The Mourinho Thread

[Stingray 9,441]

My bad, I kinda meant to point that post towards the club itself, not Jose I agree, hopefully we will have some official stuff done soon.

Me too, man. We could use a CM that counts in my idea. Let's hope! Some quality depth would be nice

[iseah100 5,612]

Tf was with the high line? Gomis was burning da boyz

[The Skipper 20,609]

The days we used to have players like KDB, Mata, Schurrle on the bench... Gone. Quite sad tbh. I'm not sure I like the direction this team is going.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Slow defenders not letting Mourinho release our attackers forward.

All our defenders are terrible one on one except Azpilicueta. Why should willian come back to help defend against montero?? Why shouldn't terry and cahill handle the pace of gomiz??

Too slow, too slow

When was the last time our defenders had a good match when we didn't park the bus???

Seeing zouma come on for Fabregas in midfield shows our other problem.

Mourinho needs to keep fabregas and hazard motivated, they're still in pre-season mode.

Not buying this. Last season we had quick, proactive defenders in Zouma, Luis and Azpi, which could've allowed us to make a backbone of Luis - Terry - Zouma - Azpi. How often did we actually see this? Rarely if ever.

He's certainly had the options to play a quicker, more proactive back line but he refused to.

[Jase 43,479]

The days we used to have players like KDB, Mata, Schurrle on the bench... Gone. Quite sad tbh. I'm not sure I like the direction this team is going.

When you think about it, it's funny that we had a better squad depth in 2013/14. Our options on the bench are so limited now that it's infuriating, terrifying and depressing. It feels like we're gonna experience the 2010/11 season again, not necessarily in the same manner but similar.

[Barbara 15,149]

The days we used to have players like KDB, Mata, Schurrle on the bench... Gone. Quite sad tbh. I'm not sure I like the direction this team is going.

and all of them without any exception left because they didn't want to continue in the bench... it's hard to balance those things out because quality players don't want to sit down most matches and with the starting XI we have on midfield, that's where they'd most likely be.

We aren't at the same status as Madrid and Barça where players are happy to just be part of the team...

[Jase 43,479]

and all of them without any exception left because they didn't want to continue in the bench... it's hard to balance those things out. Especially if you aren't Barça or Madrid.

...which was caused by Mourinho's management of the squad. He was quick to dismiss them the minute they put in poor performances but he stuck with others even after poor matches. If he had shown similar faith and belief in them, they wouldn't have felt dispirited and wanted to leave the club.

[Barbara 15,149]

...which was caused by Mourinho's management of the squad. He was quick to dismiss them the minute they put in poor performances but he stuck with others even after poor matches. If he had shown similar faith and belief in them, they wouldn't have felt dispirited and wanted to leave the club.

Mata never fit, KdB showed clearly - even with his own words, Mourinho's and his current manager's - he doesn't accept not being a nailed starter, so he wouldn't accept even to sit down some matches. Schurrle could have been a different story and I'm sis biggest fan, but he's been way too inconsistent despite being given plenty of chances to displace anyone from the starting XI. He failed to secure is spot time after time. Mata and Kev may have a point if they complain about chances given (I don't think they have much), but Schurrle definitely doesn't.

[The Chels 2,502]

Not buying this. Last season we had quick, proactive defenders in Zouma, Luis and Azpi, which could've allowed us to make a backbone of Luis - Terry - Zouma - Azpi. How often did we actually see this? Rarely if ever.

I think the QF of the COC against Derby was the only time in 50+ games. Even then Ivanovic came on (for the injured Zouma) and proceeded to give a goal away with that awful clearance

[Reddish-Blue 2,516]

and all of them without any exception left because they didn't want to continue in the bench... it's hard to balance those things out because quality players don't want to sit down most matches and with the starting XI we have on midfield, that's where they'd most likely be.

We aren't at the same status as Madrid and Barça where players are happy to just be part of the team...

