The Mourinho Thread

[Stats 7,059]

Being so close to the trophy, is there any need to try and play attacking football then get caught on the counter attack and lose?

Being at home and being the better team, is there any reason why we could not of attack them? Yes, I understand that the plan worked but we are the better team. We are top for a reason and their injuries were more than ours. There is no reason to suggest we could not have played an attacking game.

As I said, I am not disputing Mourinho's tactics as we won but I don't think people have a right to have a go at people who were frustrated after the match with our tactics. Because really and truly I reckon we could have hurt them if we showed them more of an attacking impetus. Especially when you see rookies in their team like Mcnair.

[didierforever 7,349]

Being at home and being the better team, is there any reason why we could not of attack them? Yes, I understand that the plan worked but we are the better team. We are top for a reason and their injuries were more than ours. There is no reason to suggest we could not have played an attacking game.

As I said, I am not disputing Mourinho's tactics as we won but I don't think people have a right to have a go at people who were frustrated after the match with our tactics. Because really and truly I reckon we could have hurt them if we showed them more of an attacking impetus. Especially when you see rookies in their team like Mcnair.

we could if we wanted to. people forget the pool match last season where we would probably have lined up for a similar way but since they got an early goal, we ripped them open for the rest of the half before shutting out the match in the second.

yesterday, we did not need the win, united did. a draw would have suited us as good. then why the risk. why should we be doing anything that makes us circumspect at this juncture in the season. just not worth it. we had a gameplan, and it worked like a charm.

[Special Juan 27,439]

It's not the winning that counts it's the moaning that matters.

:blue scalf:

New slogan for this thread.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Please, at least try to see a few inches ahead of your nose (common expression in Portuguese, I don't mean to be offensive, just for you to try to see the bigger picture instead of the tiny pixels right in front of your eyes)

what do you think we're doing here? With the players we have, it's easy to play attacking football. Our both pivot players are very good on the ball, one of them has one of the best visions in the sport. They combine with Hazard, the third or so best player in the world and second in terms of raw talent and dribbling. Willian and Oscar when playing around those players and with more of a free reign showed that they can shine some too. We have one of the best attacking FB in the world - who I fully expect to see next season displacing Azpili (of course Mourinho won't drop Iva). We have some very prolific strikers and you know how I'm so sure about it? Because I saw this bunch of players working some magic for four months in a row.

You know what we didn't have yet? Nerves of steel, winning against adversity, scrapping results. How do I know that? Looking back to last season when our very limited squad (technically) could have won simply because of the geniality of our manager. But we came short because our players - most of them - weren't winners yet, didn't know how to deal with small teams challenging them to score against their parked buses. What we're forging in those players now is much more important, long term, base-forming and a step to dominance than simply playing attacking football. And you know why? Because we already showed we know how to play attacking football for four months. Why did we stop? For a series of reasons my fingers already know how to type without any command from my brain: players got injured, dropped form, got tired. As a team we lost intensity and guess what? For a team as new as we are this season (the key players only arrived this season) it wasn't unexpected at all they'd lose intensity and wouldn't be able to go through their first season playing together full throttle.

and do you think those teams built their identity from night to day, like you want us to do? It was years working in the same philosophy - regardless of the manager - years getting the right players to fit exactly their style and the right moment when most of those players peaked. Go do some research about Bayern and find out their onwer interviews saying it took them around a decade to come up with the team after they decided to go to Barcelona and study how they built their identity. United had the same manger for nearly 3 decades. Those things don't come overnight as you are demanding them to happen. We don't have the identity yet, we're building it. For it to happen, said identity needs to be drilled over and over again throughout a few seasons, the right players have to come in, most of said players have to reach their peak, the team must evolve in all areas - not only knowing how to attack and one of those areas is mentally - which was our big downfall last season. That's what they're learning now. We aren't simply grinding results, we're grinding character and winner mentality in those players.

Hazard is evolving in a beautiful way and while I see some buffoons saying imagine what he would do in an 'attacking team' I prefer to see that he's adding so many more things to his already obvious and incomparable talent. Cristiano isn't anywhere as talented as Messi, actually in terms of raw talent I think Eden is also ahead of him. But I read yesterday the guy has scored 50+ goals in ALL his seasons at RM. He works hard, he learned a lot of things to compensate his inferior talent. Eden is learning a lot of things maybe he wouldn't learn sitting in a team like Barcelona. That makes him a more complete player and those things won't make him unlearn how to dribble, how to play his football. He's paying a price right now, and isn't as free as he probably wanted to play, but he'll end up a more complete, a better player with nerves of steel. Everybody - especially the Belgians - can say this kind of mentality wasn't natural for his personality. It's a tough way the kid is taking and it just makes me prouder of him. I have maybe doubts in those two years if he had it in him to change a little bit his laid off personality and develop this killing instinct - not exactly to score or assist - but to step up and decide matches and influence matches anyway he can and make the team win. That's priceless in a young talent development imo. So I think unlike some geniuses here, he may feel actually very blessed and lucky to be playing in a place with a manager that are taking him from his comfort zone and helping him to maximize his talent. Nothing can contain his talent, his dribbling, his quality, not even the so-horrible-defensive--coward style you and others here believe we play.

