The Mourinho Thread

[DanAdibi! 106]

Got this off twitter: "Mourinho is entitled to play like that to reach finals; neutrals are entitled to jeer; more ambitious teams than Atletico must find a way through. Simple."

The fact is most managers are not tactically good enough to set up their team to go away and get draws on demand like we've done today, At Arsenal and at Man United. It was ugly but brilliant. A goalless draw is still dangerous, but even with suspensions and injuries, I will think we are favourites in the 2nd leg.

So, I'm guessing Ivanovic plays at CB, with Ramires and Luiz in the pivot with Eden, Eto'o Schurrle and Oscar to come in for the 2nd leg then we will show our power.

Don't be down-trodden by the rival fans who will surely mock our performance as they watch to be entertained while we watch to see CFC win football matches and trophies. Beautiful football is irrelevant in such games. The onus was on Atletico to break us and they failed to do so

Best reaction I've made on the game. Very well said.

[Pacquiao 1,834]

masterclass? nope!

great defensive performance but absolutely no plan or clue going forward

LOL! it was a complete masterclass from Jose again! he put Atletico out of their comfort zone and forced them to play a style they are not comfortable with! he set us up to invite Atletico onto us, they are not a team who like to dominate possession and try to break a team down, its not their strength at all! he made sure they couldn't take a lead with them into the 2nd leg!

Excellent from Jose again!

[blu35_army 551]

I just wish he would make our attack more efficient. Show our players how to play as team, how to create and score by following certain patern.

Lack of striker is big problem, but Oscar, Willian, Schurrle,...are here to play and yet they dont realy impress.

There are many factors for bad attacking like lack of striker, no support from fullbacks (width), no support from DLP etc, but finishing and decision making of Oscar, Schurrle, Willian,...actualy whole team is realy average. We defend like a team, but we dont attack like one. Today, we couldnt make three straight passes in attack, because we lack plan, patern or sth...

I hope Mou will make us counter attacking team based on Chelsea from 2009/10 or Borussia. But for that, you need realy complete team, great understanding, no selfish players, intelligent players who can play fast and efficient football with lots of one-two passes or long crosses. And most importantly, you need DEADLY ATTACKERS WHO SCORE EVERY CHANCE GIVEN. Anelka, Drogba, Malouda, Lamps, even Essien, Ballack, Cole could score stunners. I remember Smeltzer scoring that goal vs Real last season. Goal from full back. You dont see that in Chelsea. Azpi scoring such goal? Even attackers like Willian or Oscar cant finish. They have great workrate, thats why we re good in defense, but lack efficiency in attack. Next year we will improve; but for counterfootball, you need 3/4 attackers who can naturaly score goals when chance given. Oscar or Willian arent that. Hazard is still learning. Midifeld has no players who can score goals, we need CM who can take shots aswell.

maybe Vidal, Rodriguez and Cavani could be the answer,,100 million pounds for the 3-4 years ahead. such a good investment...

[The only place to be 11,313]

this is a wake up call really. 2 years from 2012. over 150 million spent on players and still resorting to park the bus tactics. needs to change that soon imo. not that i condemn chelsea for playing it yesterday, 0-0 is a decent result away from home given injuries etc but approach needs to change soon

Or what? It needs to change or you'll throw your toys out of the pram and support Liverpool?

Please.

No Hazard. No Matic. No striker. No first-choice left-back. Having to play Mikel in midfield.

Keeper gets injured. Captain and defensive rock gets injured.

Yet we come out of the first leg probably with the advantage going back to the Bridge. People like you expect him to work miracles and change the squad overnight yet ignore the miraculous result right in front of your fucking eyes.

He just put out a team that includes a left-back who is unfortunately past his best and doesn't play anymore. A midfielder who is actually a defender by trade. A striker who is the biggest flop in this club's history. Another midfielder who was replaced in the January window by a much better player and a 35 year old Frank Lampard. Oh, and this was all against the team top of La Liga.

This isn't Jose's team yet. It's still got the remnants of a dozen fucked up transfer windows stretching back to 2006 running through it but it's getting there.

[Beepu 1,714]

Or what? It needs to change or you'll throw your toys out of the pram and support Liverpool?

Please.

No Hazard. No Matic. No striker. No first-choice left-back. Having to play Mikel in midfield.

Keeper gets injured. Captain and defensive rock gets injured.

Yet we come out of the first leg probably with the advantage going back to the Bridge. People like you expect him to work miracles and change the squad overnight yet ignore the miraculous result right in front of your fucking eyes.

He just put out a team that includes a left-back who is unfortunately past his best and doesn't play anymore. A midfielder who is actually a defender by trade. A striker who is the biggest flop in this club's history. Another midfielder who was replaced in the January window by a much better player and a 35 year old Frank Lampard. Oh, and this was all against the team top of La Liga.

This isn't Jose's team yet. It's still got the remnants of a dozen fucked up transfer windows stretching back to 2006 running through it but it's getting there.

If I ever come to england, I will give you a pat in the back. People easily forget that this team is not the finished article and somehow we still made it this far. Other teams should start worrying of what we could become in the very near future I think, if everything goes right that is.

[The only place to be 11,313]

The other point is that if he wants to field a weakened team then he needs the full backing of everyone above him, from Emenalo right up to Roman. That's clearly what he was getting at after the match yesterday and I think it's one of those moment of truth times where he needs to be trusted to do things the way he wants.

Whatever happens on Sunday, it was the results at Villa, Palace and home to Sunderland which have seen us lose the league. We're one game away from a CL Final and it's all in our hands.