I don't think status is the problem..it's more to do with man management. If you can't keep players satisfied, why would they sit on the bench for you?

I still feel letting Schurrle go was a mistake....especially considering his replacement was Juan "can't stay on my feet" Cuadrado

[Barbara 15,149]

I don't think status is the problem..it's more to do with man management. If you can't keep players satisfied, why would they sit on the bench for you?

I still feel letting Schurrle go was a mistake....especially considering his replacement was Juan "can't stay on my feet" Cuadrado

we won't keep any player against their will. Andre wanted to leave, there was nothing that could have been done... He left as a bench player and he's still a bench player at Wolfsburg. If anything that's bad career management, not exactly man management.

I don't think Mourinho made mistakes on how he handled the AMs in the team. I think he's been making mistakes for a while about the titular defenders and squad players for both defense and midfield. Those mistakes could cost titles, I won't deny the possibility and I don't have much hope Iva and Cahill have chances of leaving the starting XI. His mistakes there are clear as day imo and as long as he continues to make them, we'll suffer and only time will tell what's going to cost us.

[Jase 43,479]

Mata never fit, KdB showed clearly - even with his own words, Mourinho's and his current manager's - he doesn't accept not being a nailed starter, so he wouldn't accept even to sit down some matches. Schurrle could have been a different story and I'm sis biggest fan, but he's been way too inconsistent despite being given plenty of chances to displace anyone from the starting XI. He failed to secure is spot time after time. Mata and Kev may have a point if they complain about chances given (I don't think they have much), but Schurrle definitely doesn't.

I can take your point regarding Mata and De Bruyne but not so much with Schurrle. Yes, I agree that he's inconsistent but if people can be patient with the likes of Oscar, Willian etc, then why can't they with Schurrle? He might not be talented but he has his qualities (e.g. scoring goals, which is one quality we're desperately lacking right now) and it's easy to forget that he's still young (only 25 years old - 1 year older than Oscar and 2 younger than Willian). Lets not also forget that he had that illness last season, which he and Mourinho admitted as much it affected his mental and physical fitness but we were quick to get rid of him. I don't necessarily think he wants to be an outright starter in the starting XI, like how De Bruyne wants it, but just proper game time, not 10-15 minutes here and there or 1 game here, 1 game there. With slightly better management, he wouldn't have felt unwanted and decided to leave (remember, he said he didn't want to leave the club but circumstances forced him to).

[Barbara 15,149]

I can take your point regarding Mata and De Bruyne but not so much with Schurrle. Yes, I agree that he's inconsistent but if people can be patient with the likes of Oscar, Willian etc, then why can't they with Schurrle? He might not be talented but he has his qualities (e.g. scoring goals, which is one quality we're desperately lacking right now) and it's easy to forget that he's still young (only 25 years old - 1 year older than Oscar and 2 younger than Willian). Lets not also forget that he had that illness last season, which he and Mourinho admitted as much it affected his mental and physical fitness but we were quick to get rid of him. I don't necessarily think he wants to be an outright starter in the starting XI, like how De Bruyne wants it, but just proper game time, not 10-15 minutes here and there or 1 game here, 1 game there.

Schurrle played much more than one game here and there and 10-15 minutes here and there. Your memory clearly fails you. People were complaining about how many chances he received and now they're complaining he didn't receive enough chances. The common denominator here is only one: complaining.

We can agree to disagree though.

[Jase 43,479]

Schurrle played much more than one game here and there and 10-15 minutes here and there. Your memory clearly fails you. People were complaining about how many chances he received and now they're complaining he didn't receive enough chances. The common denominator here is only one: complaining.

We can agree to disagree though.

He started games early in the season but his chances soon became limited during and after the illness. If he had been fully fit and still not made the most of them, then I would have agreed with you but there were factors why he failed to perform well and consistently, including those I mentioned in the previous post before the "10-15 minutes" part.

