The Mourinho Thread

[Special Juan 28,869]

Went to their dressing room and said 'fair play'

Guy has class, I love him.

[The Chels 2,502]

I think it's harsh of Jose to blame the loss on the players not having 'balls' when we've seen this type of performance over and over this season, and he's not exactly done much to rectify it.

Main recurring problems he CAN change:

1. The lack of width: Ivanovic at right back offers very little offensively and is constantly exposed defensively - how many times has he crossed the ball for an opposition throw-in and how many times have we conceded from crosses on his wing?! Azpilicueta also offers little offensively on his weaker side so I don't understand why Jose continues to persist with this pairing. Cole/Bertrand (yes I know he's on loan) and Azpi at RB would add another dimension to our currently impotent offense.

2. Little/no set piece routines: we have so many corners and to a lesser extent free kicks in these types of games, and yet we never offer anything different for the opposition to deal with.

3. Lack of movement from attacking players.

[Eligius 121]

I think this season under Mourinho has been successful even if we don't win the league.

Obviously, you want to win the league every year, however, every team improved from last year except United and we are still fighting for the title to the end (unlike last season where we knew we were out a long time ago).

If we don't win anything next season, than Mourinho should be considered a failure at Chelsea, however, this season he has done well with the team that was provided for him.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

This "Mourinho got it wrong today" is bullshit IMO. I do agree with all he said after the game and the players should take the blame for this loss.

Weeks ago, some of you were wondering how can Eto'o impreove if he scores some goals and then, in the next match, he is benched? Or why Schurrle, after some goals, is benched too?

Now Mourinho did you a favour and used a team based on players performance in the previous games. Matic and Luiz for the pivot (worked great against Arsenal), Schurrle and Hazard on the wings, Lamps as the playmaker (10 days rest for him and probably Jose wanted to give Oscar a rest before Paris) and Torres as the CF (Eto'o unavailable).

The tactics were right, but there was no passion, no desire, the lads looked uninteresed in this game. Luiz used every opportunity he's had to give the Palace fans something to cheer about with his "long shots", Torres had a -Torres- again, Schurrle looked like he fell off the sky with minutes before the game, Oscar had no impact on the game and Hazard had a quiet game, although he should have burried that one in the 2nd half. You need more than skills to win a league title and after seeing this performance it seems Chelsea's players are not bothered at the thought of finishing behind City and Liverpool.

[Blue Armour 4,759]

What you expect?

We are a counter attacking team.

We perform better when team attack us.

Which to say makes us better for cup competition not league tittle.

Arsenal (with Henry, Pires)...essentially a counter-attacking team.Any true fan of theirs from then will tell you they were truly better in counter-attacks than possession based play

Manchester United, under Ferguson...also a counter-attacking team for the most part.

Then there was Madrid under Mourinho, and us in 2004-2006.

None of those teams had problems in winning league matches.

Its not the style of play that's the problem. Bad decisions from the players can compromise even the best plans laid out by managers.

Today our attackers were just not in the race, and our usually reliable full-backs got creamed (especially Azpilicueta who got no support from Hazard today, and was double-teamed upon time and again).

[didierforever 7,349]

This "Mourinho got it wrong today" is bullshit IMO. I do agree with all he said after the game and the players should take the blame for this loss.

Weeks ago, some of you were wondering how can Eto'o impreove if he scores some goals and then, in the next match, he is benched? Or why Schurrle, after some goals, is benched too?

Now Mourinho did you a favour and used a team based on players performance in the previous games. Matic and Luiz for the pivot (worked great against Arsenal), Schurrle and Hazard on the wings, Lamps as the playmaker (10 days rest for him and probably Jose wanted to give Oscar a rest before Paris) and Torres as the CF (Eto'o unavailable).