Why should we jeopardize winning talents to build the identity? Football players are mostly motivated by titles. Mourinho is experienced and incredibly smart. He knows for the identity to be fully developed it has to be built with titles too. If he gave up on titles and went on just thinking about the identity the owner asked him to create, he'd have a difficult time motivating players because beautiful football without titles put a damper into any developing identity... Winning is as important as drilling the identity. If you stop doing one or the other, you could end up never reaching your goal. Those players in their vast majority are people who haven't studied to become professional players, such as people do for most careers in the world. They don't have career coaches, psychologists working on a personal level with them. They have managers that more often than not, don't stay around long enough, they have the club staff, not their own. Their university is the club they play, and for them to learn things, to evolve beyond their talent, for them to reach new heights, it has to come with titles otherwise they'll feel compelled to go somewhere else where they can win things. this is sports, not academic careers.

When we're ready, when all those factors I mentioned and a few more (chemistry, time, the remaining players, the more adequate bench, the talents we're nurturing in the academy under Mourinho's tutoring), we won't be giving up the identity every now and then, but said identity has to be fully developed and implemented for it to happen.

a couple of people already addressed this part of your post - which I disagree even further than the above parts I answered to, but this post is already big as it is, maybe in another occasions we could have a deeper talk about the myths, the truths and the lies about the first years under Roman (especially during and post Mourinho). It's more of the same case of turning a person into a saint just because they died. It seems natural to human race to overlook major flaws after something/someone dies. I'm sure psychology has a name for it and there must be numerous studies supporting it.

brilliant.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

I'd like to see Oscar on the wing more. He posesses more pressing ability there whereas Willian shines in the middle.

No brainer to switch them imo.

NB: Just watched City's second counter attacking goal. Reminds me of us earlier in the season, and also why we need Costa back. We would have scored more yesterday imo, but Drog did his best, and we won, so it's fine. We kept all of their 'key players' quiet, and I agree with Jose when he said we had them in our pockets. It doesn't reflect well on us because we couldn't recycle the ball effectively but when we attacked we looked dangerous, we pressed all game, good signs imo. Even if they had Carrick we would have kept him quiet too. Long overdue for a big win, and I have a good feeling it'll be against the Gooners. 4-1 early prediction!

[Special Juan 27,439]

Shit loads of empty seats, commentators wanking over the football, Aguero the next coming of god and yet shit loads of points behind. And people have a pop at us and call us fickle.....Bows and ties just about on the premiership trophy and the engraving just about to be done, wouldn't have it any other way.

Keep up City........We got Mourinhooooooooo

Moaning, fucking moaning? You don't your born some of you. Blue and proud me, once a blue always a blue.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Shit loads of empty seats, commentators wanking over the football, Aguero the next coming of god and yet shit loads of points behind. And people have a pop at us and call us fickle.....Bows and ties just about on the premiership trophy and the engraving just about to be done, wouldn't have it any other way.

Keep up City........We got Mourinhooooooooo

Moaning, fucking moaning? You don't your born some of you. Blue and proud me, once a blue always a blue.

Lol and that's all despite a City season ticket costing a shade under £100.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

we could if we wanted to. people forget the pool match last season where we would probably have lined up for a similar way but since they got an early goal, we ripped them open for the rest of the half before shutting out the match in the second.

It's good that you remind of this. Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in December 2013 is one example, but the same can be said about second half performance at White Hart Lane in Autumn 2013 or Liverpool at Anfield in Autumn 2014. After the very shit first half in this Spurs game, Jose gave up hiding and put Schurrle on in a bid of goals and HOW GOOD we played ? When we needed a goal and have the mind adjusted for that after being down in those big matches , we could play fast and proper counter-attacking. That's for me clear indication that in this side there's indeed enough potential to go there toe-to-toe and win convincingly against good sides but somehow Jose forces inferiority complex in our team and we end up in submission.

There's a pity because If we'd be down against 10-men PSG at the Bridge I'm sure later we'd progress when attacking mentality would be in place in our players.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

If we'd played attacking football City style against United and lost 4-2 like they did you'd be asking for his head. I'm convinced Jose just can't win. Not showing United respect would have been a big mistake and putting Zouma on saved us the game.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

After seeing our performances in the first half of the season, I don't get how people are questioning whether jose can play attacking football. Everybody wants to see his team play a great attacking football but nobody wants to loose important games too.

I read on the DM JT saying after the game that we haven't been in our best form since January. What does that tell you? Jose and everybody else at the club knows we're not playing great recently. But should we let that cost us the title? WTF guys?

Exactly what I've been saying!

This same outdated & negative manager had us playing at levels we haven't seen in forever from August till Jan 1st, and in every game during that stretch we never looked like the 2nd best team.

That's all out the window now, never to be remembered as we coast to a PL trophy.

[iseah100 5,612]

Be calm. Jose will make the right moves in the transfer market and next year we'll be even better than early this season and for longer.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Be calm. Jose will make the right moves in the transfer market and next year we'll be even better than early this season and for longer.

