The Mourinho Thread

[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 7,229]

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 6,065]

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.

[zolayes 14,489]

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.

the nasti lil cunt was merely trying to deflect how dreadful his team is ... AND BOY are they shit

[Barbara 15,149]

what Nasri even said? I usually don't pay attention at those wannabes quotes/interviews to the media, so I have no idea what you guys are talking about....

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

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.

which is exactly what we tried yesterday.

Can work but Fabregas was not particularly in form yesterday. Also he is not exactly a big game player. Did not help that our DMs and defenders where unable to even get the ball to him. Maan our transitional play was shit yesterday.

IMO he needs a bit more assistance. a proactive DB and a box-to-box midfielder with a better package than Ramires would be helpful. But I am sure Mourinho will identify someone to take that role.

[Styles 9,790]

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.

So what you're saying is Mourinho doesn't really coach; he just assembles a good group of players and tells them to go out there and cope with whatever happens.

That explains why we look so disorganised and clueless a lot of the time to be honest.

[-Kaplan- 410]

what Nasri even said? I usually don't pay attention at those wannabes quotes/interviews to the media, so I have no idea what you guys are talking about....

"I'm a big fan of Mourinho, but I am not impressed with his team, not at all. We have played them twice, one time with 10 men, and we were better than them.

"Then we played them at the Bridge, we were better than them.

"When I have seen some of their games, I don't think they are that fantastic -- they are just strong and have a good striker up front.

"For me they are not special at all, and I think they are going to make some mistakes. We just have to perform, to win our games, and see what's going to happen.

"This title will be like this until the end of the season. No one will win the league 10 games before the end of the season."

[Tomo 21,751]

Here's something to cheer everyone up. We are 7 points clear at the top of the league with a cup final in 11 days.

This place is like feeding time in the Zoo after a bad/result performance.

[zolayes 14,489]

"I'm a big fan of Mourinho, but I am not impressed with his team, not at all. We have played them twice, one time with 10 men, and we were better than them.

"Then we played them at the Bridge, we were better than them.

"When I have seen some of their games, I don't think they are that fantastic -- they are just strong and have a good striker up front.

"For me they are not special at all, and I think they are going to make some mistakes. We just have to perform, to win our games, and see what's going to happen.

"This title will be like this until the end of the season. No one will win the league 10 games before the end of the season."

just who is your team ???? Im not a big fan of Pelegrini either