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Jose Mourinho

How do you feel about Mourinho appointment

  • Excited - silverware here we come baby

    Votes: 666 46.7%
  • Meh - will give him a chance and hope he is successful

    Votes: 468 32.8%
  • Horrified - praying for the day he'll fuck off

    Votes: 292 20.5%

  • Total voters
    1,426

Metalhead

But that's a debate for another thread.....
Nov 24, 2013
25,351
38,294
The strange thing is most of our good players are at the top end of the pitch, so you'd think we'd be banging them in and shipping just as many at the other end. But it's the opposite.

As i've been saying it's true that we've got glaring weaknesses primarily from CM backwards, but these are not mid table players. On balance, our squad should be finishing at least 6th imo.

I think there is also that possibility that this is just a mental issue now, meaning a new coach wouldn't be able to get the best out of them either. It might just be that most of them are exhausted at Spurs and just want a change of scenery.

Regardless, there's no excuse for last night with the attacking talent at Mourinho's disposal. If you are excusing it then you're simply deluded. I don't even care if you say it's a work in progress, not to have a single shot on target against a prospective Championship team is nothing short of an embarrassment.
It’s a work in progress and it was shit.
 

Cochise

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2019
4,763
12,519
I'm going to be unpopular here for saying this, but I saw a few signs of life yesterday in the second half that gave me encouragement.

I see a lot of people shouting about there are no signs of our players having worked on anything attacking wise, but watching after the introduction of a ball playing CM (N'Dombele) proves otherwise. Had Son and Moura been a little bit more clinical, Lamela a bit faster and Aurier capable of getting his head up to cross we would've scored.

You can see that the two wide attackers are being instructed to sit off the back of the opponents central midfield pair, to create moments of indecision and open up corridors of space for N'Dombele and Winks to pass through. Kane and Son were both acting as the receiver for a wall pass onto an attacker to then run at the remaining defenders. Our fullbacks were getting higher in order to stretch the opponents FB's, again creating elements of instability for Bournemouth whilst they worked out who marked who.

So whilst there are not pre-programmed moves, there is a structure in place. It is reliant upon the decision making skills of the individuals to spot openings and exploit them, something which we appear sporadic at being able to do. It might also point to why Dele is favoured by Jose, as he is capable of thriving in the indecision of his opponents.
 

IamSpurtacus

Well-Known Member
Jun 5, 2019
1,487
7,011
Last season only United academy graduates played more minutes in PL than ours. Also we are benefiting more from Kane/Winks/Skipp/Tanganga than City from Foden and Garcia, LFC from TAA,Jones and Williams, West Ham from Rice and Noble and Southampton from JWP and Stephens.
Number of minutes is deceptive though - you wouldn't say Chelsea's academy was worse under Jose or Conte because they didn't play any minutes - simply that the managers didn't want to or felt they couldn't play them

What has Skipp shown to suggest he'll be anything more than another Tom Carroll or Ryan Mason? Would Skipp be in any team in the current Top 8?
 
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IamSpurtacus

Well-Known Member
Jun 5, 2019
1,487
7,011
He had worked his magic on a whole heap of class B and C players enough in the end.

You said it - except he also had a bunch of class A products in Kane, peak Eriksen, Jan, Toby, Dembele, Wanayama, Rose, Walker, Dele and Lloris

So the spine of the team has gone, the midfield stripped away or is past it (except Kane/Lloris) but the rest remain - so what is the existing manager meant to do?

At the very least make us hard to beat - which is step 1...

we were so soft in Poch's last 18 months. Without a holding midfielder how do you solidify the midfield? It's no wonder there's no connect between attack and defense and the wings / counter are seen as the best option

But it makes for turgid football for the most part - but the squad is weak and imbalanced
 

Stamford

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2015
4,121
19,830
But Mourinho has shown us nothing since is arrival to turn the doubters around. Then these 5 matches we have been the worst we have been in 15 years. How can you not question him when he has talked down the previous regime.

I am questioning him but I'm also laying blame with the players. If they are as good as people on here keep saying then surely regardless of manager they would have beaten Colchester or Bournemouth.
 

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
11,234
46,574
You said it - except he also had a bunch of class A products in Kane, peak Eriksen, Jan, Toby, Dembele, Wanayama, Rose, Walker, Dele and Lloris

So the spine of the team has gone, the midfield stripped away or is past it (except Kane/Lloris) but the rest remain - so what is the existing manager meant to do?

At the very least make us hard to beat - which is step 1...

we were so soft in Poch's last 18 months. Without a holding midfielder how do you solidify the midfield? It's no wonder there's no connect between attack and defense and the wings / counter are seen as the best option

But it makes for turgid football for the most part - but the squad is weak and imbalanced
The squad is not as bad as it is performing. I will not accept that.

Hell, even Mourinho has Sessegnon, Bergwijn & Lo Celso at his disposal. Poch didn't have any of those really before he was sacked.
 

WiganSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
15,974
32,682
I'm going to be unpopular here for saying this, but I saw a few signs of life yesterday in the second half that gave me encouragement.

I see a lot of people shouting about there are no signs of our players having worked on anything attacking wise, but watching after the introduction of a ball playing CM (N'Dombele) proves otherwise. Had Son and Moura been a little bit more clinical, Lamela a bit faster and Aurier capable of getting his head up to cross we would've scored.

