Jose Mourinho

[Seafordian Spurs]

Maybe this is why we have been linked with Modric.

No, that's just the Madrid/Bale/retiring at Spurs narrative...

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Not who he is or what he’s about. Which is why the pitchforks await him if the results aren’t there.

Yep simple as this really.
I have to say it’s interesting now Jose is our manager and we can feel what it’s like to be a fan of a Jose team it’s a real mix of emotions.
- excited by his previous success and reputation
- enjoy his pressers
- when we go on a run of results due to our strong defence you start to feel a bit invincible
BUT
- the style of play is a really really hard watch
- when results don’t go very well the knives are out fast and rightly so as we won’t put up with losing and playing negative soulless football

Jose does probably need time though, he had half a season last season which barely counts and he still did ok, he’s now had a great summer window and had us top for half of this season, so some very encouraging signs.This recent run of 8 games in the PL is as hard as you can get so we need to give more patcience BUT some of the performances are certainly quite worrying as it’s very very hard to stomach this type of football when we lose.

Joses form this season and CV mean we should really give him time to build something but it’s simply a balance between style and results. Let’s see how we respond to this latest set back and poor run of 3 games.

 

[double0]

Said it earlier and I'll say it again...

The reason we can't string 2 passes together and go long, bypassing the midfield, is because there's nobody in there good enough to do it.

We either have players who are more effective tucked in behind the forwards or those sitting in front of the defense.

The closest we have is Winks and he hasn't looked up to it.

You can't control games or have possession of the ball with players who aren't comfortable with the ball at their feet.

We still lack a few players, and that CM spot is one of them.

We have a baller in Ndombele but use him all wrong. We have the players imo to dominate midfield but Jose prefers to concede possession and counter. When that doesn't work we look like a sheepish team dare I say chicken instead of fighting Cockerel.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Levy had our best manager since Burkingshaw and fucked it up. Now he's throwing millions at a washed-out Chelsea has been to try and fix it. Imagine Poch on this budget with the key holes in his squad filled...

It's because he thinks he understands football and he doesn't.

 

[NEVILLEB]

No other Manager is likely to have us any higher in the table than Mourinho. I agree the football is awful.

We do love to blame our Managers but as always its the player recruitment which is our undoing.

Players like Aurier and Sissoko weren't bought by Mourinho but they do make him look bad with their flaws.

Last summer was a very good window so I hope given time Mourinho will get Levy to bring in more quality.

I've said this since Redknapp, managing Levy is the most important job of any Manager.

 

[Mornstar]

If Mourinho style of management could be compared to a cricketer, it would be Geoffrey Boycott......i.e. very effective back in the day but boring as hell to watch

 

[double0]

If Mourinho style of management could be compared to a cricketer, it would be Geoffrey Boycott......i.e. very effective back in the day but boring as hell to watch

At this rate of two consecutive defeats a lot of people will Boycott the style.

 

[Joely]

Don't really have a problem with Jose setting up the team to concede possession and look for the counter against the teams that usually sit in the top 6, although against Liverpool I think we were too negative in the first half when we should really have been testing their make shift CB's.

Problem is more the negative/handbrake on type setups we've seen against the other side. Yes we beat Burnley, WBA and Brighton but can't say we played particularly well in any of those games against mediocre/not in great form opposition. Then there were the laboured performances against the likes of Newcastle and Palace where we looked more worried about conceding than scoring after being a goal up.

Game v Everton was a non performance and against West Ham we were very efficient in the first half but somehow capitulated but put that down to individual errors. Today, no real initiative shown at home, Yes Leicester are a decent team and we should be vary of their threat they pose but we almost go into coward mode in these games. Just wish Mourinho's setup would show more flexibility and adjustments according to the opposition.

At times felt like George Graham is back in charge just that this time around he has a world class striker and wide forward at his disposal.

 

[GLC10]

Mou was lucky in some games with Sissoko, but it is not valid when you have to be protagonists. We already have Aurier and Dier to deliver bad passes, Sissoko when creating an attack remains a lot. It is different to play with Hojberg, Ndom, Gio ... Each one in their position.

 

[Marcus_spur]

Though certain players arebt up to scratch, it can be hard to know for sure when theyvhave to play out of position (take GLC on the right); or with poor instructions and game plans from the manager.

To understand the problems we are facing, we have to look at how Jose Mourinho sets up his teams (every team since Porto).

1) A strong passive/reactive defense
An active, pressing defense is risky and exerts incredible strain on the squad. It requires a lot of running and work from every player, meaning an increased need for fitness and risk of injury. Furthermore it requires coordination so that every space left by a pressing player is quickly filled.
Creating a wall of players means less strain on the players and less need for tactical awareness. Look at the players Mourinho has used and lynchpins for his defense - Terry being the prime example. Strong, nasty players who get in the way, win headers and arent afraid to get nasty.
This passive defense can soak up pressure and tire out opponents, but is at risk of being outplayed by a genius midfielder.

2) A physical CDM screen
A dedicated CDM is the only really active defender in the Mourinho team. They take out the sting and midfield creativity needed to unpick his passive defense. Of course, this would only get you 38 draws at best without

3) A World beater forward
The system requires a big, strong, technjcally gifted centre forward of world class. He needs to be able to tske down long balls from the defense, run past defenders, hold up for teammates on the counter and score goals from nothing. Even then you wont win thebleague without

4) Consistent supply
The system also requires enough quick counter attacking players who can serve the cf and contribute with goals of their own..

