The Mourinho Thread

[kmk108 1,186]

Yeah I for sure I guess. But the root of it comes down to the fact this club went a little too overboard concerning themselves with FFP when clearly there was much more dynamic way of approaching it which City found.

& if the case is true that transfer investment is going towards a new stadium instead.. Well looks like we'll be following an Arsenal approach then

FFP is what we kept hearing about last year, and all was good when we were winning the title. Wonder if we would have had the restrictions dropped like City did...

I thought the idea was that Roman was going to finance the stadium so that our transfer activity wouldn't be affected. Maybe it was just a nice idea rather than an actual plan?

[DYC. 7,542]

I don't buy that, money talks. City have an enormous amount of world-class talent warming their bench, with correct rotation and that it can work. Of course if they specifically want to leave, like KDB, then fine. But I'm sure Mata, Schurrle & Luiz didn't want to leave as soon as they did.

Who are these players?

[Tomo 21,681]

Our current starting XI + the squad depth of 2013/14 season would have been the perfect combination. Quality and options aplenty.

We only really had depth in attacking midfield thst season. Schwarzer was average, defense and mid field lacked depth and our only good striker was a 33 year old Eto'o.

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

We only really had depth in attacking midfield thst season. Schwarzer was average, defense and mid field lacked depth and our only good striker was a 33 year old Eto'o.

Good point Tomo in the 3 seasons he's been back Mourinho has bought Eto, Drogba and now Falcao everyone single one of them a shadow of there former selves. Why? i just don't see the point.

[Jase 43,479]

We only really had depth in attacking midfield thst season. Schwarzer was average, defense and mid field lacked depth and our only good striker was a 33 year old Eto'o.

Not exactly. We had Luiz and Lampard in midfield (the former some times in defence) too. It speaks volume that we have a good squad depth back then but right now, it's almost non-existent. We have done nothing but weaken the squad as a whole since 2014. A better management of the squad from Mourinho and we wouldn't really be in this position right now.

[Tomo 21,681]

Not exactly. We had Luiz and Lampard in midfield (the former some times in defence) too. It speaks volume that we have a good squad depth back then but right now, it's almost non-existent. We have done nothing but weaken the squad as a whole 2014. A better management of the squad from Mourinho and we wouldn't really be in this position right now.

Luiz didn't play in midfield until Liverpool under Jose so for the first 6 months we were picking between Mikel, Lampard and Rami, which were awful options for a club our size, in defence we have the same as now just Zouma instead of Luiz and Baba instead of Cole, were better in attack although I do prefer the Eto'o of 13/14 over Remy. Only attacking midfield we are significantly weaker than 13/14, tbh we haven't really had a super strong squad of 23 since 2008.

[Tomo 21,681]

Good point Tomo in the 3 seasons he's been back Mourinho has bought Eto, Drogba and now Falcao everyone single one of them a shadow of there former selves. Why? i just don't see the point.

Eto'o was a masterstroke, we couldn't find a marquee striker that summer in fact Jose knew that Costa was coming next summer by all accounts so brought him in, wasn't prime Eto'o but gave a lot to the team and saved us a season of Torres playing most weeks.

Drogba was for the dressing room influence, a lot of the squad didn't have the winning mentality as of that time, and as you could see in the title celebrations Didiers influence was paramount in the dressing room.

Falcao however, looks a completely pointless signing.

[Jase 43,479]

Luiz didn't play in midfield until Liverpool under Jose so for the first 6 months we were picking between Mikel, Lampard and Rami, which were awful options for a club our size, in defence we have the same as now just Zouma instead of Luiz and Baba instead of Cole

It still doesn't change the fact that Luiz was an option in midfield and defence and not to mention, some of our best performances against the big teams came when Luiz played in midfield, like the 2-1 win over Liverpool. The 1-0 at Man City and 6-0 against Arsenal were also impressive, with Luiz and Matic patrolling the midfield zone in front of the back 4.

Only attacking midfield we are significantly weaker than 13/14, tbh we haven't really had a super strong squad of 23 since 2008

I can give and take certain players from the 2013/14 squad leaving but the biggest mistake here is that we have not signed adequate replacements for them/brought in proper quality players. A number of them are short-sighted and ill-thought-out signings.

although I do prefer the Eto'o of 13/14 over Remy

Gosh. What has Remy done to you that he doesn't deserve some love from you?

[couris 232]

All his argumentation is based on the defense of Jose.

[pHaRaOn 2,131]

Who are these players?

Theirs bench yesterday: Caballero, Zabaleta, Clichy, Nasri, Demichelis, Bony, Iheanacho. Can't see "enormous amount of world-class talent" here. Zabaleta, Nasri and Bony are good, but hardly a "world-class".

[Magic Lamps 11,449]

Eto'o was a masterstroke, we couldn't find a marquee striker that summer in fact Jose knew that Costa was coming next summer by all accounts so brought him in, wasn't prime Eto'o but gave a lot to the team and saved us a season of Torres playing most weeks.

Drogba was for the dressing room influence, a lot of the squad didn't have the winning mentality as of that time, and as you could see in the title celebrations Didiers influence was paramount in the dressing room.

Falcao however, looks a completely pointless signing.

It's not the signing itself that is the problem but the scheduling of our signings IMO.

