The Mourinho Thread

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Annoyed that no one asks him about the double pivot. Media arent that sophisticated for those questions i guess. And well the English media see Lampard there.. they wouldnt speek about him too badly right? not when he scores goals at least.

Im a hugh Mourinho fan, probably one his biggests, but i think him ignoring the double pivot issues over the summer is the biggest disappointment i had from a manager in a transfer window. I was sure and said to myself "Jose comes, he had freaking Alonso in Madrid, and then even got Modric for the same role, he cant leave us with those Lampard/Ramires/Mikel combo's...he'll get a DLP or at least someone like Witzel". And well, seeing Mikel-Rami starting the game today got me thinking again - is this what Jose wanted to see this all summer? thats the big plan? talking non-stop about change, "change style", "be proactive, no reactive", with this midfield Jose?

Im not even talking about Lampard, because i wasnt surprised that Jose will put him as the main man in midfield and completely ignoring his huge failures in that role. Jose and Lampard is a love story, he cant bench him that quickly, he will sometime, but for now Lamps will get his fair share of game time no matter what. Back to the subject, im talking about Jose agreeing to the option that he will start the Mikel-Ramires DP many times this season. That could make me furious in a few weeks if it goes on. Starting Mikel-Ramires is like Jose would start Essien-Khedira in his Madrid days. IT NEVER HAPPEND. Not in the league or CL at least. Our central midfield is ok with no creativity and players to give the key forword pass and in Real it cant happen? i dont get it. Bollocks.

If KDB isnt going to move deeper in a few weeks-month or two, its a hugh shocker from Jose, huge.

Yea I'm with you here. Except I don't think he's going to use Kevin dB in that position because there's no evidence to suggest it. I think he actually sees the Belgian as a wide player and it's not hard to understand why after seeing his performances there. I am, however, surprised that MvG hasn't seen much football because he did really well in pre-season and that's actually his natural position.

[standup 28]

No wonder I hate people more and more everyday. After going through years of complete fartfest under the likes of Grant, Scolari, AVB and Benitez ffs (sry if I missed some, can't remember em all) some people are seriously calling for Mourinho's head. I can see a "Jose OUT" thread being unleashed after the next loss. And then they are the first ones to moan about Roman's rotating door policy. Seriously, fuck off.

And a big fuck you to the guy who said managers are easy to find and replace.

Well said mate. We'd be an even bigger laughing stock if we sacked Jose. Who top manager would seriously join us?

In Jose we trust. Get behind him!

[Laylabelle 9,534]

No wonder I hate people more and more everyday. After going through years of complete fartfest under the likes of Grant, Scolari, AVB and Benitez ffs (sry if I missed some, can't remember em all) some people are seriously calling for Mourinho's head. I can see a "Jose OUT" thread being unleashed after the next loss. And then they are the first ones to moan about Roman's rotating door policy. Seriously, fuck off.

And a big fuck you to the guy who said managers are easy to find and replace.

Exactly.Easy to find doesnt mean anything!Doesnt mean any good or they'll want the job.Fuck this one up and we're screwed really...its sodding 5 games or whatever he aint a miracle worker.Cant click fingers and everything gels and magic happens..takes time...Jose out really?!Only just got back in!!!

[Fernando 6,585]

You got it wrong. Jose was very clear about Oscar as the No 10, and he said Mata and him could play together when Mata (not Oscar) will get used to his new role AKA the wing.

In the summer, when asked about if he'll get another CM to the squad, he said 'no, i have Mikel, Lamps, MVG, Ess, Rami and also KDB can play there'. Thats the only glimpse of hope.

That's not the feeling I got from that post match interview.

He said he is not ready to change Oscar position. Meaning it is the one we have been thinking where Oscar could play in the double pivot....in fact he mention how Oscar was doing with Mikel like Parker and Sidwell where doing in the double pivot role.

He sees that but that he is not ready to make this changes.

It is still clear that Mata will continue to be our number 10 for the future while Oscar will be that deep lying playmaker we thought he could be. He has all the attribute to play there.

For crying out loud Lampard has been playing it the last season, why Oscar can't?

[kellzfresh 7,229]

No wonder I hate people more and more everyday. After going through years of complete fartfest under the likes of Grant, Scolari, AVB and Benitez ffs (sry if I missed some, can't remember em all) some people are seriously calling for Mourinho's head. I can see a "Jose OUT" thread being unleashed after the next loss. And then they are the first ones to moan about Roman's rotating door policy. Seriously, fuck off.

And a big fuck you to the guy who said managers are easy to find and replace.

Somebody feels my pain too. I couldnt have put it any better.

