Jose Mourinho

[muppetman]

So this commanding centre back who is going to fix everything and make us less cowardly and more adventurous... Who is he ans how much?

Because if they're unattainable are we just going to use that as an excuse? We do need a centre back, we know it but for 15m a year I'd expect jose to figure things out.

I think you'll find that all we need to deliver Jose's master class and win the Premier League, the Europa (this season), the CL (next season and every season thereafter), the FA Cup and the fizzy drinks Cup is:
A new keeper (Lloris is past it and off to PSG)
A new LB (for when Reg goes or is injured - better make it two actually)
2 new CBs (Toby is past it, Dier never had it, Sanchez is going backwards)
A new RB ( to replace Aurier and obviously Doherty will be turned into glue)
A new CM (or preferably 2) to play with Ndombele and PEH and also cover for each (and Lo Celso who is the new Lamela)
A new AM to replace Lamela, Moura, Bale, Bergwijn
A new striker that we won't play
and a few decent subs

Once he's got all of that there will be no stopping us.

 

[Trix]

Agreed.

But at least we had quite a bit of time under Poch when we were good.

We have had no time at all when we were good under Jose.

Poch leaving was the right call.

Jose coming in is looking worse and worse as the season goes on.

Jose only been here a year. Poch, had how long to get to "peak Poch" Depends how you look at it, but you won't see the best of Jose until he's got the squad he wants. It's no secret he really wanted Skrinier in the summer, and that we are very keen on Sabitzer. Those two make a hell of a difference to how we set up in my opinion.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Makes me laugh how so many are saying we need x, y or z player, yet in the summer we bought in Reguilon, Bale, Vinicius, Holberg, Doherty, Rodon with loads on here proclaiming Levy finally delivered, on top of that we have brought through N'Dombele like a new signing. How many of those signings is JM guilty for? He's also brought in Bergwin & Gedson.

Out of all those mentioned, how many, hand on heart have pulled trees up? It's the utter tripe brand of football that JM has brought to the club that is sending it in the wrong direction, I'd say Holberg & no one else has really hit the ground running (TN, imo was always going to be an integral part of this team regardless of manager).

How anyone can complain about the player's mentalities is beyond me when we don't press the ball (possibly only Holberg tbf), sit deep and invite pressure in the hope that we can break with Kane & Son. If JM isn't responsible for the football (which he totally is), then he is at least responsible for bringing in players that have failed to turn up. This is his team now, his responsibility for the failure of players to play his system & ultimately will be his downfall & rightly so. Play to the bloody player's strengths, with the players you have and stop trying to shoehorn them into roles that fit a system designed for a team like Sheffield Utd. If bloody Chris Wilder can inspire his team to produce results like the other night against utd at home, then how is JM not feeling guilty about stealing a wage from the club.

Your post is undone by the bit in bold - this was our fourth loss in the league tonight, and up until we went top of the league and played Palace, he wasn't stealing a wage ...

 

[beats1]

Toby says hi!

Been saying this for ages, the team does not trust the back line. It's why we drop deeper and deeper as a unit to defend one goal leads.

We desperately need a commanding CB.

Also we cant defend from width and or set pieces, the back 4 is fucked

 

[Betha]

With all due respect of they did look around and see no option then pass it back I'd have some sympathy. That is not what I'm seeing though. Running ten yards into space with the intention to just play a one touch pass straight back to source is fucking pointless, and allows the opposition to push up and press us higher. Watch the match again see how many times it happens second half. I bet you would see it differently when you watch the fact there is zero intention on doing anything other than passing it straight back.

It's almost as if they have a clause in their contract they have to have a certain amount of touches or something.

How much time do you have on the ball against a top PL side? Not nearly enough to get the ball, turn around and then figuring out where your teammates are, and where they are moving.

I do not disagree about it happening a lot, but I do disagree regarding they don't having any intention. We are set up in a way, and play in a way that will make certain players look far worse than they are. Ndombele is able to run with the ball, in a way that a passer like Winks is not. When Mourinho decides that we should not have any attacking structure at all, obviously Winks will look worse than Ndombele. You need to know in advance how your teammates will respond to the situation. But in this team, nobody knows, as there is nothing to know.