You can see that the two wide attackers are being instructed to sit off the back of the opponents central midfield pair, to create moments of indecision and open up corridors of space for N'Dombele and Winks to pass through. Kane and Son were both acting as the receiver for a wall pass onto an attacker to then run at the remaining defenders. Our fullbacks were getting higher in order to stretch the opponents FB's, again creating elements of instability for Bournemouth whilst they worked out who marked who.

So whilst there are not pre-programmed moves, there is a structure in place. It is reliant upon the decision making skills of the individuals to spot openings and exploit them, something which we appear sporadic at being able to do. It might also point to why Dele is favoured by Jose, as he is capable of thriving in the indecision of his opponents.
It's a tactical problem and a personnel problem. Mostly the latter because Jose much like Poch consistently uses poor CM2 combinations.

There were two or three times where Lucas got it on the half turn in pockets of space because Ndombele fed him early and accurately but he bumbled the opportunities away with abysmal control. Had Alli or Lo Celso been receiving the ball in such positions we'd have been a lot more productive with it.

Sissoko is so unbelievably pointless it's untrue. He can't position himself defensively, is an overrated tackler, doesn't show for the ball and possesses little vision or creativity when he does get it.

I know Winks had a shit game yesterday, but him and Ndombele in that CM2 would be infinitely better whilst being far from perfect.

My worry is that Jose is currently seeing Ndombele and Lo Celso as competing for the same spot when they should both be on the pitch.

Tactically we're simply sitting too deep, we more often than not can't get out and we really struggle when opposition defenders get tight and stop our attackers holding the ball up. This combined with poor team selection is a recipe for disaster.

I think it's fairly simple, get the creators on the ball consistently in space and we'll start creating stuff.
 

fishhhandaricecake

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2018
18,702
46,941
First presser of his today i've watched where I can really see the dour Man.Utd Jose coming through, its like he knows he's no good anymore but he doesn't want to admit it. He tried to defend the 0 shots on target saying we got into good shooting positions etc, BOLLOCKS, we had 0 shots because we set-up to sit fairly deep, hit long balls and there was no clear attacking plan apart from get it to Aurier to cross who by the way is a bottom half of the league at best RB. Its not like the Bournemouth game was a one-off either.

I'm all for giving people time but he's had what 20 matches now and this isn't the kind of football I want to watch, its not the kind of football that the players will want to play in, its not the kind of football that can even be successful with these players. Levy needs to admit his mistake and hope to god there is an early break clause in the contract as this is going to insufferable.
 
Jan 31, 2006
2,184
6,495
The options are:

1) Back him properly (no last minute 4th choice average signings)
2) Get rid and get a manager in who is happy with a project of getting into a top 6 position with no budget.
 

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
11,234
46,574
The options are:

1) Back him properly (no last minute 4th choice average signings)
2) Get rid and get a manager in who is happy with a project of getting into a top 6 position with no budget.
Or get a younger manager with fresh ideas, isn’t an asshole, and can actually work within a rebuild.

Shit... we had that guy but the dumb ass upstairs sacked him after not giving him the tools to succeed.
 

matthew.absurdum

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
3,732
10,120
But Mourinho has shown us nothing since is arrival to turn the doubters around. Then these 5 matches we have been the worst we have been in 15 years. How can you not question him when he has talked down the previous regime.

I know the football after the lockdown was not looking good. But hey we got 8 points out of 15 for those 5 matches. It is not good (especially for the attacking display), but it is far from being "the worst we have been in 15 years"

And I actually quite like our defensive shape after the lockdown and also how Jose used Dier (of course, forget that Sheffield match).
 

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
11,234
46,574
I know the football after the lockdown was not looking good. But hey we got 8 points out of 15 for those 5 matches. It is not good (especially for the attacking display), but it is far from being "the worst we have been in 15 years"

And I actually quite like our defensive shape after the lockdown and also how Jose used Dier (of course, forget that Sheffield match).
We've had one good game defensively and then have really locked down the giants of attacking football... West Ham, Everton & Bournemouth. Real impressive stuff.
 

matthew.absurdum

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
3,732
10,120
We've had one good game defensively and then have really locked down the giants of attacking football... West Ham, Everton & Bournemouth. Real impressive stuff.

To be honest I have no confidence in our defense REGARDLESS OF our opponents since the 2019 Spring.
 

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
41,883
71,188
First presser of his today i've watched where I can really see the dour Man.Utd Jose coming through, its like he knows he's no good anymore but he doesn't want to admit it. He tried to defend the 0 shots on target saying we got into good shooting positions etc, BOLLOCKS, we had 0 shots because we set-up to sit fairly deep, hit long balls and there was no clear attacking plan apart from get it to Aurier to cross who by the way is a bottom half of the league at best RB. Its not like the Bournemouth game was a one-off either.

I'm all for giving people time but he's had what 20 matches now and this isn't the kind of football I want to watch, its not the kind of football that the players will want to play in, its not the kind of football that can even be successful with these players. Levy needs to admit his mistake and hope to god there is an early break clause in the contract as this is going to insufferable.
You could tell he's the dour United Jose right now because the pressers are just not entertaining. Normally he'd have a quotable or 2 every presser about refs, the FA, etc. Now he's just "i dont want to get in trouble" every press conference.

His wheel of excuses during the pressers fell off at United when his mood changed.
 

JCRD

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2018
19,153
30,013
The squad is not as bad as it is performing. I will not accept that.

Hell, even Mourinho has Sessegnon, Bergwijn & Lo Celso at his disposal. Poch didn't have any of those really before he was sacked.

I agree and it is way better than a zero shots on target game
 

O'Brien

Well-Known Member
Apr 3, 2019
134
343
 
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