The Mourinho Thread

[The Chels 2,502]

This is what he's failed to do. The counter-attacking is clearly not working anymore. Any match where we have less than 6 shots is unacceptable imo, it means the tactics is wrong

It's not only the attacking front where we are lacking in these games but also the defensive one. We do not look assured at all and have consistently lost leads in big games this season. Neither of these issues have been rectified - is it because Jose doesn't think there is any need to or is it because he doesn't know how to? I suspect the latter.

[lionsden 4,689]

Nasri wasn't wrong afterall

[kellzfresh 7,229]

It's not only the attacking front where we are lacking in these games but also the defensive one. We do not look assured at all and have consistently lost leads in big games this season. Neither of these issues have been rectified - is it because Jose doesn't think there is any need to or is it because he doesn't know how to? I suspect the latter.

Mourinho knows how to do it. He's just unnecessarily scared away from home.

Just look at the match against Liverpool in the carling cup, we put up yesterday's performance at Anfield but we totally dominated them at home.

He knows how to do it, but sometimes opponents(city and now PSG) use fouls to stop our counters so maybe we have to find a way to get them booked when they hack hazard down.

[The Chels 2,502]

Mourinho knows how to do it. He's just unnecessarily scared away from home.

Just look at the match against Liverpool in the carling cup, we put up yesterday's performance at Anfield but we totally dominated them at home.

He knows how to do it, but sometimes opponents(city and now PSG) use fouls to stop our counters so maybe we have to find a way to get them booked when they hack hazard down.

We really, really didn't. We only had 1 shot on target more than Liverpool, who probably created the more clear-cut chances.

[Eden Hazardous 17]

I care more about the result than how we got it. But I would also like to see the team want to score 2nd, 3rd, 4th goals especially away from home. It's like we score one and don't play anymore. I wanna see some passion, desire.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

To be honest the debate about defensive vs offensive football some people are trying to create here is nonsensical. Some people are suggesting Mourinho is getting criticized for playing "defensive football". Today Mourinho got his tactics wrong for 90 minutes.

In the 1st half Mourinho clearly was expecting PSG to attack, then he came with a team to counter. But PSG had different ideas. They came with 3 DM, no creative midfielder and 3 strikers and were sitting back expecting a chance to counter attack, thats why we had the ball for most part of the first half, but a mid with Matic-Ramires-Fabregas is not exactly creative, so for the most part of first 45 minutes Matic and Ramires were exchanging balls with our defenders,

PSG were solid at the defense and really dangerous in counter attacking. To be honest the result of the 1st half was unfair, since we created no chances at all.

Losing the match, PSG needed to attack. The team that was supposed to be solid at the defense and deadly counter attacking looked more like a bunch of players that never played together than a team thats is leading the PL by 7 points. Cavani and Ibra destroyed our defense, and its really hard to believe we survived the match with a 1-1 result (a good one after all). The team never had a chance to counter. Despite all the talk about Diego Costa returning, he was more concerned about making silly fouls than playing football. He was 100% useless. Fabregas left the game too late, Cuadrado looked completely out of place attacking and unconfortable playing the role of a second right back and his presence in the game was totally unnecesary.

To be honest, its no about playing offensive or defensive, its about playing solid football. Today the team could not attack and could not defend. Its easy to forgive the team for don't beating big sides in PL when you are 7 points clear at the top of the league, but you can't win the UCL without beating big sides. The UCL performance this season as a whole has been mediocre. I'm not that confident we will reach the next level. Saying we have the lead is a lie. Last season everyone was saying Jose's tactics were amazing and we had a foot in the Final after the 0-0 result in semi-finals first leg, untill the team got completely destroyed in the 2nd leg.

Even if we reach the quarters, I don't know if we are ready to reach the semis again. Mourinho became way too predictable and conservative, and I'm not talking about playing defensive football. Before this match, everybody knew he would come up with Ivan, Terry, Cahill, Azi; Ramires, Matic; Fabregas, Willian, Hazard; Costa. It was clear that, even if 90% of the season the team is Matic, Fabregas; Oscar, Willian, Hazard; Costa, he would never play an away UCL match in knockout stage with that line up. Luis is a better footballer than Azi, Cahill has been a disaster, but of course Jose would not play a defense with Luis and Zouma in such a game, he would favor the line up that have been playing together since last season.

I think this team will win the PL at the end of the season, but I dont fancy the chances in UCL. To win a tournament like PL you must be the most consistent team for the whole season. To win UCL you need something special. I hope we will see something new in the 2nd leg, but I don't hold my breath.

