could just easily tell Hazard (or whoever else) that he's unhappy with this and that behind closed doors and it would likely yield a positive result/response. Doesn't always have to go public with the comments.

[Adnane 1,101]

Hazard is not bad defendively.

But he is not good enough for a side where Baba would play too.

And that's why Filipe didn't play much last year ( yes, brilliant offensively and defensively atm with Atletico, but he was really struggling physically against PL wingers with us... )

[bethos1 802]

Hazard is not bad defendively.

But he is not good enough for a side where Baba would play too.

And that's why Filipe didn't play much last year ( yes, brilliant offensively and defensively atm with Atletico, but he was really struggling physically against PL wingers with us... )

Then put him on the right with Azpi, it's still a better solution than to put Iva back in the team.

[Jase 43,479]

Jose Mourinho's obsession with personal battles could lose him the war