The Mourinho Thread

[The only place to be 11,313]

I like this, and would love to see this report.

But I think the club can do two things for the next season.

One address the short term problems and throw the money like city did in the season. This would bring a short term fix as more then likely the players will be at their peak or end.

Or continue to build for the future. Like acquiring more younger potential targets like Oscar, Salah, Schurrle and the like.

Each option brings different responsibility.

The first you are expected to win trophies.

The second, the club might be more lenient considering the state of the players your bringing in and perhaps implementing youth from the Academy.

Let's see what is the plan the club will go with this summer.

You can do both. In January we bought Matic, Zouma and Salah. Matic is very much for now, Zouma is one for the future and Salah is probably a bit of both.

I think we'll continue looking to get in the best youngsters (Pasalic will come in the summer and I expect a few others) whilst buying players who will immediately improve us, the primary one being a striker. Ultimately it all comes down to value.

[Fernando 6,376]

You can do both. In January we bought Matic, Zouma and Salah. Matic is very much for now, Zouma is one for the future and Salah is probably a bit of both.

I think we'll continue looking to get in the best youngsters (Pasalic will come in the summer and I expect a few others) whilst buying players who will immediately improve us, the primary one being a striker. Ultimately it all comes down to value.

Yeah forgot about Zouma.

Kalas did good against Liverpool but the dude did not get much chances this season. He was really mad at mourinho before. Not sure if he changed his mind but I wouldn't mind seeing him given a chance in the new season.

I would also be interested to see if next season there's a step up to the younger players from the Academy.

Cause I remember reading this from mourinho some months ago that starting next season we would bring one player from the Academy.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Yeah forgot about Zouma.

Kalas did good against Liverpool but the dude did not get much chances this season. He was really mad at mourinho before. Not sure if he changed his mind but I wouldn't mind seeing him given a chance in the new season.

I would also be interested to see if next season there's a step up to the younger players from the Academy.

Cause I remember reading this from mourinho some months ago that starting next season we would bring one player from the Academy.

Kalas really was unlucky with the timing of his injury. Shame because he's looked good but hopefully he'll stick around next season especially if we lose Luiz. It means we can take more time with Zouma too.

I think there's a few young guys who can all stake a claim in the summer for a spot in the squad. A lot of players will be involved with the world cup so the first few friendlies could see a lot more gametime for these young'uns. Best bets would probably be Kalas, Chalobah and maybe even Loftus-Cheek.

[Reddish-Blue 2,226]

Kalas really was unlucky with the timing of his injury. Shame because he's looked good but hopefully he'll stick around next season especially if we lose Luiz. It means we can take more time with Zouma too.

I think there's a few young guys who can all stake a claim in the summer for a spot in the squad. A lot of players will be involved with the world cup so the first few friendlies could see a lot more gametime for these young'uns. Best bets would probably be Kalas, Chalobah and maybe even Loftus-Cheek.

I hope Chalobah is part of a premier league squad next season, whether that be at Chelsea or somewhere on loan..

Next season's potential squad (*assuming Costa deal is all but done):

Cech, Courtois

Ivan, Azpi, Terry, Cahill, Kalas/Zouma, new LB

Matic, Ramires, MvG, Lampard, new CM to replace Mikel?

Schurrle, Hazard, Oscar, Salah, Willian

Costa*, Lukaku/new second striker

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

I hope Chalobah is part of a premier league squad next season, whether that be at Chelsea or somewhere on loan..

Next season's potential squad (*assuming Costa deal is all but done):

Cech, Courtois

Ivan, Azpi, Terry, Cahill, Kalas/Zouma, new LB

Matic, Ramires, MvG, Lampard, new CM to replace Mikel?

Schurrle, Hazard, Oscar, Salah, Willian

Costa*, Lukaku/new second striker

1. If we call Courtois back, he must be our starter. Sell Cech while he still has got some value.

2. Going into the season with Ramires and Mikel as our only reliance in depth in a system where we need quality midfielders of distribution is already a recipe for disaster.

