The Mourinho Thread

[Barbara 15,149]

You can make excuses (I mean in a good way) for the two games in Manchester and the one at Liverpool but not sure about the others. Not saying we should be scoring plenty of goals to build up our goal difference but if we don't start getting more clinical in front of goal, then we are always living on a knife edge and giving opposition a chance of getting something against us, especially when we can't even keep clean sheet on the road. Case in point being the game at Newcastle or even Southampton. Not to mention, the more we drop silly points away from home, the more pressure there will be on us to win the home games, because let's face it, we aren't going to win all 19 matches at the Bridge.

That is true but like I said to Barbara above, if we don't start taking our chances in front of goal, then we are always going to give opposition a chance of taking something against us. The game at Newcastle is an example - we didn't score from the many opportunities we had in the first half and then got sucker punched, twice, in the second.

I still disagree.

This is a very competitive league, teams won't make 95+ points.

We may drop a few points at the Bridge, but so will everyone else. City just drew with Burnley at the Etihad.

I don't know why people are nitpicking so much and putting everything under the microscope.

Wake up call, there's no perfect team, teams draw, lose, players make individual mistakes, even great defenses concede and sometimes the ball just won't get into the net. There's nothing new there.

What Real Madrid have been doing this season is out of the world (and mind), even if the Spanish league doesn't have many competitive teams. Most teams play against Barça and RM already knowing they'll lose and they don't even try. The few that do try, don't have many chances and end up losing too, with a sporadic draw and even more rare win. Still 21 (last time I checked) win streak is crazy. In England that will never happen. Not anymore anyway.

The team has areas to improve - some of which with a lot of room (such as finishing, diminishing defensive mistakes, players in the bench completely out of form, etc). I believe with time things will get better. Remember when everyone was saying that there was no defensive stability with Fabregas in the team and that we were adopting a way too offensive approach that came with conceding more goals? At the time I said I'd wait a couple of months before worrying. We don't have system or collective issues anymore, except the odd match where we just don't get at all (maybe for tiredness or lack of interest, I can't say), we haven't been offering our opponents many chances to score against us. And if we're going to blame the manager, the system and the team as a whole for individual mistake, we'll jump the shark.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Just take a look a series of away matches we have :

Everton, City, Palace, MU, Liverpool, Sunderland, Newcastle, Stoke, Soton

F***ing hell, look at those names, probably we have already went through all the top 7 most difficult away matches in every season already. Don't really concerned about our goals scored in those matches really. Even before the season start everybody knew we will not score plenty against those teams away.

Also it leaves us with an away against Spurs, West Ham, Leicester, QPR, Swansea, Villa, WBA, Arsenal, and Hull. The contrast is near stupid.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

The biggest issue imo is our inability to keep clean sheets away from home - 2 out of 10 is really poor. A rather simplified breakdown:

Burnley - set piece, Terry individual error: failing to play offside trap

Everton - midfield porous and disorganised pressing

Palace - Filipe Luis individual error - lunging in when 1v1

City - Schurrle & Ivanovic individual errors - failure to track opponent's run

United - set piece, Ivanovic and arguably Zouma individual errors

Liverpool - midfield porous, disorganised pressing, defence unwilling to step up

Newcastle - individual errors from Cahill and Mikel

Southampton - Terry individual error: failing to play offside trap

Tactical and individual errors are inevitable because footballers (and Jose) are human after all but we tend to make a major one in every away game.

I agree but away from home is away from home in the PL. 80% of those games listed are against difficult teams or/and at difficult grounds. My problem with our away performances in the PL are not so much the goals conceded but the conservative nature of our play. We tend to respect the opposition too much. At home, we express ourselves very well (okay most of our home fixtures have not been vs the current top 10 I think) but away, we don't play with as much freedom. Maybe we'll see better away performances when we face easier opposition in the 2nd half of the season.

[The Chels 2,502]

Just take a look a series of away matches we have :

Everton, City, Palace, MU, Liverpool, Sunderland, Newcastle, Stoke, Soton

F***ng hell, look at those names, probably we have already went through all the top 7 most difficult away matches in every season already. Don't really concerned about our goals scored in those matches really. Even before the season start everybody knew we will not score plenty against those teams away.

Also it leaves us with an away against Spurs, West Ham, Leicester, QPR, Swansea, Villa, WBA, Arsenal, and Hull. The contrast is near stupid.

