The Mourinho Thread

[Henrique 9,133]

A Jaded Mourinho is still has 10x more character than the average manager. Our problem is the squad has too much drywood, plain and simple.

4-2-3-1 doesn't mean you're fielding two DMs, not at all. it's mean't for 1 holding mid and 1 box-to-box mid. Ramires is our only good box-to-box and even he gets about 10 feet into a run and loses the ball. If you look back at the Stoke City game. Matic started off as the holding mid and Lamps as more of a box-to-box but as the match warmed up they were switching their roles.

It doesn't matter, but this is what happened with Mourinho this season. Lampard barely played as a box-to-box. He became a DM this season. His attacking impact was close to none this season, just compare his goals with past season. Ramires played as a 2nd DM the whole season, you just need to compare his goals/assists stats with the previous two. This season his was spending less time supporting the team in the attack, and making more stupid things in the mid. Against Palace, as an example, we played with Matic+Luiz.

Way too lenient?, as opposed to what exactly?.. only ever criticising him?. There are members here who don't EVEN strike THAT balance.

I'm not talking about you, but there are lot of people who support Mourinho 100% of the time.

[The Skipper 20,609]

"Clearly, Chelsea had a fantastic team that lasted for 10 years, but that team is over, it doesn't exist any more. Chelsea needs to build another team with some similarities to that one. Some of these boys are still here, but not many of them. And Chelsea is building its future.

You could see this season that these people were important to give some stability, to give some experience to the team, but obviously they're not the players for the next 10 years. The players for the next 10 years have to be the Hazards, Oscars, Matic... these young guys are the guys for the next 10 years.

[...]

Eden has had a big evolution in his game and a big evolution in his personality. He had a high that lasted for a long time - many, many months. He couldn't finish on a high because he was injured and in the most important moment of the season - for the second leg against Paris, for the first leg against Atletico - he was not there.

Against Atletico in the second leg he was there but not in top condition. He wasn't there for the last few matches of the Premier League because of his injury, but he was clearly a player with a big evolution and hopefully he will be even better next season."

Good stuff Jose.

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpools-luis-suarez-isnt-footballer-3522510

The Chelsea boss says his Player of the Year would be Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko.

“He’s not just a goalscorer. He assists, he plays, he behaves, he’s fair, he doesn’t dive, doesn’t try to put opponents in the stands with accumulation of cards. I’d choose Dzeko,” he said.

“My player of the year would be always from the champions so if that is Manchester City, I would choose Dzeko.

He was the third-choice striker in the beginning of the season, but when the team needed him, in crucial moments of the season, he made the difference. Sixteen goals for the third striker is spectacular.

"If Liverpool win [the title] - and it would not take a miracle - I would go for Steven Gerrard.

[Fernando 6,585]

Way too lenient?, as opposed to what exactly?.. only ever criticising him?. There are members here who don't EVEN strike THAT balance.

No not only ever criticizing him, is analyzing thing and debating which is healthy in its way.

The problem here is that there's two side of the coins.

At one aspect you have people like @The only place to be, that take one side of the extreme coin. Everyone who doesn't' agree with him is not a "Chelsea supporter"

Then there's the other side of the coin that everything Mourinho does from day one is seen as negative light.

I don't agree with both extremes, I'm somewhere in the middle.

What I don't like is the constant I am holy then thou are attitude. This is such a childish attitude.

Have a conversation, or debate like normal adults, just don't behave like kids!

[Jase 43,479]

Mourinho biggest mistake this season was never giving up the 4-2-3-1 system. Its a really effective system if you are facing teams like Liverpool or City, but he was using the same system against teams like Crystal Palace. I mean, whats the point of fielding two DM against Palace? Anyone expected a different game with such conservative line-up against a ultra-defensive game? but some people here were saying Mourinho got the tactics right because it was the same line-up he used against Arsenal. I don't even have to discuss this subject, because if you think you should use the same tactics facing completely different animals like Arsenal and Palace, then the whole discussion is over.

I really liked Tx "rhetoric", because it reveals whats is going on here: some members see Mourinho as a special manager because of the period between 2004 and 2007, thats why they are way too lenient sometimes.

So easy to say 4-2-3-1 is a defensive formation with the 2 DMs and all, when it's not. Guess you weren't complaining when we beat the smaller sides with this 4-2-3-1, were you? Has nothing to do with the formation at all but more so with the application of the system. Take RDM for instance, when he first came in, he set us up in a defensive 4-2-3-1 system looking to play on the counter but in the following season, we played a more attacking 4-2-3-1. If anything, Mourinho arguably need set us loose a bit more in his favored 4-2-3-1 and not change the whole system so that we are less defensive. Heck, even the suggested 4-4-2 can be defensive if a manager wants it to be that way. Doesn't mean it's more attacking and speaking of 4-4-2, that formation is never going to work for us properly if we don't utilize proper wingers and even overlapping full backs to stretch the play. Otherwise, most things are just gonna clock in the midfield area like we are doing now most of the time and that system itself have hardly been a success for us this season when we've used it. We never seem to be able to control the midfield since most sides these days play with 3 in midfield and we always get overrun and as a result of that, we then just launch aimless long balls and only hoping that something will come good of it rather than having an actual plan with it.