Exactly.

Even then. As Souness said on SNF, we've played our football, we've done the legwork. Now we just need to get over the finish line and I'm okay with that. Even Madrid had a couple of months where they struggled (and nearly got KO'd by Schalke). No team is immune to it and we carry the unique ability of being able to carry ourselves through.

[Clockwork 1,794]

I wish to express my rebuttal on the openions that "we are a few players short to play the style we want."

The truth is if you feel that we are a few players short to play the style we want, then it is never going to happen. This mentality exsist in every club, i have not come across any situation or club that felt they had every piece to enforce the style they want. Is there a club in the world that thinks they have every piece to enforce the style they want? The answer is absloutely no. Even the best side of the last ten years, the Barca side in their prime never had every piece or felt short on a few players. They needed to upgrade their CBs for years, and they still do. Before Suarez and Neymar, they never felt they had the optiomal forwards around Messi. Ibra, Villa, Pedro, and Sanchez were not adequate enough for one reason or another.

Saying we are a few players short in order to play a proactive football, then with this mentality we will never play that style. Even if in the summer we do sign Pogba, Reus, and Varane. Which is unlikely imo but lets assume wo do for now. What is the excuse we are going to use when one of our key players get injured or out of form? oh yeah we are going to say we don't have the players to play with our foot in front.

If we apply this mentality in real life is the equivalent of someone saying i will start start losing weight when (insert excuse) or someone saying i will stop smoking when (insert excuse). It doesn't matter the excuses are unlimited. Same unlimited excuses apply to Club football, we will never feel like we have every piece to play the style we want, we can always say we need this or that. The reasons to procrastinaite is unlimited.

I am sorry to say this, but there is no chance Mou will change or we will have some sudden change of style. If you are fine with how we are playing then i can tolerate it in fact i can respect this view. Thinking othewise is delusional at this point, because there is not a shred of evidence to suggest otherwise.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Jose Borinho. So sick of this guy managing in big matches and winning! Why is he always setting up the team to win??? Its the worst tactic I've ever seen... We're gonna go down as the first team ever to win the league from beginning to end and likely win it by double digits but that's not enough!! There is more to playing football than winning and Jose is just taking all the fun out of the game by winning all the time

I'm sick of it!!

[bababoom 4,478]

I honestly dont mind how we played, obviously the first 30 minutes was hard to watch but once we calmed down and got to grips with United we improved and managed the game brilliantly.

I do think we need more technically sound players though, on the counter our players lack that certain precision and ability. Atletico's whole team consist of great technical footballers who not only graft but are able to move the ball efficiently when they break. Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Turan and Griezmann, thats basically their whole midfield. They can control matches but just as easily are able to sit deep and counter with quick, precise passing, they all have great footballing minds.

[Tomo 21,733]

I watch Chelsea play almost every game. I miss maybe 2-3 games per season at most, and considering we play upwards of 55 games per season that is a lot of football. So, why wouldn't I be obsessed by the way we perform?

We have had perhaps 2 decent performances in nearly five months of football. It seems some people genuinely don't give a shit about anything but wins and trophies and yet they want to portray themselves as some sort of super fan.

The thing is we did play really great footy in the first 6 months off the season, since January the form has dropped but we are still picking up the results, that is what has given us such a huge gap against the other 3, we all have had amazing spells and average spells, the difference being we have been picking up the results playing badly.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Jose Borinho. So sick of this guy managing in big matches and winning! Why is he always setting up the team to win??? Its the worst tactic I've ever seen... We're gonna go down as the first team ever to win the league from beginning to end and likely win it by double digits but that's not enough!! There is more to playing football than winning and Jose is just taking all the fun out of the game by winning all the time

I'm sick of it!!

You're beating a cremated horse now. The haters were wrong yada yada yada, Mourinho is never wrong yada yada yada, fans have no right to speak their frustrated minds yada yada yada.

I swear, this forum's been challenging HFBoards' level of unoriginality lately.

[Stats 7,059]

we could if we wanted to. people forget the pool match last season where we would probably have lined up for a similar way but since they got an early goal, we ripped them open for the rest of the half before shutting out the match in the second.

yesterday, we did not need the win, united did. a draw would have suited us as good. then why the risk. why should we be doing anything that makes us circumspect at this juncture in the season. just not worth it. we had a gameplan, and it worked like a charm.

I agree but I see it on both points. I disagree with you that Mourinho set up that way because we did not need to win. I think he probably would have done the same earlier in the season. Who knows. But yeah it worked however it is not the approach I want to see us keep playing in these games on a regular basis. While it has worked us wonders in the league the lack of attacking approach cost us in the UCL. I am proud of how we have wiped away the PL. Massive credit to Jose for that but for those who have criticized the approach are entitled to. Everyone is happy with the win but I don't like when I see some people on here accusing the moaners of not being a proper supporter etc and telling them to get a grip. Because like I was saying I think people are justified to feel unhappy with the performance.

I am not in that category but I am not going to abuse or criticise people for moaning about the negative approach.