[Stingray 9,441]

After being initially disappointed a bit after the ManU game - I must say he is such an intelligent coach, very shrewd and tactically adept. If you try and see between the lines, you can tell he is really building something (but you gotta break the eggs to make the omelet ). I have NO worries for Hazard actually (nor does he need a shrink B, lol). He is unlearning and learning again - I predict he will explode after new year.

It is just a WHOLE different kind of play, really (Thanks @SEB for the great analysis in the other thread) and I believe we as a team will only progress the next few weeks - to a point we are virtually unstoppable. Can you just imagine what happens when Oscar keeps doing this on the 10, when Hazard finds his routine in this new philosophy and Eto'o starts scoring ... wow.

The last few games you see the movement changing, positions alter and while we are still shite right now, we do have the top of the table.

I am starting to really like it (even though I miss KDB a bit on the pitch - but that will come good as well, no doubt).

:blue scalf:

[The Mak 4,459]

Eden would be a nailed-on starter for Spurs. His problem has been that teams have defended with a low block which reduces the space he has and sees him getting the ball with his back to goal - that is almost the complete opposite of how Spurs would be expected to set up against us, isn't it?

You'd expect them to leave gaps as they'd be looking to pressure us. So Jose picks Hazard and Cole for the first few games, rests them in midweek and chucks them back in against Spurs.

Taking a step back and looking at the season as a whole rather than simply looking at individual games, doesn't that make some sense or am I wrong?

Sorry, but who cares if teams have defended with a low block or not? We come up against it nearly 90% of the time, but that didn't stop him being effective last year did it?!

Low block, high block, Jenny from the block - it doesn't matter. Mourinho basically said he's basing his selections on form and Hazard's form is bad.

Even still, if Schurrle can show more penetration than Hazard against a low block, what can he do with even more space to run into?

[zolayes 14,489]

You're not really a Chelsea fan are you?

I have resisted commenting on his name ,,,

[zolayes 14,489]

I think if the Mata situation become very very bad- maybe Mata says he wants to leave, he put in the transfer request, then Mourinho must leave. Managers, they are easy to find, easy to replace. Mata, he is not. Mourinho is not Sir Ferguson, he is not the most important thing in the club. That is Mata.

GREAT LOGIC we get rid of jose and oscar ,,,,then Mata gets an injury or a serious (torres like ) loss of form ....what then Ein stein???

[Jase 43,479]

Jose Mourinho blames himself for extra scrutiny as win against toothless Fulham brings welcome respite

[Tomo 21,751]

Jose > any player. Anyone who says otherwise are mad, Jose has a track record that suggest's he make's the right decision's 9 times out of 10.

No player should be deemed bigger than the club, if Jose believes we are a better team unit without Mata then we have to back him. Mata has been a great player and been standout in our team's that have finished 6th and scraped 3rd, it's a new challenge for him standing out a club that are going to consistently challenge for the title, personally i think he can be that, and it's up to him for show that.

Jose isn't a winner because he is sentimental, if he believes that letting a player (whoever that is) go and bring another one in, i will back his decision. It's easy to say "well if this was any of our previous manager's then we would go mad if he was not playing Mata or one of our favorites as much", our previous manager's under Roman don't have the same history of success so ofcourse they would get questioned more than Jose does.

Pep and Ferguson if they were Chelsea manager's would get the same leeway and trust (for me anyway). We aren't "letting Jose off the hook" because of his history with the club, we are doing it because he is a serial winner who knows how to build winning teams. I remember in 2004 i thought we were a bit hasty letting the experience of Hasselbaink and especially Desailly leave so quick, but Jose proved me wrong.

The fact Mata is not playing as much is only a good thing to us, this type of depth has been the stuff off dreams at Chelsea for the past 3 years, we are playing genuine top players still when Mata doesn't play, it's not like we are dropping him to play the Kaloudanelka trio, is it?

[nadavTKL 1,787]

If he was sold and replaced with someone who fits the style and system better I would be cool with it, even though I am a big fan of his.

We just got Willian, and we also have Schurrle and KDB. If Mata will leave we dont need a replacement.

[Blue Warrior 109]

Mourinho is are leader, every Chelsea fan should be behind him. We are in contention and everything is to play for. Time to reassert ourselves. No surrender, the Blues march on!

[The_Flash 1,144]

I am sure it's been discussed but I just loved Jose calling out Jamie Redknapp on the pish he was spouting before kick off. Jose's response live to him was brilliant, Jamie was mortified and it was Classic Jose.