We headed into the season with just bego and falcao signed whilst it was clear as daylight to everyone that that can not be enough, ok, we needed a backup goalie and if jose really trust ramires and mikel as backup midfielders fair enough but even he acknowledged that we need defenders. not only in numbers but with terry and ivanovic rapidly declining (the latter has been since 2 years) we should have fucking signed some defenders first before indulging in a luxury signing like falcao. it is a gamble. if it pays off, great if not, we still have 2 other strikers and if they are injured,mou had no problem playing without a striker in 2013 so what.

But apart from the defnite lack of quality and depth in our dreadful squad, it is also the system and the tactics that have been found out.

We have no width whatsoever. when we attacked from the wings last season, the players (mostly ivanovic and hazard, sometimes oscar and rarely willian) entered the box through the channels. Now ivanovic is detoriating, that only leaves hazard which makes us extremely predictable. also as willian does never risk entering the box, hazard usually has to move to his side to help him out which wastes an attacking option on his flank.

Secondly, as our main threat goes through the middle, we need actual playmakers there. when either fabregas or oscar (whose movement is extremely important to get space in the middle) is out, we are very limited there, as willian and ramires don't have the footballing iq to make space for through balls (mostly cesc's) to costa.

Against City, we made it so easy for them. we negated our threat through the middle by playing Ramires ourselves. AS for the threat of ivanovic, he is really easy to defend. they just sent kolarov to face him so he had no space to run into, tried to cross, which he is shit at and every cross of his got blocked or into the stands.

As we are obviously too dumb to sign a winger or a midfielder to remedy one of those issues, we should at least change the system to play more to our strength.

IMO we should either go Pep mode and omit one of our anyway useless defenders (read Ivanovic) and play some kind of 3-6-1

------------Tibo---------

--Cahill--Zoum--Azpi--

----------Matic---------

Willian--Fabregas-Oscar

Moses---Costa----Hazard

with Oscar and Willian's defensive workrates, this should be enough to see of most smaller sides. The midfield would be packed and offer us the opportunity for high pressing and fast ball retention.

or try the good old 4-3-3 again. esp in big matches where Fabregas is useless I could imagine it working.

+

-Azpi-JT--Cahill--Baba

---------Matic----------

---Willian---Oscar---

Moses--Costa--Hazard

In terms of personel it would only be Moses instead of Ivanovic which I don't imagine as too problematic. Moses tracks back by nature, is strong and has great aerial ability despite his height due to his amazing leap. Bascially he has all of Iva's strengths while not as many weaknesses. He is not that great offensively but at least is not allergic to scoring or assisting goals unlike Willian.

we should really give it a try. i could see either system working with a bit of conditioning + it would make us less predictable instantly.

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

Eto'o was a masterstroke, we couldn't find a marquee striker that summer in fact Jose knew that Costa was coming next summer by all accounts so brought him in, wasn't prime Eto'o but gave a lot to the team and saved us a season of Torres playing most weeks.

Drogba was for the dressing room influence, a lot of the squad didn't have the winning mentality as of that time, and as you could see in the title celebrations Didiers influence was paramount in the dressing room.

Falcao however, looks a completely pointless signing.

Would have put Lukaku in front of Eto in a heartbeat myself. Think Drogba's influence might have had some bearing but to be honest he was pretty iffy. His best attributes pace power and strength were pretty much gone even taking into account his age. Always be a Chelsea legend though.

[Tomo 21,681]

Would have put Lukaku in front of Eto in a heartbeat myself. Think Drogba's influence might have had some bearing but to be honest he was pretty iffy. His best attributes pace power and strength were pretty much gone even taking into account his age. Always be a Chelsea legend though.

I disagree, with the youth of the AMs at the time expierence was crucial up top, Hazard touched up on how much playing with Eto'o helped his development. Also watching both play together for Everton I thought Eto'o was still a notch above him.

Styles I think said it right after the 6-3 "two strikers with a point to prove but only one had the quality to make it (the point)".

[Parky 739]

The biggest piece missing atm is finding the right CM to play alongside Matic now that Baba has signed. Two Matic's would be perfect one left footed and one right footed.

Realistically Witsel could come at the right price and is young enough to improve his game under Jose's.

[11Drogba 2,000]

Five reasons to explain Chelsea’s slow start to the Premier League

I saw someone asked in this thread (if I remember correctly) if a personal issue is affecting Mourinho's mood and the Guardian link above mentioned that his father is having a serious illness at the moment (although obviously that can't be used as an excuse for the nonsense he's doing right now).

I did not know this, made me feel bad tbh.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Hahaha Mou's done it again! Everyone is more focused on John Terry's future than Chelsea's overall performance. Magic.

[CMS 382]

Come on man, you know what I mean. Bayern bought away Dortmund's best players. Lewandowski, Gotze...

That would be the same as Chelsea winning the league last year and Man Utd snatching Hazard and Costa.

The situations can't be compared.

Sorry my friend, yes it can and could. We won the CL with Luis and Mata and they were both sold, now what?

[CMS 382]

We are buying. We've just brought in Baba and are linked with getting in Stones as well. It's different to what Klopp experienced at Dortmund because we aren't selling our best players every season.

People are complaining about the fact that we aren't addressing weaknesses in our squad that has been apparent from last season even - the RW and CM areas in particularly. They aren't complaining about us not spending any money because we are. It's just sad to see that we aren't strengthening in the areas where we need to.

Seriously? You know very well what they mean by buying. Do you honestly think the people here were talking about Falcao/Baba/Begovic as major buys? I don't have to spell it out that you know exactly what they mean by buying.