The tactics were right, but there was no passion, no desire, the lads looked uninteresed in this game. Luiz used every opportunity he's had to give the Palace fans something to cheer about with his "long shots", Torres had a -Torres- again, Schurrle looked like he fell off the sky with minutes before the game, Oscar had no impact on the game and Hazard had a quiet game, although he should have burried that one in the 2nd half. You need more than skills to win a league title and after seeing this performance it seems Chelsea's players are not bothered at the thought of finishing behind City and Liverpool.

How does it make sense in giving 22 year oscar a "rest" while playing a 36 year old lamps.

We are a team that is poor in breakinf down tight defences.

Our strength is pressing the oppositiin higher up the pitch, forcing them into mistakes.

And our strength in quick pacy counter attacks.

Unfortunately lamps as a no.10 can't do anything and it ahowed.

It was a poor decision to not start oscar.

This does not mean that the players are not at fault for this dis-spirited, patheitic, hopeless play but mou has to take his shate of the blame too. Go to the match thread and see how many of us thought that an early goal was important. The team that he put in, simply could not have done that.

[Muzchap 8,966]

Man I'm going to avoid these forums until the summer...

Jose said himself - we are a long way from being Champions.

We have no Striker at Chelsea and this will cost us, as it has cost us since the arrival of Torres...

Sure you can get lucky in Cup competition- but over 38 games the best team will always Win.

Please face reality - we are not the best 'Team' - sure we have great players, but it's not a 'Team' yet. To expect Jose to fix this in 1 season, which has been undone over the past 3-4 seasons is crazy talk

We need a summer, a striker and then lets see the real Chelsea step forward.

I'm happy with the progress to date and this childish bashing of the manager and players is just crazy. Last week 99% of you were this is brilliant blah, now 99% of you are 'we are shit, everything is shit' - it's almost bordering on a psychotic mentality.

Please be more realistic and appreciate the steps forward. Look at Pool under Rodgers - he needed 2 seasons before they started looking better... Moyes and Mourinho should be judged together. I know which manager I would rather have, and which manager has done the better job in his first season...

Mou can perform miracles. But the impossible takes a little longer.

[GodZola 630]

Man I'm going to avoid these forums until the summer...

Jose said himself - we are a long way from being Champions.

We have no Striker at Chelsea and this will cost us, as it has cost us since the arrival of Torres...

Sure you can get lucky in Cup competition- but over 38 games the best team will always Win.

Please face reality - we are not the best 'Team' - sure we have great players, but it's not a 'Team' yet. To expect Jose to fix this in 1 season, which has been undone over the past 3-4 seasons is crazy talk

We need a summer, a striker and then lets see the real Chelsea step forward.

I'm happy with the progress to date and this childish bashing of the manager and players is just crazy. Last week 99% of you were this is brilliant blah, now 99% of you are 'we are shit, everything is shit' - it's almost bordering on a psychotic mentality.

Please be more realistic and appreciate the steps forward. Look at Pool under Rodgers - he needed 2 seasons before they started looking better... Moyes and Mourinho should be judged together. I know which manager I would rather have, and which manager has done the better job in his first season...

Mou can perform miracles. But the impossible takes a little longer.

Finally a balanced post - well done muzzie, couldn't agree with you more.

Unfortunately we are in the minority as too many expect us to win a trophy every season which simply does not happen. I knew it would take José 2 seasons or so to mould his own team and make his mark on the squad he wants, he has started the rebuilding process and as you say the more realistic fans can see where we are going but also have the temperament to be patient as it will take time.

The fact is José has said many times where the squad needs improvement so he can do no more than be honest about the situation and that should be enough for the doom-mongers.....

If anything this season has highlighted some deficiencies which will be rectified, I am 100% sure we will see a different Chelsea next season and the players we need have already been identified with a back up list ready if need be. I keep saying judge the man at the end of next season, just mindnumbing reading through some of the shit on here.

Lastly the title isn't over yet, it's not looking good but there will be more twists and turns to come, it wouldn't surprise me if it goes down to the last game again this season, we may well come up short but we are still in the mix which is something we have not achieved for the best part of 4 a years, so for me it's a very good base for next years campaign and who knows we could still win the kin thing yet?!