The thing is is we're more likely to beat the likes of United and Southampton than QPR/Villa/WBA. It feels like déjà vu - before the Villa game last year everyone was talking about how easy our remaining fixtures were and how we'd stroll to the title but ignored the fact that we are generally better against the big teams and struggle away to the smaller sides.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Ultimately, it's only 1 defeat in the entire first half of the season and even more wins than in 2004/2005, so in theory, it's Chelsea's best ever PL start to a season and probably best ever start, period. What's even more amazing is that from memory, I could be wrong, but we've never looked 2nd best in any game this season. We've never been in

trouble or in danger of losing, even in the 1 game we lost vs Newcastle, we were the better side. That's perhaps what has impressed me most about this team.

Unfortunately, looking at the table, it seems our top of the league clash vs Man City will be sandwiched between our two-legged league cup tie vs Liverpool. They'll have at least 10 days of rest, we'll have far less. Hopefully, we can finish the job at Anfield.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

The thing is is we're more likely to beat the likes of United and Southampton than QPR/Villa/WBA. It feels like déjà vu - before the Villa game last year everyone was talking about how easy our remaining fixtures were and how we'd stroll to the title but ignored the fact that we are generally better against the big teams and struggle away to the smaller sides.

Yes one or two would not be easy, but they are not as good as they are last season, I think, and ours are even better this season. Not to be cocky, but that is a reality. Of course there might be a couple of draw results, but majority I think we will win those.

[The Chels 2,502]

Ultimately, it's only 1 defeat in the entire first half of the season and even more wins than in 2004/2005, so in theory, it's Chelsea's best ever PL start to a season and probably best ever start, period. What's even more amazing is that from memory, I could be wrong, but we've never looked 2nd best in any game this season. We've never been in

trouble or in danger of losing, even in the 1 game we lost vs Newcastle, we were the better side. That's perhaps what has impressed me most about this team.

Unfortunately, looking at the table, it seems our top of the league clash vs Man City will be sandwiched between our two-legged league cup tie vs Liverpool. They'll have at least 10 days of rest, we'll have far less. Hopefully, we can finish the job at Anfield.

We were definitely 2nd best in the City game. There was absolutely no chance of us winning that game when it was 11v11 and we still didn't win against 10 men.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Also what Jose want to 'fixed' from last season by bringing the like of Cesc and Costa is to win against this lesser teams. We have already a decent records against big clubs since last season, without creative and passing master player and even without real striker. So as long as Matic, Cesc, Costa stay fit most of the time, I think we will be comfortable.

[illmatic 901]

Also it leaves us with an away against Spurs, West Ham, Leicester, QPR, Swansea, Villa, WBA, Arsenal, and Hull. The contrast is near stupid.

Meanwhile Shitty : Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, United and Everton.

[Tomo 21,751]

You can make excuses (I mean in a good way) for the two games in Manchester and the one at Liverpool but not sure about the others. Not saying we should be scoring plenty of goals to build up our goal difference but if we don't start getting more clinical in front of goal, then we are always living on a knife edge and giving opposition a chance of getting something against us, especially when we can't even keep clean sheet on the road. Case in point being the game at Newcastle or even Southampton. Not to mention, the more we drop silly points away from home, the more pressure there will be on us to win the home games, because let's face it, we aren't going to win all 19 matches at the Bridge.

.

Its came close to happening by teams in recent years.

City got 17 home wins last year and 18 in 2012, United 18 in 2011 (which allowed them the title despite a measly 5 away wins) we got 17 in 2010 and 18 in 2006.

Winning all our home games will be a big ask, however 17 or possibly 18 is definitely doable and if we get there we will probably only need 4 or 5 more wins on the road between now and May.

[Term-X 7,891]

Mourinho's reaction after Pastore's goal for PSG..

Incredible sportsmanship.

[Laylabelle 9,534]

Meanwhile Shitty : Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, United and Everton.

Well way it stands.sod citys fixtures.one away game down n loss..fixtures on paper mean sod sll

[Fernando 6,585]

This is a good beating and right on time for the January transfer window.

Let's see if it gives some food for thought.

I remember mourinho being the master of January transfer window and I want to see if he will dip in.

We need a better defender then poor cahill.

If it's like this against Spurs then against the like of Bayern it will be a blood bath!

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Mourinho doesn't want Remy to outshine his agent's (Jorge Mendes) striker, Diego Costa, or even compete with him. That's why Remy doesn't get a game and is practically shunned. I already knew it will be this way when we signed Costa. Incredibly selfish. I wonder if that's why Eto'o called him a puppet. Mourinho hasn't learned his lessons from his Madrid days.

[Blue Traveler 256]

Jose fucking making history.

When was the last time we conceded 5 vs Spurs?