[Jase 43,479]

Interesting post match comments from Mourinho. Basically said he'll field a B-team unless Roman overrules it and then went on about how he's only the manager and nothing more. I don't know. Something unsettling about those comments. Hope there aren't any internal problems.

But don't you think his comments - "I'm not the most important person at the club. I do what the club decides" - particularly in the angry mood he's been in has a lot more to it than what you're saying?

Don't think what Mourinho said there is anything dodgy or has wrong with it, unless you take it out of context. He said what he said because he's furious that we have to play Liverpool on Sunday and not Saturday or even Friday when our 2nd leg is next Wednesday.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/23/jose-mourinho-chelsea-liverpool-abramovich

[bushman 2,043]

If anyone complains about Chelsea's games under Jose, he ought to find other team to support. This team has done much more than expected. For him to field weaker team against liverscums, I fully agree with him. The refs appointed will make sure Chelsea's not winning on Sunday. So why not save your best for Atletico, I would like to ask?

[Madmax 9,219]

Guillem Balague saying on twitter that Abramovich wanted Guardiola before 'accepting' Mourinho and that he wouldn't enjoy the style we played yesterday. Someone should ask him whether he thinks Abramovich enjoyed losing to Corinthians and Swansea last season while we were under Ballague's mate FSW.

Hang on, I'll ask. Let's see if he replies.

[Madmax 9,219]

I didn't enjoy the football tonight but to be honest I stopped caring a long time ago.I just want us to be competitive now more than anything.

This. This so much.

Winning is addictive. Watching that crap United team walk the league while we lagged 25 points behind got on my tits.

[bushman 2,043]

Boring goalless games are not my cup of tea either. However, Jose had no choice but play the game as we saw last night.

[lionsden 4,689]

this is a wake up call really. 2 years from 2012. over 150 million spent on players and still resorting to park the bus tactics. needs to change that soon imo. not that i condemn chelsea for playing it yesterday, 0-0 is a decent result away from home given injuries etc but approach needs to change soon

This is a controversial opinion what i'm about to express but it's the truth nonetheless. It's Romans fault. I mean why recruit a well renowned defensive and conservative manager if your aim and objective is to move away from such style of football. This is a'kin to recruiting Guardiola for a team that wants to play catenaccio or counter attacking style of football. Wrong horses for courses and total clash of philosophy.

What did Roman expect, that Jose was the right fit and would suddenly break away from his own philosophy and turn us into a team that plays attacking football.

[Strike 7,489]

Or what? It needs to change or you'll throw your toys out of the pram and support Liverpool?

Please.

No Hazard. No Matic. No striker. No first-choice left-back. Having to play Mikel in midfield.

Keeper gets injured. Captain and defensive rock gets injured.

Yet we come out of the first leg probably with the advantage going back to the Bridge. People like you expect him to work miracles and change the squad overnight yet ignore the miraculous result right in front of your fucking eyes.

He just put out a team that includes a left-back who is unfortunately past his best and doesn't play anymore. A midfielder who is actually a defender by trade. A striker who is the biggest flop in this club's history. Another midfielder who was replaced in the January window by a much better player and a 35 year old Frank Lampard. Oh, and this was all against the team top of La Liga.

This isn't Jose's team yet. It's still got the remnants of a dozen fucked up transfer windows stretching back to 2006 running through it but it's getting there.

read the post again. not talking about yesterday

[Strike 7,489]

with Hazard Eto'o back and Ivanovic at Centreback , think Chelsea can win this. We're a different team at home

[darrus 422]

Don't think what Mourinho said there is anything dodgy or has wrong with it, unless you take it out of context. He said what he said because he's furious that we have to play Liverpool on Sunday and not Saturday or even Friday when our 2nd leg is next Wednesday.

I also think it is a way to cover potential problems up.

So we go to play Liverpool without most of our regular starters, probably Van Ginkel on the pitch, someone like Kalas as a substitute... In this case Man City is sure make a lot of noise about us attempting to throw the match, integrity, influencing title race blah-blah-blah. So it would be better if everyone in the club is on the same page about it. Now if he fields a weakened squad everyone will know that it's a club's desision.

Just a thought.

[Strike 7,489]

This is a controversial opinion what i'm about to express but it's the truth nonetheless. It's Romans fault. I mean why recruit a well renowned defensive and conservative manager if your aim and objective is to move away from such style of football. This is a'kin to recruiting Guardiola for a team that wants to play catenaccio or counter attacking style of football. Wrong horses for courses and total clash of philosophy.

What did Roman expect, that Jose was the right fit and would suddenly break away from his own philosophy and turn us into a team that plays attacking football.

maybe they wanted Pep. the rumours were strong on that but once he went to bayern who else was there?

[coolhead23 1,147]

If anyone complains about Chelsea's games under Jose, he ought to find other team to support. This team has done much more than expected. For him to field weaker team against liverscums, I fully agree with him. The refs appointed will make sure Chelsea's not winning on Sunday. So why not save your best for Atletico, I would like to ask?

So no voicing your opinions ... only going Ga-Ga !!!!

[bababoom 4,478]

To be fair if we wanted to play expansive attractive football i would have chosen Klopp over Pep.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

Are we seriously going to do this every season?

If Roman and co want us to fight for the title just incase there's a chance someone will slip up, they won't be happy to see Jose put out a weakened team. If they want us to go all out for the CL they will grant him the decision to put out a weakened side.

We also have to be 100% sure of top 3. We don't want 4th spot where you have to qualify for the CL.

[lionsden 4,689]

To be fair if we wanted to play expansive attractive football i would have chosen Klopp over Pep.

And the point still stands. You choose the right horses for the right courses.