[Laylabelle 9,754]

Don't expect us to win trophies every year and surprised we're where we are.Just a bit ahhh to be so close yet silly really off games costing us.Not over yet but can't see it being us..hey ho summer sort out

[Rmpr 8,977]

Jose doing all this theatrical is fine by me, but the players are not the only ones qe should be 'blamming'... Jose was piss poor yesterday and that loss is also 'on him'.

[Polo7 3,496]

Jose doing all this theatrical is fine by me, but the players are not the only ones qe should be 'blamming'... Jose was piss poor yesterday and that loss is also 'on him'.

Lol the fact that Torres missed opportunities is Jose's fault? The team he played yesterday should have destroyed Palace. Non of the players pulled their weight, simple.

[bushman 2,043]

Jose doing all this theatrical is fine by me, but the players are not the only ones qe should be 'blamming'... Jose was piss poor yesterday and that loss is also 'on him'.

Wake up!

[xPetrCechx 13,598]

Jose doing all this theatrical is fine by me, but the players are not the only ones qe should be 'blamming'... Jose was piss poor yesterday and that loss is also 'on him'.

he played the best line up...

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

Funny, most people were happy with the lineup before kick off

[Styles 9,790]

Jose doing all this theatrical is fine by me, but the players are not the only ones qe should be 'blamming'... Jose was piss poor yesterday and that loss is also 'on him'.

Strange comments after the game. The team needs more balls? What? Nonsensical. That in no way describes what happened yesterday. And obviously most supporters buy that and think a lack of balls is the problem.

The team only really knows how to counter-attack and not much else. In almost every game we need to take the initiative and break teams down we struggle to create and rely on Hazard to make something happen.

[Fernando 6,743]

Strange comments after the game. The team needs more balls? What? Nonsensical. That in no way describes what happened yesterday. And obviously most supporters buy that and think a lack of balls is the problem.

The team only really knows how to counter-attack and not much else. In almost every game we need to take the initiative and break teams down we struggle to create and rely on Hazard to make something happen.

Well I would go as far as saying the team has no balls, it's a reflection of what Mourinho has been saying.

When your manager says your not title favorite, does it inspired confidence?

No!

And if it was mind game from Mourinho then it back fire drastically on him.

[xPetrCechx 13,598]

Chelsea = Counter Attacks.

We just can't Initiate... break average defence...

[dee25 1,044]

Well I would go as far as saying the team has no balls, it's a reflection of what Mourinho has been saying.

When your manager says your not title favorite, does it inspired confidence?

No!

And if it was mind game from Mourinho then it back fire drastically on him.

Was it mind games though?

I think he was just being honest. The team is not strong enough to be called title favorites, there's no point in Mourinho pretending that we are. Doing so would only raise false hope among the fans.

[Fernando 6,743]

Was it mind games though?

I think he was just being honest. The team is not strong enough to be called title favorites, there's no point in Mourinho pretending that we are. Doing so would only raise false hope among the fans.

Alright then, people then should not be shocked.

We are not good enough and that's what Mourinho has been saying, it was never mind games.

[darrus 422]

When your manager says your not title favorite, does it inspired confidence?

No!

And if it was mind game from Mourinho then it back fire drastically on him.

Sorry, there are things Mourinho should be blamed for, but this one is ridiculous.

I would have gotten that logic if we lost to any of the big teams showing resignation, some sort of Arsenal match reversed.

But we played Chrystal Palace, for God's sake.

And these games are not confidence, these games are about doing your job. And there was a number of players who failed to perform. End of.

It's easy to qualify everything Mourinho says as mind games or trolling, the problem is - most time he is simply telling it as it is. This team, with this sort of attitude and severe lack of players for at least 2 key positions and with no strikers at all is not winning anything this season without a big slice of luck. But is still in with the chance.