Certain common 2000s weaknesses
The efficacy of the system was always dependent on some common weaknesses in most teams in the early 2000s.
- You rarely had more than one creative player in the opposing team, so the CDM could take him out of the game.
- Few teams had a balanced defense, with effective contributions from the first defender; so counter attacks were highly effective even with few attacking players
- There were a lot of weak teams that you could steamroller most times
- Both defenses and attacks were generally less disciplined and organised

As these weaknesses began being adressed, a vital fifth point became apparent:

5) Money
Since Porto Mourinho has used the infinite money cheat code in every team he has managed to make sure he has some of the best players in the world in each of these positions. That way this system could still work, even if opponents "figured it out" - the individual players were just that good.

Why it won't work now
Now, apply this to today's situation:

- With the improvement in organized defenses, most teams are much better at picking through a parked bus. This is why the pressing defenses have gotten more popular. When trying to passively/reactively defend, you will be found out a few times every match.
- Most teams have multiple creative outlets, using both centre halves, fullbacks and forwards to vut incisive passes and make plays. So the single dedicated CDM isnt enough. Between them - the two factors above mean you need even better players, and more bodies in defense. But theres more
- there are no longer any pushovers. The top leagues of Europe are so competitive, that you can no longer guarantee points against any team.
- teams are more balanced, and more disciplined in attack; allowing less room for the old 3-on-1 counter attacks.

Also - we cant spend infinite amounts of money lime his old clubs could.

So that's the main root of our the problems, in my opinion. A passive/reactive defensive approach and an overreliance on counterattacks, wolrdbeaters and money.
Simply put - Mourinho is outdated, and has been for a while. He has been able to paper over the cracks by spending ungodly amounts of money, but at united he finally cracked.

 

[andrewt]

the honeymoon period over already..... the stupidity of pulling ndombele backfired with lo celso's injury in the 2nd half and i have no idea why tanguy hasnt played a bigger role in our last 2 matches which ofcourse weve lost. cant he fucking see ndombele keeps the midfield balanced with his forward thinking and getting past players in tight spaces. as we all know mou has a plan a and that's it if it fails we are screwed

personally think ndombele has annoyed him when he said he was ill before a game arsenal was it?

 

[double0]

personally think ndombele has annoyed him when he said he was ill before a game arsenal was it?

Mourinho has to get the players all on side now including Dele...we can afford further unrest imo

 

[VegasII]

If Mourinho style of management could be compared to a cricketer, it would be Geoffrey Boycott......i.e. very effective back in the day but boring as hell to watch

Would that make Serge Aurier the corridor of uncertainty?

 

['O Zio]

Would that make Serge Aurier the corridor of uncertainty?

Corridor? He's a fucking postcode of uncertainty half the time. It's a shame because he's had a good season generally but today showed he's still far too much of a liability for me. His rash decisions have cost us games so many times it's ridiculous.

 

[SuperPav10]

We have a baller in Ndombele but use him all wrong. We have the players imo to dominate midfield but Jose prefers to concede possession and counter. When that doesn't work we look like a sheepish team dare I say chicken instead of fighting Cockerel.

He's been very good this year but he also likes to take risks.

Watch him. Every time he gets the ball he wants to turn and make something happen, often turning himself into trouble. When you're doing that on the edge of their box, it's not so bad. On the edge of your own box, with our defence, different kettle of fish.

Personally think he's great but isn't trusted to do the deep lying role yet.

 

[Verloc]

Rodgers didn't take the bait. Will Espirito Santo? Do we even have a Plan B?

Mourinho laying traps like Wile E Coyote.

 

[TheTanguy]

Rodgers didn't take the bait. Will Espirito Santo?

No chance, tactically he is at least as good as José nowadays. Gonna be a tough one.

 

[ljinko888]

The problem I have with the style of play is this kind of football where you sit so deep to nullify the opposition first and look for a mistake or breakaway to push forward after is the kind of football which is something a team that is super low on confidence and lacking in attacking quality does. It's the kind of football Allardyce will implement at WBA because it's what he always does due to the players he has. It's basic football set up to keep games competitive for as long as possible without trying too hard to win it.

Now no one has ever described this kind of football as tactical genius when he does it. That's why I kind of cringe whenever a team worth £300M+ resorts to this kind of football and the manager gets heralded for putting in a masterclass if it works out. And why quite rightly when it doesn't work out the manager gets blasted for holding his players back by design.

We need a happy medium. The much deeper defensive line helped blunt opposition forwards this season. Having a high line doesn't automatically make a team braver and more risk-taking because we saw how turgid football was under AVB in spite of his ridiculously high line. But we've also got more in our tank to not just be relying on direct balls towards Son and Kane bypassing the midfield altogether.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Levy had our best manager since Burkingshaw and fucked it up. Now he's throwing millions at a washed-out Chelsea has been to try and fix it. Imagine Poch on this budget with the key holes in his squad filled...

Levy spent more in Poch's last transfer window than he has spent during Mourinho's reign.

Mourinho came up with a shortlist of realistic targets and they were signed. Poch's targets were less realistic and he invariably didn't want the alternatives presented to him.

Poch turned down viable CF targets and repeatedly stated that players like Son could do a better job upfront than the strikers we could sign (not just due cost, but because quality strikers don't want to sign knowing Kane is light-years ahead of them in the pecking order).

 

[Blueluigi6]

Excited to see the squad once Mourinho has had more than 1 single summer window to fix the glaring holes poch left behind