Well, 4231 is clearly not for us in tough away games, we have always looked bad offensively without Fabregas deep. 4-3-3 would be better imo, with a DM-CM-DM lineup in the middle letting Fabregas flow.

[tiby2979 175]

Nasri wasn't wrong afterall

¿Nasri? ¿a player whose team is seven points behind us and parked the bus against Roma, who had received 7 goals Bayern at home? ManCity players aren't in position to talk about our performance.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,091]

Nasri wasn't wrong afterall

After all?

Nobody liked hearing what Nasri said but surely only those with their head buried in the sand ever doubted that he was right.

[zolayes 14,489]

After all?

Nobody liked hearing what Nasri said but surely only those with their head buried in the sand ever doubted that he was right.

the nasti lil cunt was merely trying to deflect how dreadful his team is ... AND BOY are they shit

[Barbara 15,149]

what Nasri even said? I usually don't pay attention at those wannabes quotes/interviews to the media, so I have no idea what you guys are talking about....

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

Well, 4231 is clearly not for us in tough away games, we have always looked bad offensively without Fabregas deep. 4-3-3 would be better imo, with a DM-CM-DM lineup in the middle letting Fabregas flow.

which is exactly what we tried yesterday.

Can work but Fabregas was not particularly in form yesterday. Also he is not exactly a big game player. Did not help that our DMs and defenders where unable to even get the ball to him. Maan our transitional play was shit yesterday.

IMO he needs a bit more assistance. a proactive DB and a box-to-box midfielder with a better package than Ramires would be helpful. But I am sure Mourinho will identify someone to take that role.

[Styles 9,790]

I think people exaggerate the level of control a manager has over match proceedings... I don't think it was Jose's intention to defend against PSG ... in fact I don't believe he ever sets teams up just to defend. He just puts out a team he believes can cope with a range of situations that could possibly unfold during a match... and some times, like Yesternight, he makes the mistake of trusting the wrong player/s to handle these situations. And when these players screw up the whole plan goes down the toilet and we end up looking like shit.

So what you're saying is Mourinho doesn't really coach; he just assembles a good group of players and tells them to go out there and cope with whatever happens.

That explains why we look so disorganised and clueless a lot of the time to be honest.

[-Kaplan- 410]

what Nasri even said? I usually don't pay attention at those wannabes quotes/interviews to the media, so I have no idea what you guys are talking about....

"I'm a big fan of Mourinho, but I am not impressed with his team, not at all. We have played them twice, one time with 10 men, and we were better than them.

"Then we played them at the Bridge, we were better than them.

"When I have seen some of their games, I don't think they are that fantastic -- they are just strong and have a good striker up front.

"For me they are not special at all, and I think they are going to make some mistakes. We just have to perform, to win our games, and see what's going to happen.

"This title will be like this until the end of the season. No one will win the league 10 games before the end of the season."

[Tomo 21,751]

Here's something to cheer everyone up. We are 7 points clear at the top of the league with a cup final in 11 days.

This place is like feeding time in the Zoo after a bad/result performance.

[zolayes 14,489]

"I'm a big fan of Mourinho, but I am not impressed with his team, not at all. We have played them twice, one time with 10 men, and we were better than them.

"Then we played them at the Bridge, we were better than them.

"When I have seen some of their games, I don't think they are that fantastic -- they are just strong and have a good striker up front.

"For me they are not special at all, and I think they are going to make some mistakes. We just have to perform, to win our games, and see what's going to happen.

"This title will be like this until the end of the season. No one will win the league 10 games before the end of the season."

just who is your team ???? Im not a big fan of Pelegrini either

[Barbara 15,149]

"I'm a big fan of Mourinho, but I am not impressed with his team, not at all. We have played them twice, one time with 10 men, and we were better than them.

"Then we played them at the Bridge, we were better than them.

"When I have seen some of their games, I don't think they are that fantastic -- they are just strong and have a good striker up front.

"For me they are not special at all, and I think they are going to make some mistakes. We just have to perform, to win our games, and see what's going to happen.

"This title will be like this until the end of the season. No one will win the league 10 games before the end of the season."

as I said... wannabes.... peasants... there's a reason why I don't pay attention to them.

We've been struggling now, but guess what... RM, Atletico, PSG, City, Bayern - none of those teams are playing out of their minds at this point. The only top team playing better now than they were earlier in the season is Barcelona.