3. Ramires is an utter liability (squad player at best) and Mikel is getting in the way for Chalobah's development. (an actual youth product who can give this club some identity)

4. Atsu, Romeu, Van Aanholt, Piazon, Lukaku, and Coutois MUST be in the squad next year.

5. Rid of Torres and Eto'o. (I don't mind Demba Ba as third choice striker, assuming Mourinho sticks to his usual 3 strike ways going into a season)

6. A Central Midfielder, A Left Back, and a Quality Striker is what's needed to have a stabilized squad.

--------------ST---------------

Hazard----Oscar----Willian

----Matic----------CM----------

LB----------------------Azpilicueta

--------Terry----Cahill----------

------------Courtois---------------

Lukaku

Demba Ba

Schurrle

Piazon

Salah

Atsu

MVG

Romeu

Chalobah

Lampard

Ramires

Van Aanholt

Zouma

Kalas

Ake

Ivanovic

Blackman

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Now the season is over we can look forward to next season, Jose will need to improve and change or he will be sacked again. Like many have said, we need to recall Courtois and sign a CM and 1-2 top class strikers with Costa being one. Parking the bus in any circumstance will not be acceptable again now we WILL have a top class striker, EVERY SINGLE MATCH we need to aim to score the goals, no matter if it is at Liverpool, City, Arsenal, MU or at Real Madrid, we just cannot repeat all out defence performance against Atletico again.

Just that and winning us the title is the min expectation.

[Nike 373]

If Rafa got us the same results, people would be calling for his head right now...

Mourinho better buy whoever he needs and sell the surpluses if he wants to win next season.

[BloodIsBlue 291]

'The Jaded One'...

The FA has certainly put a muzzle on him after all his fines this season, so many fines...

youve been brainwashed .. there is more than one way to skin a cat ,,,

4231 is the best for the modern game. It accommodates speed and dribbling really well and tactically flexible, even Pellegrini stopped experimenting went with 4231 (when he plays Milner on the right of the attack that is practically like Mourinho playing Ramires there). 4231 is the stem cell of football formations it can easily be whatever you want it to be.

[Henrique 9,133]

So easy to say 4-2-3-1 is a defensive formation with the 2 DMs and all, when it's not. Guess you weren't complaining when we beat the smaller sides with this 4-2-3-1, were you? Has nothing to do with the formation at all but more so with the application of the system. Take RDM for instance, when he first came in, he set us up in a defensive 4-2-3-1 system looking to play on the counter but in the following season, we played a more attacking 4-2-3-1. If anything, Mourinho arguably need set us loose a bit more in his favored 4-2-3-1 and not change the whole system so that we are less defensive. Heck, even the suggested 4-4-2 can be defensive if a manager wants it to be that way. Doesn't mean it's more attacking and speaking of 4-4-2, that formation is never going to work for us properly if we don't utilize proper wingers and even overlapping full backs to stretch the play. Otherwise, most things are just gonna clock in the midfield area like we are doing now most of the time and that system itself have hardly been a success for us this season when we've used it. We never seem to be able to control the midfield since most sides these days play with 3 in midfield and we always get overrun and as a result of that, we then just launch aimless long balls and only hoping that something will come good of it rather than having an actual plan with it.

Hello James (nice to name). I think you just said the obvious. The system is not enough to determine if a team is offensive or defensive, but you missed the most important fact: Chelsea's squad. Playing 4-2-3-1 with the current squad is indeed a conservative approach, specially when we were facing teams like Crystal palace with Matic+Luiz in the pivot. Mourinho tried a more adventurous approach in the first leg of the season with Lampard+Ramires, but this partnership had poor presence in the mid, and could not cover the defenders properly.

I don't even need to reply the "Guess you weren't complaining when we beat the smaller sides with this 4-2-3-1, were you? ". But the answer is "yes". I think many will agree that even when the team was beating the "smaller sides", the team was far from convincing, creating few chances and relying on the individual brilliance of our attacking men.

With the squad we have, 4-2-3-1 is not the answer for a game where you need to take the initiative.

[zolayes 14,489]

Hello James (nice to name). I think you just said the obvious. The system is not enough to determine if a team is offensive or defensive, but you missed the most important fact: Chelsea's squad. Playing 4-2-3-1 with the current squad is indeed a conservative approach, specially when we were facing teams like Crystal palace with Matic+Luiz in the pivot. Mourinho tried a more adventurous approach in the first leg of the season with Lampard+Ramires, but this partnership had poor presence in the mid, and could not cover the defenders properly.

