The Mourinho Thread

[DYC. 7,542]

Chelsea needed a victory. It didn't matter if it was ugly, scrappy, highly fortunate or controversial -- they simply needed three points to haul themselves away from the relegation zone and kick-start their campaign. Against a team who have arguably become their bitterest rivals, the incentive was even greater.

In typical Chelsea fashion, they did exactly that and produced an efficient 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Kurt Zouma and the unfortunate Calum Chambers. They didn't play sparkling football or produce many slick passing moves, but they gained the advantage in the game by reducing the opposition to 10 men in a cynical fashion even Jose Mourinho wouldn't have dreamed up. This was the absolute epitome of a team "doing a job," and it's what Mourinho still does better than any other manager.

The clean sheet will have been particularly welcome. Chelsea had conceded more goals this season than any other Premier League club, a staggering record for the league champions, and another defensive catastrophe would have asked serious questions about Mourinho's decision to start the out-of-form Branislav Ivanovic and drop captain John Terry.

Chelsea still don't look fluent -- Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are playing significantly poorer than at this point last season -- but they still boast counterattacking pace and a set piece threat; two things Mourinho absolutely loves.

http://www.espnfc.com/blog/the-match/60/post/2619828/diego-costa-riles-arsenal-as-zouma-strikes-for-chelsea

Completely agree with Cox's article.

[Jase 43,479]

Wallsall. Newcastle. Porto.

If we can just rattle off 3 more consecutive wins.

Think we'll be back in business.

Newcastle. Urgh. No doubt they'll turn into Real Madrid and beat us next week.

[J.F. 1,484]

Wallsall. Newcastle. Porto.

If we can just rattle off 3 more consecutive wins.

Think we'll be back in business.

Newcastle is a must win!

[Fernando 6,743]

Now what?

Now what what?

Nothing still the same.

My reference was more to giving time to RLC and not playing Ivan.

[Tomo 21,754]

Newcastle. Urgh. No doubt they'll turn into Real Madrid and beat us next week.

No chance, they are truly awful and the law of averages owe us one up there.

[Laylabelle 9,754]

No chance, they are truly awful and the law of averages owe us one up there.

They usually are average when we play them.We just seem to play even worse

Got my mum a desk top Jose for her birthday as Im good at buying sort of useless presents.So good thing we didnt lose the last few games/he was sacked for whatever reason...did look at life size haha but been even worse.

[CMS 382]

Congrats and egg in the face to all the doubters and moaners. Chelsea won again and city lost. Don't know how some of these people could call themselves Chelsea fans.

[Clockwork 1,794]

Congrats and egg in the face to all the doubters and moaners. Chelsea won again and city lost. Don't know how some of these people could call themselves Chelsea fans.

Mourinho fanboys like you just don't get it, it's the truth buddy. You don't see the big picture only see the short and immediate. I don't like the direction we are going with him, it was the case after winning the double it is the case after our worst start in 30 years. Nothing changes, nothing have occurred or seen to cause paradigm shift.

It is not about moaning it is about wanting the best for the club. That will only occur under a new direction.

[DYC. 7,542]

No chance, they are truly awful and the law of averages owe us one up there.

How can a club perform so terribly despite buying players left and right?

Of course you have to be a fool to appoint McClaren.

[Barbara 15,149]

Haven't watched any football today except City's last ten minutes and their highlights, but I'll say what really matters now without watching it.

We won midweek, we carried on, two clean sheets in a row, the players are getting back their confidence, the pressure if lifting from the manager's shoulders (whether he addresses it or not, it is there) and we can start the path to the right direction.

I don't think Mourinho is going to play the untouchable thing this season. The fact he's sticking with Iva is more about Baba not offering much of an improvement in defense than anything else imo. Still his mistake because he should have threatened Iva's position last season with a very capable Luís - who although had trouble adapting could now be much more important for us. Had Luís had more chances he would have stayed, but he felt like no matter how well he played or how bad Iva played, the latter would still play, so I understand why he wanted to leave and that's on Mourinho.

Do I want to continue to see Iva? Of course not, but there's no point in throwing Baba - unready as he seems to be - in a derby, against our most bitter rivals while we're in terrible form. Iva must have been schooled harshly by Mourinho and his actions (as anyone's) speak louder than any words. He was benched on UCL - even if against a horrible team, Terry has been benched in important matches for us. So the message is clear for all players: they either earn their positions in the pitch or they can forget about playing. I think Mourinho will play Baba in the Cup and in a couple more of UCL matches and we'll see how fast he adapts and can handle it, but Iva knows there's a threat now and if he continues his shit show, he's going down. I made a joke about a picture of him looking really unhappy, but he probably really is. The threat isn't comfortable, he doesn't like it and that could be enough to make him play better or fasten up the process of replacing him (the latter all more likely than the former). But the writing is in the wall, as you guys like to say, and Mourinho has been sending the messages loud and clear. While he's still in fault for making Iva an untouchable last season, let's be calm about how he'll be displaced from the team.

