The Mourinho Thread

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Why do I feel, after reading the past few pages, that I need to express my condolences to everybody?!

You're too soft

[Sheva. 5,373]

I think people exaggerate the level of control a manager has over match proceedings... I don't think it was Jose's intention to defend against PSG ... in fact I don't believe he ever sets teams up just to defend. He just puts out a team he believes can cope with a range of situations that could possibly unfold during a match... and some times, like Yesternight, he makes the mistake of trusting the wrong player/s to handle these situations. And when these players screw up the whole plan goes down the toilet and we end up looking like shit.

I also think it's a problem with the selection, but he picks these same players every time.

[Rom2013 446]

You want to win something with a team that was an absolute disgrace 2 years ago, with a net spending almost 0M£, with one of the worst stadiums and atmospheres between the big clubs, with the third more expensive team in the country in terms of fees paid, and I think also in terms of salaries, with a club that has to sell players every year to pass the FFP... and not only that but also dominating big teams like PSG that their team cost almost 360M£ (more 40M£ than CHelsea)... keep dreaming.

Barcelona lost there this season, like almost every other team that played in there.

You want to dominate a team like Manchester United in Old Trafford...talking about Manchester like they are a piece of shit but in reality they are a 400M£ team.

You also want kids... a lot of kids...

You want everything.

But in reality we are in the final of a cup, we are in the 1st place in the League with less resources than others and we are in a good position to win against PSG.

[obiwan92 217]

Yeah, I'm surprised people are so shocked by the result. The GREAT Barcelona with some of the best attacking talent on the planet just lost there. It's not easy to play there. No team has won at PP for years!

[ZOS 580]

I also think it's a problem with the selection, but he picks these same players every time.

That depends on who you think screwed up last night. imo, Ivanovic, Ramirez and Cahill were all the culprits. Despite his goal, Bane was bad at his primary job, which is defending for the team. I know many here strongly disagree with me but I believe he's the weakest link in our back four. I think he could use some series scolding from Jose over his complacency... no need to discuss Rambo and Garry. They were just bad, very bad.

Garry is no more a certain starter for team... but, I agree, Jose will have to do something about Ivanovic and Ramirez

[iseah100 5,612]

You want to win something with a team that was an absolute disgrace 2 years ago, with a net spending almost 0M£, with one of the worst stadiums and atmospheres between the big clubs, with the third more expensive team in the country in terms of fees paid, and I think also in terms of salaries, with a club that has to sell players every year to pass the FFP... and not only that but also dominating big teams like PSG that their team cost almost 360M£ (more 40M£ than CHelsea)... keep dreaming.

Barcelona lost there this season, like almost every other team that played in there.

You want to dominate a team like Manchester United in Old Trafford...talking about Manchester like they are a piece of shit but in reality they are a 400M£ team.

You also want kids... a lot of kids...

You want everything.

But in reality we are in the final of a cup, we are in the 1st place in the League with less resources than others and we are in a good position to win against PSG.

THIS! PSG were undefeated at home this year. UNDEFEATED. We stole a goal and result at Parc de Princes and are in a great position to advance. People need to chill, Jose has always approached away knockout games in a conservative way and you know what it has gotten him? Countless trophies including 2 trebles and 2 CL. I think we should trust Jose and not questiom his tactics in every single game.

[obiwan92 217]

That depends on who you think screwed up last night. imo, Ivanovic, Ramirez and Cahill were all the culprits. Despite his goal, Bane was bad at his primary job, which is defending for the team. I know many here strongly disagree with me but I believe he's the weakest link in our back four. I think he could use some series scolding from Jose over his complacency... no need to discuss Rambo and Garry. They were just bad, very bad.

Garry is no more a certain starter for team... but, I agree, Jose will have to do something about Ivanovic and Ramirez

Yes, that flank is an issue, even when I play FIFA...

[The Chels 2,502]

I think people exaggerate the level of control a manager has over match proceedings... I don't think it was Jose's intention to defend against PSG ... in fact I don't believe he ever sets teams up just to defend. He just puts out a team he believes can cope with a range of situations that could possibly unfold during a match... and some times, like Yesternight, he makes the mistake of trusting the wrong player/s to handle these situations. And when these players screw up the whole plan goes down the toilet and we end up looking like shit.

Hmm the manager has a lot more control than you make out. If Jose wants us to dominate possession against the likes of PSG away then we would clearly see that. If he wants us to press high and create chances by turnovers then we would see that too. It is obvious though that what he wants in the big away games is for us to concede possession, be defensively solid and (usually) play on the counter attack at least until we score. I think those are mostly the right intentions but the tactical execution has been consistently awful with the same mistakes repeated over and over.

[Tomo 21,681]

People underestimate the mess we were in as a squad when Jose took over, we had no top class CMs, Terry who at the time looked he was on the way down, a fully declined Ash, Fernando fucking Torres as our "main" forward. Our only positions of strength really was in goal with Cech and attacking midfield and even in those areas we had piss poor back ups, we were every bit an unbalanced shambles as United are now. Jose has turned this around on a next to nothing net spend, and while we aren't "there" yet in terms of being on the very top tier, we have a healthy and well balanced squad and it's only looking up.

Last season we were ace in the big games but phrone to dropping points against lesser sides, this season it's the other way round, the league title is a clear priority this season and if we have to flat track bully our way there then so be it.