 

[mr ashley]

Been saying this for ages, the team does not trust the back line. It's why we drop deeper and deeper as a unit to defend one goal leads.

We desperately need a commanding CB.

After the quotes at the end of the Sheffield United game, it’s clear the player who trusts his defensive teammates the least is Kane.
After all, he’s the one dropping deeper and deeper to win the ball, play the ball and protect the back four.
Need a dominant leader at the back as a priority.

 

[Joely]

Just don't see where we are heading under this manager and just reeks of George Graham under Sugar all over again. He has been here over a year and going by the past, he doesn't tend to hang around too long so how long as he got? Another year or maybe two max? Struggling to see much change in that time to be honest. Think Levy should seriously needs to be evaluating things now and planning for a change next summer.

 

[Betha]

It’ll also be tactics from Jose in terms of build up shape and patterns but it ain’t working

Good point. It might open up some more space to hoof into.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Bang on.

We still parked the bus, we completely have the onus and impetus to a Liverpool side who’d scored only one goal in 5 games and not won in 6! Compare that to when Poch took us to anfield and got us draws where we passed through Liverpool and went toe to toe with them or only a few seasons back at Wembley when we ravaged them.

Sure our defenders do need to be improved as it’s groundhog day with them making mistakes but surely you can understand that if we had a more possession based style we’d keep the ball away from our area and so we’d experience less transitions in dangerous areas and less sustained pressure, it’s human nature that the more times you have to do something (defend) the more times you’re likely to make a mistake simply by way of having more possibilities to get it wrong or make a mistake. It’s no coincidence that man.city have the best defence and only let in 13 goals and Liverpool last season were impeccable defensively because both teams press and squeeze as a team they win the ball back quickly and keep the ball exceptionally well because their tactical systems are set-up for that we under Jose on the other hand are the opposite at times. So so disappointing tonight.

 

[stormfly]

No doubt plenty will disagree, but for me it feels like the season is over. I accept that may seem a tad dramatic, but with Kane out , that leaves up with even less creativity (if thats even possible) plus the psychological effect of losing him may have on the team.

Let's be honest, we've been jank for most of the season with Kane. I cant see us getting any better without him.

Grim times ahead imo

The league is over, I’m just hoping for some cups.

 

[Trix]

How much time do you have on the ball against a top PL side? Not nearly enough to get the ball, turn around and then figuring out where your teammates are, and where they are moving.

I do not disagree about it happening a lot, but I do disagree regarding they don't having any intention. We are set up in a way, and play in a way that will make certain players look far worse than they are. Ndombele is able to run with the ball, in a way that a passer like Winks is not. When Mourinho decides that we should not have any attacking structure at all, obviously Winks will look worse than Ndombele. You need to know in advance how your teammates will respond to the situation. But in this team, nobody knows, as there is nothing to know.

Just watch it again and see. No look around no immediate pressure on them and bang, one touch pass back.

I'm not going to argue over this it's very clearly happening.

 

[dontcallme]

We haven't played well since Wanyama has got injured and Dembele left. If you want to pretend we did go ahead but its why many of us stop watching spurs all together

Many of us stopped watching Spurs after Wanyama got injured and Dembele left?

Are you sure about that? How many is many?

 

[Spurzinho]

Just don't see where we are heading under this manager and just reeks of George Graham under Sugar all over again. He has been here over a year and going by the past, he doesn't tend to hang around too long so how long as he got? Another year or maybe two max? Struggling to see much change in that time to be honest. Think Levy should seriously needs to be evaluating things now and planning for a change next summer.

That's an apt comparison. There was a lot of disgruntlement as his appointment but we were told, don't worry, he's a winner. Yes, his football is cack but he has won stuff. Well...I don't need to tell you how that went.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

It is a strange one for sure.

It’s most bizzare. If he’s not up to speed yet because of the language and change of league etc I understand that as same with ndombele but then why get a loan signing from a different league who doesn’t speak English just sign a player who can actually
Hit the ground running (Watkins, C.Wilson etc) so that’s the recruitment issue if so.

Also he’s done well in a number of matches so surely he could’ve come on at HT when Kane was injured, seems Jose doesn’t trust him which isn’t good news if so as we’re back to square 1 with an injured Harry and no back up striker option, I dispair.