[DoubleO 192]

So easy to say 4-2-3-1 is a defensive formation with the 2 DMs and all, when it's not. Guess you weren't complaining when we beat the smaller sides with this 4-2-3-1, were you? Has nothing to do with the formation at all but more so with the application of the system. Take RDM for instance, when he first came in, he set us up in a defensive 4-2-3-1 system looking to play on the counter but in the following season, we played a more attacking 4-2-3-1. If anything, Mourinho arguably need set us loose a bit more in his favored 4-2-3-1 and not change the whole system so that we are less defensive. Heck, even the suggested 4-4-2 can be defensive if a manager wants it to be that way. Doesn't mean it's more attacking and speaking of 4-4-2, that formation is never going to work for us properly if we don't utilize proper wingers and even overlapping full backs to stretch the play. Otherwise, most things are just gonna clock in the midfield area like we are doing now most of the time and that system itself have hardly been a success for us this season when we've used it. We never seem to be able to control the midfield since most sides these days play with 3 in midfield and we always get overrun and as a result of that, we then just launch aimless long balls and only hoping that something will come good of it rather than having an actual plan with it.

Not to mention AVB's boring 4-3-3.... always.

[Jase 43,479]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpools-luis-suarez-isnt-footballer-3522510

"Edin Dzeko is on Jose Mourinho striker wishlist after the Portuguese praises the Manchester City star"

[Jase 43,479]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2625191/Roman-Abramovich-falling-love-Jose-Mourinho-The-Chelsea-owner-not-happy-dull-football-outbursts.html

Only 1 season has passed since Mourinho returned and Daily Mail already stirring up BS about Roman not being happy with him..

[Jase 43,479]

Jose Mourinho prepares Chelsea's end-of-term report for Roman Abramovich to recommend how club can improve

[The only place to be 11,313]

At one aspect you have people like @The only place to be, that take one side of the extreme coin. Everyone who doesn't' agree with him is not a "Chelsea supporter"

Actually what I said was thatI don't think the negativity that some people continually express on here is something I recognise in the atmosphere around this club this season.

That doesn't mean I think people who disagree with me aren't Chelsea supporters. Supporters disagree with one other all the time. But I think there's a particularly pernicious negativity in many threads that doesn't resemble what I've experienced this year supporting this club. I actually think there's a fantastic sense of optimism amongst the vast majority of supporters after this season.

But if you think I'm wrong about that then that's fine.

[The Skipper 20,609]

I actually think there's a fantastic sense of optimism amongst the vast majority of supporters after this season.

At the same time, you're making up stuff again if you think the people that you continuously try to call out aren't optimistic about next season.

[The only place to be 11,313]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2625191/Roman-Abramovich-falling-love-Jose-Mourinho-The-Chelsea-owner-not-happy-dull-football-outbursts.html

Only 1 season has passed since Mourinho returned and Daily Mail already stirring up BS about Roman not being happy with him..

It's just lazy journalism. Roman has never gone to every game and that's probably got something to do with him being a billionaire businessman....and a father....and the owner of a massive fucking yacht that looks better in Barbados than in Chelsea Harbour.

Even the author concedes that Jose has next season to improve which has been his stated target ever since he arrived at the club. Last year we finished 14 points off the leaders, this year it will hopefully be 4. There's progress being made but it's always easier to be the guy moaning about shit.

[Billy. 2,742]

Seriously? By now, people should know well not to take Mourinho too seriously since most of the things, if not everything, he says has a motive or agenda behind it. Getting riled up by what he says is clearly what he wants especially his rivals but for the own fans to feel the same way is somewhat funny.

I know, but sometime this season is has just got abit boring and annoying.

[Fernando 6,585]

Jose Mourinho prepares Chelsea's end-of-term report for Roman Abramovich to recommend how club can improve

I like this, and would love to see this report.

But I think the club can do two things for the next season.

One address the short term problems and throw the money like city did in the season. This would bring a short term fix as more then likely the players will be at their peak or end.

Or continue to build for the future. Like acquiring more younger potential targets like Oscar, Salah, Schurrle and the like.

Each option brings different responsibility.

The first you are expected to win trophies.

The second, the club might be more lenient considering the state of the players your bringing in and perhaps implementing youth from the Academy.

Let's see what is the plan the club will go with this summer.

[The only place to be 11,313]

I like this, and would love to see this report.

But I think the club can do two things for the next season.

One address the short term problems and throw the money like city did in the season. This would bring a short term fix as more then likely the players will be at their peak or end.

Or continue to build for the future. Like acquiring more younger potential targets like Oscar, Salah, Schurrle and the like.

Each option brings different responsibility.

The first you are expected to win trophies.

The second, the club might be more lenient considering the state of the players your bringing in and perhaps implementing youth from the Academy.

Let's see what is the plan the club will go with this summer.

You can do both. In January we bought Matic, Zouma and Salah. Matic is very much for now, Zouma is one for the future and Salah is probably a bit of both.

I think we'll continue looking to get in the best youngsters (Pasalic will come in the summer and I expect a few others) whilst buying players who will immediately improve us, the primary one being a striker. Ultimately it all comes down to value.