We will go "toe to toe" with big boys away when the team is more equipped (more proactive CBs and maybe another top class CM). We are in the process of building a top class team, enjoy it.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

It is obvious though that what he wants in the big away games is for us to concede possession, be defensively solid and (usually) play on the counter attack at least until we score. I think those are mostly the right intentions but the tactical execution has been consistently awful with the same mistakes repeated over and over.

This is what he's failed to do. The counter-attacking is clearly not working anymore. Any match where we have less than 6 shots at our current level is unacceptable imo, it means the tactics is wrong

[The Chels 2,502]

This is what he's failed to do. The counter-attacking is clearly not working anymore. Any match where we have less than 6 shots is unacceptable imo, it means the tactics is wrong

It's not only the attacking front where we are lacking in these games but also the defensive one. We do not look assured at all and have consistently lost leads in big games this season. Neither of these issues have been rectified - is it because Jose doesn't think there is any need to or is it because he doesn't know how to? I suspect the latter.

[lionsden 4,689]

Nasri wasn't wrong afterall

[kellzfresh 7,226]

It's not only the attacking front where we are lacking in these games but also the defensive one. We do not look assured at all and have consistently lost leads in big games this season. Neither of these issues have been rectified - is it because Jose doesn't think there is any need to or is it because he doesn't know how to? I suspect the latter.

Mourinho knows how to do it. He's just unnecessarily scared away from home.

Just look at the match against Liverpool in the carling cup, we put up yesterday's performance at Anfield but we totally dominated them at home.

He knows how to do it, but sometimes opponents(city and now PSG) use fouls to stop our counters so maybe we have to find a way to get them booked when they hack hazard down.

[The Chels 2,502]

Mourinho knows how to do it. He's just unnecessarily scared away from home.

Just look at the match against Liverpool in the carling cup, we put up yesterday's performance at Anfield but we totally dominated them at home.

He knows how to do it, but sometimes opponents(city and now PSG) use fouls to stop our counters so maybe we have to find a way to get them booked when they hack hazard down.

We really, really didn't. We only had 1 shot on target more than Liverpool, who probably created the more clear-cut chances.

[Eden Hazardous 17]

I care more about the result than how we got it. But I would also like to see the team want to score 2nd, 3rd, 4th goals especially away from home. It's like we score one and don't play anymore. I wanna see some passion, desire.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

To be honest the debate about defensive vs offensive football some people are trying to create here is nonsensical. Some people are suggesting Mourinho is getting criticized for playing "defensive football". Today Mourinho got his tactics wrong for 90 minutes.

In the 1st half Mourinho clearly was expecting PSG to attack, then he came with a team to counter. But PSG had different ideas. They came with 3 DM, no creative midfielder and 3 strikers and were sitting back expecting a chance to counter attack, thats why we had the ball for most part of the first half, but a mid with Matic-Ramires-Fabregas is not exactly creative, so for the most part of first 45 minutes Matic and Ramires were exchanging balls with our defenders,

PSG were solid at the defense and really dangerous in counter attacking. To be honest the result of the 1st half was unfair, since we created no chances at all.

Losing the match, PSG needed to attack. The team that was supposed to be solid at the defense and deadly counter attacking looked more like a bunch of players that never played together than a team thats is leading the PL by 7 points. Cavani and Ibra destroyed our defense, and its really hard to believe we survived the match with a 1-1 result (a good one after all). The team never had a chance to counter. Despite all the talk about Diego Costa returning, he was more concerned about making silly fouls than playing football. He was 100% useless. Fabregas left the game too late, Cuadrado looked completely out of place attacking and unconfortable playing the role of a second right back and his presence in the game was totally unnecesary.

To be honest, its no about playing offensive or defensive, its about playing solid football. Today the team could not attack and could not defend. Its easy to forgive the team for don't beating big sides in PL when you are 7 points clear at the top of the league, but you can't win the UCL without beating big sides. The UCL performance this season as a whole has been mediocre. I'm not that confident we will reach the next level. Saying we have the lead is a lie. Last season everyone was saying Jose's tactics were amazing and we had a foot in the Final after the 0-0 result in semi-finals first leg, untill the team got completely destroyed in the 2nd leg.

Even if we reach the quarters, I don't know if we are ready to reach the semis again. Mourinho became way too predictable and conservative, and I'm not talking about playing defensive football. Before this match, everybody knew he would come up with Ivan, Terry, Cahill, Azi; Ramires, Matic; Fabregas, Willian, Hazard; Costa. It was clear that, even if 90% of the season the team is Matic, Fabregas; Oscar, Willian, Hazard; Costa, he would never play an away UCL match in knockout stage with that line up. Luis is a better footballer than Azi, Cahill has been a disaster, but of course Jose would not play a defense with Luis and Zouma in such a game, he would favor the line up that have been playing together since last season.

I think this team will win the PL at the end of the season, but I dont fancy the chances in UCL. To win a tournament like PL you must be the most consistent team for the whole season. To win UCL you need something special. I hope we will see something new in the 2nd leg, but I don't hold my breath.

Well, 4231 is clearly not for us in tough away games, we have always looked bad offensively without Fabregas deep. 4-3-3 would be better imo, with a DM-CM-DM lineup in the middle letting Fabregas flow.

[tiby2979 175]

Nasri wasn't wrong afterall

¿Nasri? ¿a player whose team is seven points behind us and parked the bus against Roma, who had received 7 goals Bayern at home? ManCity players aren't in position to talk about our performance.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,776]

Nasri wasn't wrong afterall

After all?

Nobody liked hearing what Nasri said but surely only those with their head buried in the sand ever doubted that he was right.