[Barbara 15,149]

I do have a problem with the Eden situation because of the Mata situation. Tom what I meant is if Eden can't deal with being benched, then get him a shrink AFTER benching him. I agree with you about he unlearning and learning - but that should reflect more on his positioning, his work-rate, his movement, but I think what's bad right now isn't any of those things, but how he just doesn't respond to the problems presented to him. We see 1-2 good plays by him per match and sometimes not even that... He needs to step up, he needs to be more daring in his actions and more lethal. We all know he's capable of that.

Mata is going through the same... the only difference between both is that I see Eden responding to the work-rate demand promptly. He improved light years in that department whereas Mata didn't. But well Hazard is bigger, stronger and faster than Mata so it's easier to him and he's trying, I can honestly say Eden is trying - whereas Mata seems a bit lost, poor thing.

But my problem is if he comes publicly and says he'll keep or drop players based in the present presentations, then how come Hazard stays in the team when he has been okay or bad more often than a simple good? I know he's the guy Mourinho is betting all his money on. I know he's his untouchable, I know he's his golden goose (I wonder if the players are goose's or hen's eggs ) and I actually agree with him and support him on working on the team in a way that Hazard will be our biggest star because among the current players we have he's the only guy who has potential to be comparable to the likes of Neymar, Reus, Gotze, Bale (I don't see much in Bale, but for the sake of the world who seems to be fascinated by him I'm including him) and probably others I can't remember who will be the next generation's super stars. Hazard is our future and the guy I think will be getting Balon d'Or nominations in a few years against those guys I just mentioned (except Bale ).

But there's a distance between potential and talent and José said it himself, so I think he could use the same rules he's been using to the whole team to Hazard. It will help his growth. He needs to know that if he doesn't play well, he'll be dropped. Not when he doesn't play well in 1-2 matches because that's normal, but Eden is yet to give us a really great match and honestly I think Kevin and André outplayed him so far, so why does Mou have to choose between André and Kev if he could be giving them both chances by dropping Hazard for a couple of matches? Mata must feel bad because of that... it doesn't help the Mata situation because Juan is not stupid and anyone can see Eden isn't playing as well as he was... or as he should. He needs to mature in a few areas I think he's still a bit immature. He's 22 and I know he's young, but let's not use this excuse forever... Oscar is younger than him and he's showing more maturity, so the age excuse can get you only as far.

This kind of situation is the one that could bring a dressing room problem. It isn't benching Mata and Luiz because of bad performances, as this is only natural, but it is keeping Hazard when he's been playing as bad or worse. Once Hazard shows in the pitch his untouchable status then I think it's fair that Mourinho starts overlooking a few bad matches. Two seasons ago (or early last season) Cris had a streak of about 5 matches playing shit. But it wasn't only not scoring, it was finishing a-la-Torres. I remember one of those matches were in UCL and I was like 'Cris for God's sake just stop sucking', but after everything Cristiano Ronaldo showed the world he can afford to play bad for a streak and still be kept in the team. Cris is one of the hardest workers I've seen in football. He's the kind of guy that many times arrived earlier to the training sessions and left after everyone else because he was doing his personal training, he was improving his finishing, training free kicks. You don't drop a guy like that even if he plays bad in 10 matches in a row because he's on his peak and it's only a bad patch. But you can't treat the guy that is in the middle of his improvement curve the same way.

Also I said in a previous post the things I disagree with Mou, but didn't say the ones I agree and that I've seen others disagreeing. I support Iva in the team 100%, I think our pivot can be improved with the players we have, improving the philosophy and also working closely with Mikel and Ramires who I believe can still learn a trick or two and improve technically. Oscar naturally drops deeper, so he'll make up for some lack of quality in the pass and in the vision in our midfield even if he plays as a #10. Don't get me wrong, I would have signed a better DM/CM but I think what we have is workable. Every team has an area where they aren't the best in the world, so let ours be there until van Ginkel grows and improves and obviously I agree with Oscar being in our #10. Until Mata recovers his form, the spot is Oscar's for the take. I don't want Oscar playing in the wings or in the pivot, he belongs in the #10 and the only situation I see him moving is to the bench when/if Mata becomes a better option. I don't know if Mourinho will play Mata in the wing or if he plans to move Oscar there once Mata is 100% sharp again. If it's the latter he'll have a hill to climb because Oscar has to improve a lot to play there... right now he can't. Or as someone pointed out maybe Mourinho wants Mata to be what Oscar is now - only that improved because he's more creative - and then work on Oscar's own growth and move him to the pivot. I'll cry when this days arrives (if it does) although on early days I supported the idea. But Mourinho isn't here to make the players play where I want them to play or where they want to play, but to find where they can be more useful to the team. I'll support him whatever his plan is about Oscar in the future once Mata is ready to reclaim his position.