[Reddish-Blue 2,516]

Schurrle played much more than one game here and there and 10-15 minutes here and there. Your memory clearly fails you. People were complaining about how many chances he received and now they're complaining he didn't receive enough chances. The common denominator here is only one: complaining.

We can agree to disagree though.

Schurrle had only 3 games where he played more than 50 minutes (in the premier league) last season. Every other appearances 10-15 minute cameo.

[The Mak 4,459]

I have a feeling he does know very well. Hence the press insinuations (if they are true) towards the board. I think we have a bit of a backroom powerplay going on. José got his new contract, was it a compromise for the lack of investments this year? Is it something else? When José wants to adres an issue, he goes into Orwellian doublespeak in public. He did this on transfer, team dynamics and now transfers. He makes us guess, but that is just his forte. The Eva thing - just one mire decoy. But what is he hiding with all this? That is the real question! You don't go examining a smoke screen, you see why it is there.

I think it is his frustrations about the lack of strengthening transfers.

I'm starting to think like you that something must be going on in the background.

Is it a situation of the board saying to Mourinho 'Hey, we bought you Fabregas and Costa last year. We're not doing investing like that again until 2016/17' or have we gone in for someone like Griezmann and we've been told to come back next year (like with Costa) and we're keeping our money for a bigger deal like that? I don't know. Maybe we're saving up for something special. At least that's what I would hope, because I do think we have at least SOME money to spend; especially when you look at the likes of City's spending because I'm not sure where they are legitimately getting the cash to spend that amount every window with FFP. We just signed one of the most expensive shirt deals in history for fuck sake, there must be a reason why we're keeping our hands in our pockets.

[Barbara 15,149]

Schurrle had only 3 games where he played more than 50 minutes (in the premier league) last season. Every other appearances 10-15 minute cameo.

and many of them he wasn't even selected to play because of his illness. He played in UCL and also the domestic cups. Last season was atypical. He arrived later because of WC and drunk from winning it. He started a few matches and was subbed off, but the season prior to that he had enough chances to prove his worth. I wish he hadn't left, but he didn't want to stay. Also, even after he was cured from is disease, Willian was in much better form than he was. As I said he failed to displace players from the starting XI.

Edit: from August to December he started 13 matches for us in addition to the matches he was brought in. That's considerable amount of chances imo.

http://www.espnfc.com/player/136580/andre-schurrle?season=2014

[nono 791]

The manager is stubborn and plays favorites. The smart players (Kdb, Schurrle etc) realize this and leave instead of wasting precious years of their career. Lol @ selling KDB and getting Cuadrado. I take it that Cuadrado is happy to fight for his position ? How is that turning out though ?

[Pizy 18,994]

This thread makes for some depressing reading over this last page or two.

What's worse is that I kind of agree with a lot of what's being said. Many of us called it ages ago that we aren't strong enough to repeat what we did last season. I struggle to blame José here, though. At a time when we should have more money to bolster the squad than ever the purse strings are tightening. Also coincides with a period where our rivals are going crazy in the market.

If he was told he could spend a bunch I'm sure he would. I can't believe he's sticking with the exact same team as last season out of his own arrogance and stubbornness. He wouldn't harm his own chances by trying to prove a point, surely?

[Unionjack 7,531]

I find it strange that we can slag some players off that wont settle for being a team player and fight for his place instead of them wanting to be a definite starter yet others we say is totally understandable and kiss their arses and wish them luck so they can help the team I hate most in the world.

As for Mou and our defence it does my head in. He seems to have this blind faith and love of old defenders right now. I understand having a blance of young and experience but when other teams can openly see that our biggest weakness for them to attack is Bane/Cahill (like today) then just imagine what a better team is going to do. Bane had a new one ripped for him today and its not going to be pretty.

Its sad to see because as a man I imagine him to be as good for the lads as Drogs was. But I think as a player I dont understand why Mou keeps him.