The Mourinho Thread

[zolayes 14,489]

Rodgers' starting XI has angered a host of Reds fans but the Portuguese boss reckons his controversial decision will prove a masterstroke if they beat Real and Chelsea this week.

Mourinho said: "I don’t speak about Liverpool. I speak about myself.

"If one day I go to a game and I don’t feel I can win, maybe I don’t go. So, normally, against the most difficult opponents, I will try to go with my best team but who knows.

"Liverpool might play a fantastic match and win and rest players and the players are in great condition to play against Chelsea in this case it might be a genius decision.

"In football it is difficult to comment."

Chelsea play Slovenian outfit Maribor in the Champions League tomorrow before heading to Anfield on Saturday.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/408684/Chelsea-Jose-Mourinho-Brendan-Rodgers-Liverpool

a STAR classic

[The Chels 2,502]

Arsenal lost a 3 goal lead while going for the kill imagine, just imagine if that happens tomorrow vs Maribor

So the only way to go for the kill is Arsenal's way - having everyone and his dog push right up leaving massive gaps? Did you bother watching our 2nd leg in the CL semi final last year? That's how it's done.

[Fernando 6,585]

Arsenal lost a 3 goal lead while going for the kill imagine, just imagine if that happens tomorrow vs Maribor

Not the first time and won't be the last that Arsenal does something like that.

Who can forget the 4-4 against Newcastle?

[Tomo 21,751]

Those games aren't comparable. We were at home: Arsenal completely collapsed as they always do in the big games and United were atrocious last year. Of course Jose would go for the kill in those games. But in the biggest of games, away from home or in the latter stages of the CL he's overly cautious at 0-0 and at 1-0. You make it out like Jose only parks the bus in the last 20 minutes - remember Atletico away last year? Liverpool in 07 where we only needed to score 1 goal at Anfield to essentially ensure qualification to the final? There's a big difference between parking the bus, and playing defensively whilst also actually intending to score (again). I think everyone knows Jose will always prefer the former but the latter, which Atletico did against us last year, is surely the better approach even if there's 'only' 20 mins left (that's plenty of time for the opposition to equalise).

Having watched it again I stand corrected. It's not a good example anyway because Inter only had 10 men and the debate is about parking the bus when going for another goal is very possible which was obviously not the case in that game.

Against Leti we had many players out and we were heading to the inform team in Europe, any one who doesn't go defensive in that circumstance is an idiot.

This parking the bus bolax is just that, Fergie and LVG hace gone that defensive in games before (see WC semi or title decider at the Ethiad in 2012) yet that never even gets mentioned.

EVERY SINGLE MANAGER that isn't an arrogant purist is partial to a defensive game when needs must, the difference between Jose and the rest is he is better at pulling it off.

[The Chels 2,502]

Against Leti we had many players out and we were heading to the inform team in Europe, any one who doesn't go defensive in that circumstance is an idiot. This parking the bus bolax is just that, Fergie and LVG hace gone that defensive in games before (see WC semi or title decider at the Ethiad in 2012) yet that never even gets mentioned. EVERY SINGLE MANAGER that isn't an arrogant purist is partial to a defensive game when needs must, the difference between Jose and the rest is he is better at pulling it off.

Atletico were heading away to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea who had beaten every big team at home that season and had a stunning home record. Did Simeone think like you, that he would be an 'idiot' if he didn't play ultra defensively? No. They did play defensively but they ALSO went forward with intent and tried to score even when they took the lead.

Nobody is saying that Jose shouldn't play defensively in the big games because that will obviously never happen but taking more initiative, especially when we take the lead, really wouldn't kill us. Meaningful counter attacking football is a good idea. Counter attacking with 2 players or with the ball ending up all the way back to keeper or parking the bus where we just boot the ball back to the opposition, however, is not.

[didierforever 7,349]

It will be OUR away fans fault

well, if they keep sitting quiet and doing nothing to motivate our team match after match, then well a certain portion of the blame will fall on their head.

[chelseafc9010 224]

Arsenal lost a 3 goal lead while going for the kill imagine, just imagine if that happens tomorrow vs Maribor

I think the only two teams in the league who can give away a 3 goal lead like that is Arsenal and Liverpool, anyone else including us should be able to dominatte the game, the kill is already done at 3-0, then it's time to dominate, which arsenal cannot do. Also if you watch the match they didn't even go for anything, just awful defensively and in midfield they gout overrun.