I don't even need to reply the "Guess you weren't complaining when we beat the smaller sides with this 4-2-3-1, were you? ". But the answer is "yes". I think many will agree that even when the team was beating the "smaller sides", the team was far from convincing, creating few chances and relying on the individual brilliance of our attacking men.

With the squad we have, 4-2-3-1 is not the answer for a game where you need to take the initiative.

Can you please explain to Blood is Blue 4 2 3 1 is not the ONLY (or maybe not even the Best ) way to heaven

[LDN Blue 7,903]

If Rafa got us the same results, people would be calling for his head right now...

God, I'm so sick of hearing this. It's bad enough hearing it from Liverpool fans and various other pundits with an agenda (coughRedknappcough) but from our own fans it's just getting ridiculous.

Yes, Mourinho hasn't had a great season but continuously saying "well if he wasn't Mourinho.." is folly. Why? Because as he's said and as we're led to believe (and at this point I don't believe it's naive to think so) Mourinho is here to build this side into a long-term title/trophy winning squad. Rafa was hired to simply salvage our season, get European qualification and excel in other league competitions. The same way Guus Hiddink was brought in to simply ensure we finish in the top 4 and win a trophy. But no-one ever says "If this was Hiddink.." because if it was we all know damn well we'd all back him.

The fact is, we all acknowledged Rafa did what was required of him.. We may not like the man, with just reasons, but we maintained respect for the job he did in the end. We know he wasn't going to be concerned with the long-term objectives.

[Jase 43,479]

Hello James (nice to name). I think you just said the obvious. The system is not enough to determine if a team is offensive or defensive, but you missed the most important fact: Chelsea's squad. Playing 4-2-3-1 with the current squad is indeed a conservative approach, specially when we were facing teams like Crystal palace with Matic+Luiz in the pivot. Mourinho tried a more adventurous approach in the first leg of the season with Lampard+Ramires, but this partnership had poor presence in the mid, and could not cover the defenders properly.

Funny you mention that it since does concern with the application within the system which in this case relating to the selection of players. And it's not even just the pivot problem but further forward as well. There's hardly any combination play, 1-2s or basically just any plan in attack and it's not like we don't have the players to do it..

[Strike 6,968]

Roman Abramovich has never spoken to the media and i doubt anyone in the media is pals with him to know what he thinks about Jose, attacking football etc. Usual BS

[didierforever 7,349]

If Rafa got us the same results, people would be calling for his head right now...

Mourinho better buy whoever he needs and sell the surpluses if he wants to win next season.

jose got us 82 points in 38 games plus a CL semi.

rafa got us 51 points in 26 games. we huffed and we puffed thru the EL. if FSW had gone to etihad and won us a game, i would have eaten his shit.

[Blue Armour 4,168]

Mourinho's first season outside the top 2 in the league, correct?

[robdog 2,084]

Mourinho's first season outside the top 2 in the league, correct?

Partially - I heard this is the first in the past 10 seasons

[Laylabelle 9,301]

Roman Abramovich has never spoken to the media and i doubt anyone in the media is pals with him to know what he thinks about Jose, attacking football etc. Usual BS

Yeah read it in the Mail..what a load of crap!Case of guessing what he's thinking and seeing who buys that is him whose said it

Hasnt been a amazing season but we still came 3rd despite our lack of strikers...pushed till the end and were the last team in England in Europe..yeah we played crap at times but we didnt end up miles behind the Champions like last season.Pushed till the last 4 games..

[Henrique 9,133]

No not only ever criticizing him, is analyzing thing and debating which is healthy in its way.

The problem here is that there's two side of the coins.

At one aspect you have people like @The only place to be, that take one side of the extreme coin. Everyone who doesn't' agree with him is not a "Chelsea supporter"

Then there's the other side of the coin that everything Mourinho does from day one is seen as negative light.

I don't agree with both extremes, I'm somewhere in the middle.

What I don't like is the constant I am holy then thou are attitude. This is such a childish attitude.

Have a conversation, or debate like normal adults, just don't behave like kids!

Its funny he liked your post. He isnt a normal adult at all.