Bayern had their annual Hamburg spanking, but apart from that they haven't been playing well. And who's Nasri to say anything when City went SIX matches - including three home - without a win?

Players - especially in England as there's no winter break - are tired, many teams (including us) dealing with injured or not 100% fit players. It's normal for teams not play exceptional football at this point.

Also nobody claimed we're fantastic... but if he's not impressed with us he can be impressed with his own team playing against Barcelona next week. Peasant.

Thanks for the answer

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

which is exactly what we tried yesterday.

Can work but Fabregas was not particularly in form yesterday. Also he is not exactly a big game player. Did not help that our DMs and defenders where unable to even get the ball to him. Maan our transitional play was shit yesterday.

IMO he needs a bit more assistance. a proactive DB and a box-to-box midfielder with a better package than Ramires would be helpful. But I am sure Mourinho will identify someone to take that role.

Yeah I know what you mean, but by a DM I meant 2 'Matic type' players (ie Mikel-Cesc-Matic) which stay mostly in the middle third of the pitch and allows Fabregas space (this sounds silly and contradictive but almost like a false 10 - just slightly lower sitting), rather than Ramires - then again tbh I have never really liked what he brings to the table.. I think it was just a rough week in terms of injuries, but because it's Chelsea we never have injury crises according to the press and every player is expected to be at max form. Maybe it's not the formation I'm unhappy with after all, but the players we're playing.

As Barbara said (might have been another thread), we need a quicker defence to play the higher line to make it work, ie with Zouma, who may I stress would not have given away the ball for Cavani's goal. As for Iva...I don't know why we don't just make it official and name a back 3 and then we won't be as disappointed when there's an opposition attack and Ivanovic is still in an offside position in the other half.

[Tomo 21,751]

Interesting observation.

Chelsea 2-0 West Ham

We played some breathtaking footy completely dismantled and destroyed one off the most inform teams in the league, the post match thread had 4 pages, the Mourinho thread was barely touched.

Chelsea 2-4 Bradford

22 pages in the post match thread and the Mou thread in overdrive.

PSG 1-1 Chelsea

14 pages and this thread in overdrive.

Says it all.

[tiby2979 175]

After all?

Nobody liked hearing what Nasri said but surely only those with their head buried in the sand ever doubted that he was right.

That's not the point. If Chelsea is nothing special ¿what it is City and the remaining teams? the english football is a shit, then. To belittle Chelsea as he did, Nasri directly discredited his own team.

[GodZola 630]

don't worry. I don't mind when people disagree with me. I mind when they misunderstand what I'm saying, assuming I'm saying a different thing - which I didn't even can say you were implying as most of my posts focused on something else and I wasn't explicit on what I think we could have done differently.

I didn't think they were that unfair fouling Hazard. Tbh, fouling is one aspect of the game, whether it makes it dirtier or not, it's a different story and sometimes I wish we fouled opposition in not dangerous areas than we do. It disrupts play. As I said, a bit dirty and I hate when they do this to our players, I just wish we gave teams of their own medicine.

I think we could have approached the first 45 in a different way and killed the tie. I can't predict it would have worked though.

edit:

Mourinho was very explicit in his words (I thought he was making a game of words to lead people to believe something he hasn't exactly said) and named that Willian, Oscar, Cesc, Iva and Eden haven't trained since the Everton match.

No I understood & yes we could of been a little more adventurous (allowing are flair players to negate some defensive responsibilities for a short period) however IMHO I think there were some fundamental reasons why José stuck rather than gambled.

The lack of training/fitness to key players must not be overlooked as has the form of most of the squad, we haven't played well bar Swansea for over 2 months, so going to a very tough opponent in their own ground there has to be some degree of caution. I can understand fans frustration because this tactic has been accumulative over recent weeks & I can sympathise, however as stated I think on this occasion jose had some genuine reasons and that's why I get vexed with the spoilt brat mentality that rears its ugly head on here.

I do have a problem with the Hazard treatment though, once the ref starts doing the job he is supposed to then some yellows followed by poss reds would of ensued because their players would think twice after they had been booked about fouling Hazard, Blanc knew by stopping him they could take a result to London, his plan worked cus the official was so kin well lenient, the persistent fouls meant Hazard could not get into the game. I'm pretty sure José will make some reference about protection for Hazard come the PC in a few weeks time.

I think we were lucky & poor at the same time but you also have to expect the home team to take the initiative so we have to give them credit, nonetheless we still got a great result.

Seems some are also getting confused about the Bayern perfomance/result? Well we actually scored - enough said!