[lionsden 4,689]

I think the only two teams in the league who can give away a 3 goal lead like that is Arsenal and Liverpool, anyone else including us should be able to dominatte the game, the kill is already done at 3-0, then it's time to dominate, which arsenal cannot do. Also if you watch the match they didn't even go for anything, just awful defensively and in midfield they gout overrun.

And us under AVB.

[chelseafc9010 224]

And us under AVB.

Well that was an awful team so there is no point in that really.

But if you think about it, with Jose we wouldn't of scored 3, probably 1 or 2 then parked the bus, so would be of come off better or worse hmm? Not sure.

[Barbara 15,149]

Well that was an awful team so there is no point in that really.

But if you think about it, with Jose we wouldn't of scored 3, probably 1 or 2 then parked the bus, so would be of come off better or worse hmm? Not sure.

oh... somehow in my mind we scored three goals against United last term. My bad.

[xPetrCechx 13,571]

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says his weekend remarks possibly went too far

Asked about his comments on the eve of Chelsea’s Wednesday night Champions League match at Maribor, Mourinho said: “Maybe I go a little bit too far.

“But I see myself in the stands watching Chelsea and I want to play, I want to help.

“If I'm not a player, I cannot play. If I'm not a coach, I cannot make decisions. If I'm just a fan, what can I do to help? That's just my view.

“This is not, for me, just a job. It is more than that, because it's Chelsea.

"Everybody at Chelsea Football Club knows how much I love the club, how much I want it to improve, and how much I want to be part of the club in the future.

"Even a moment of criticism has to be analysed with different eyes, with the eyes of somebody who knows why I came back to Chelsea and why I'm here with my heart, and why I want to stay for a long, long time."

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9549851/chelsea-boss-jose-mourinho-says-his-weekend-remarks-possibly-went-too-far

[chelseafc9010 224]

oh... somehow in my mind we scored three goals against United last term. My bad.

Yeah because like that season mentioned we was a mid table team facing champions united and beat them 3-1.. right?

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Mourinho must be concerned with our recent performances. The first half display was terrible. Practice, practice, practice organised attacks. Why do we look so out of ideas in the final third and why is our build up play so slow and sluggish?

Aside from Burnley away, we've been poor in the final third away from home this season. And even in some home games. It's not a sustainable trend, because one of these days, we'll get beat.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Poor in the first half, fantastic tactics in the 2nd half but torres level finishing.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Asking him about Liverpool resting players.... Terrible. Just terrible.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Poor in the first half, fantastic tactics in the 2nd half but torres level finishing.

More like haphazard, desperation tactics. I would have done the same thing in my Football manager!

[kellzfresh 7,229]

More like haphazard, desperation tactics. I would have done the same thing in my Football manager!

Well, we created as much chances as the 6-0 match in the 2nd half alone. No way the coaches tactics doesn't take credit.

The 3-5-2 almost worked.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Well, we created as much chances as the 6-0 match in the 2nd half alone. No way the coaches tactics doesn't take credit.

The 3-5-2 almost worked.

Yet, we could only score from a set-piece. Our play was uncoordinated from minute 1-90.

[Sheva. 5,373]

He got lucky. First the unnecessary change in formation at HT led only to them scoring. And then after changing again, they missed a sitter.

We did create many more chances with the more attacking setup, but maybe we could have won 0-1 by just making like-for-like changes. Oh well.

[Barbara 15,149]

Yet, we could only score from a set-piece. Our play was uncoordinated from minute 1-90.

Costa goal that was badly disabled wasn't set piece. Oscar play for Hazard to miss a sitter wasn't set piece. Costa chance at the edge of the box saved their keeper wasn't set piece. Hazard was stopped with a foul inside the box to create the penalty, that chance wasn't a set piece.

You're exaggerating...

In no way it was a good match by us - because we've failed to kill it, especially Hazard, but it wasn't as bad as you're making it out to be. The first half was a mess, but with Willian and Schurrle in their current form (Willian's more like permanent), what could we expect? Mourinho didn't start Oscar probably thinking about the Liverpool match and Schurrle and Willian should be good enough to play against Maribor. But it seems they aren't.