The players needed this. A comfortable and big (scoreline wise) win midweek, a derby won in the weekend, both with clean sheets after a defensive nightmare start (that has also been written in the all, we were overachieving big time with our defense). The players need confidence and the manager to feel the pressure off at this moment. It doesn't mean there aren't problems beyond that. There are. Even Ivanovic x Baba x Luís is a problem that needs to be solved. There's no way Iva can continue to be a regular starter in our team for much longer and if Baba doesn't fit the bill (which I'm not saying he doesn't, but I think it's a bit delusional, wishful thinking and passionate to think José will just throw the guy in the team right now). We need to renew our defense. Old legs, slow legs, too dependable and protection-needed players. We need more Azpilicuetas (even though he's also taking some time to get sharp). We're too big for a defense with such liabilities. We need new blood, we need quality, but we also may need a bit of time to make it happen. Even keeping Luís would have been a short time solution as he's 30 already and would start showing the same things we see with JT, for example, sooner or later.

Hazard needed a good match and confidence, even if his goal is deflected (he shot enough times today and the one in the second half was decent). Cesc needed to start assisting again and he did in both games of the week, our defense as unreliable as it is, managed to get the week without conceding and that's how you build confidence and that's what we need the most now. We need Mourinho to get over some of his old ideas, we need the players to play better, but more than anything else, we need confidence to win, otherwise we won't turn it around. We took several steps in the right direction this week and I think Mourinho is starting to take a couple of steps too. Everything will be alright if things continue to be like this.

And just because I am me and I can't resist, the amount and the tone in this thread compared to when we were losing is predictable and disappointing. Nobody has to like Mourinho, but as supposedly Chelsea fans is our job to support the manager and the players, even if we disagree about their choices, address their problems, etc. What bothers me a lot around here these days is that there's a disproportional emphasis when we do bad or don't get results and a shy reaction when we do well or get the results. I don't have problems with people questioning Mourinho's choices, but I can't help but feel many here are happier with being 'right' than seeing the team regroup and do well. They prefer Chelsea to do bad, just they're right, than Chelsea to do well and make them endure Mourinho and certain players. You don't need to come here and say everything is glorious now. It isn't and the sane people won't say it, even if they like Mourinho, but a little bit of relief, recognition for important steps being taken could (and maybe even should) be found here too. But I suppose some people are just eager for us to lose points again or for things to go wrong. At least they will be able to say they told us so. I'm not sure any team in the world needs this kind of fans, but all teams in the world have them anyway. But it's really predictable that now that we won a derby, that we didn't concede goals, that Mourinho and the players found a way to win that people are just silent or nitpicking about other stuff. They seem completely incapable of acknowledging the important and good result, and rejoice about it is probably a crime in their personal rules for living.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Mourinho fanboys like you just don't get it, it's the truth buddy. You don't see the big picture only see the short and immediate. I don't like the direction we are going with him, it was the case after winning the double it is the case after our worst start in 30 years. Nothing changes, nothing have occurred or seen to cause paradigm shift.

It is not about moaning it is about wanting the best for the club. That will only occur under a new direction.

Do you have any idea how much of what your saying is equally and oppositely applicable to your perspective - wanting Jose's head on a pike is one of the most short termist things any Chelsea supporter could say, imo.

[Henrique 9,133]

Where are the haters now.

Hello, mate.

To be honest nothing changed. The team is going anywhere with this quality. Game today was unbeliveable bad. For clearly a game between two average sides. Far from great matches we saw, for example, during 13/14 season, like the ones against City, Liverpool and even Arsenal.

Same problems from last matches. The team can't create enough chances, and we also have a big problem in the attack. Pedro was nowhere to be seen. Costa was easily our worst player today, the red card he produced aside. Oscar and Hazard timid. Fabregas produced some shambolic moments.

Before Arsenal was down to 10 men, the match was looking a typical 0-0.

To Mourinho's defense, perhaps it was not a game to try something new or to play good football, but only to get 3 points. Season is very long, its a game that give you the same amount of points as a game against Stoke City. Being very rational, this is going to be a tough season and I'm still worried about the long term success of this team.

[DYC. 7,542]

They usually are average when we play them.We just seem to play even worse

Got my mum a desk top Jose for her birthday as Im good at buying sort of useless presents.So good thing we didnt lose the last few games/he was sacked for whatever reason...did look at life size haha but been even worse.

Haha. You're one of those people. Why not just not buy anything? I'll never understand why money isn't considered a good gift.

[Tomo 21,754]

How can a club perform so terribly despite buying players left and right?

Of course you have to be a fool to appoint McClaren.

I think he will sort it out eventually, but no way will he beat us next week.

[Jase 43,479]

I think he will sort it out eventually, but no way will he beat us next week.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[Special Juan 28,864]

Looking at things in perspective not much has changed. The main difference today was fight and performance levels from certain players.

If this level of performance had been given from the first game I am sure we wouldn't be in this position right now.

[Jase 43,479]

Looking at things in perspective not much has changed. The main difference today was fight and performance levels from certain players.

If this level of performance had been given from the first game I am sure we wouldn't be in this position right now.

No shit sherlock!

[HRiver 1,512]

We beat Arsenal of all teams, keep a clean sheet, play quick, counter-attacking aggressive football, Hazard, Costa and Fabregas make themselves look like completely different players, heck, even Ivanovic did alright. And YET, people still complain? It's like the average age of this forum is 15 or something.

[DYC. 7,542]

[Special Juan 28,864]

No shit sherlock!

Haven't you got a cat to wank off?