 

[beats1]

Agreed.

But at least we had quite a bit of time under Poch when we were good.

We have had no time at all when we were good under Jose.

Poch leaving was the right call.

Jose coming in is looking worse and worse as the season goes on.

Disagree start of the season we looked good before we played city for the first time in 2 years, the city match made us foolish in thinking we can actually win a game defensively when in truth we cant retain the ball because we struggled with ball retention and our CB's are shit

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I said last 2 not first 2, also the players under Poch imo legs have gone, after 3 years of pressing none of them look the same as they were during the good years. The ones that are still here are having to change their game all together. Son wasn't a starter during those first 3 years and as a result doesn't look as knackered as everyone else

We are playing Rodon at CB, the guy was playing for Swansea last season and wasn't even one that everyone was biting their hand off to sign

Fair mate I miss read that, agree with you there

 

[Hazelton]

The biggest thing that I will never understand is why we're persisting with this counter attacking style when our defence is clearly, undoubtably our weakest area. Surely common sense dictates that if your defence is a consistent problem, you should seek to retain possession and try to defend as little as possible, rather than continually invite teams on to your weakest area. Counter attacking is great and all if you have a solid foundation but we're made of straw.

A team is at it's best when it plays to it's strengths, which in our case happens to be our midfield and our attack. All of our best players, apart from Hojbjerg and Lloris, are attacking by nature. Kane, Son, Ndombele, Reguilon, and Lo Celso at times. So why do we persist with making them defend so much? Why shoehorn them in to a chosen tactical style rather than base your style of play around your actual strengths? That's the biggest problem I've had with Jose since he's been here. I thought he'd learnt at the start of the season when we were scoring for fun, but then that fucking flukey West Ham equaliser went in and it scared him. We haven't been the same since. Granted we were conceding but we were scoring a lot more than the opposition.

I still back Jose because I genuinely do have faith that he can win something here, whatever the style, which is what I want the most. Get that monkey off our back and we can start to push on. I know it won't be pretty along the way but I don't care as long as I see some sort of prize at the end of it all. If he doesn't manage that, especially if we miss out on top four, then I'll be well and truly ready to move on.

 

[wrd]

Jose only been here a year. Poch, had how long to get to "peak Poch" Depends how you look at it, but you won't see the best of Jose until he's got the squad he wants. It's no secret he really wanted Skrinier in the summer, and that we are very keen on Sabitzer. Those two make a hell of a difference to how we set up in my opinion.

I think it would be a real waste of time getting a manager of Jose stature to not give him a couple of summers to build a team completely in his own image. I really want him to show he's still the manager he was when originally at Chelsea, at Inter and at Madrid with us and get bac to the top of the mountain. However until the summer I really wish he'd play to the squads strengths he has at his disposal in the mean time.

I'm not talking tonight, I accept Liverpool are a better squad than us and we have to try and bridge the gap with tactics which sometimes simply do not work. That's fine but it's the fulhams, palaces that I just wish, he'd compromise on his set up because clearly we don't have the players at his disposal to carry out his tactic to perfection but we do have players within the squad which should be able to beat these teams if we set up in a way which suits what we currently have.

 

[beats1]

Many of us stopped watching Spurs after Wanyama got injured and Dembele left?

Are you sure about that? How many is many?

I didn't conduct a study but I will look in to that, just go back and look at the anger of the football for the year after dembele left. We pretty much struggled to play any decent stuff for a long time

 

[Trix]

I think it would be a real waste of time getting a manager of Jose stature to not give him a couple of summers to build a team completely in his own image. I really want him to show he's still the manager he was when originally at Chelsea, at Inter and at Madrid with us and get bac to the top of the mountain. However until the summer I really wish he'd play to the squads strengths he has at his disposal in the mean time.

I'm not talking tonight, I accept Liverpool are a better squad than us and we have to try and bridge the gap with tactics which sometimes simply do not work. That's fine but it's the fulhams, palaces that I just wish, he'd compromise on his set up because clearly we don't have the players at his disposal to carry out his tactic to perfection but we do have players within the squad which should be able to beat these teams if we set up in a way which suits what we currently have.

He will get the time don't worry about that.