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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

TheVoiceofReason

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2005
6,320
15,685
I'm a romantic at heart and love the stories and characters in football. The whole thing would be pointless for me if that humanity and basic empathy wasn't there.

I love Poch, and I hated him getting the sack. He was ultimately a great manager and a great person. He changed the club and he will go down as one of the greats in my eyes. His downfall was ultimately his inexperience.

But after today I cant help feeling like Levy has made a good decision, as much as I may hate the process behind it. Because when you remove all emotion, winning is about having great players, and all our great players might just be sticking around for a few more years now.
 

stov

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,353
6,112
Tell that to the likes of Kane and Son who have won f-all as players, you want to carry on with that attitude fine but then don't be surprised when they up and leave citing lack of ambition.

I don't know about you but I like my team playing excellent football but there has to be an end goal for me, there has to be a crowning moment of glory for your efforts otherwise what's the point?
I want both, but if I had to choose I'd choose excellent football over winning stuff
 

Joshua

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2015
2,213
12,952
The two things we don't really know the answers to will only properly come to light during the Summer of 2020.

Over the last two days which we have had the time to get our heads around this appointment, when we're all wondering how it is going to go pan out. The two elephants in the room for me are these.
1. We have heard JM say that he is "happy" with the current squad we have, and when he said this, he was clearly attempting to deal with many people's concerns about the issue of how much money he is going need and how "sensitive" and difficult an issue that is perceived to be by many when we go by his record in the past of what we think he perceives an acceptable transfer budget is and what we perceive that DL thinks is an acceptable budget. We would all be lying if we didn't have concerns that these two figures were some way apart. So in my opinion, JM, and DL are parking this issue for the time being, because JM was clearly giving and answer based on who we currently have in our squad, i.e. a squad that includes, Verts, Toby, Rose, and Eriksen, if none of them sign new contracts and they leave in the summer what will his view be then, does he think we need reinforcements then ? Aside from this will he also reserve the right to reconsider his view on whether we are well stocked with RB's of good quality, I for one wouldn't blame him if he did ?
2. He has also said that he has been been given assurances by DL that "sufficient funds" will be made available should the need arise. How do we really know that they are really on the same page as to what they both really mean by sufficient funds, as we all know they could be poles apart in what they think that definition is ? JM has also said that he is serious about us challenging for the PL title in season 2020/21, not top four or three, the title ! I don't think that there are any of us that seriously think we won't need to buy in some key players to get to be in with a chance of that, as much as we have a crop of young players in the academy and on the fringes, that still won't be enough.

That in my view is when the true test is going to come, in the summer window and that is when we are really going to find out if there really is a meeting of minds between DL, and JM, because that is when we are going to know exactly what we have left in terms of players who can make a serious push for the title in 2020/21 as JM alludes to. Then we are really going to find out if he is as humble as he says he is. If you factor in the very real possibility that we won't make up the current deficit to get in top 4 or qualify via the other route of winning the Champions League, or deliberately failing to get to the knock out stages and winning the Europa League. That is surely going to effect what kind of money and calibre of player we can recruit in the summer window.

My view is wait and see and only time will tell, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my doubts and concerns. As big a name as he is, and I will be the first to admit that I've never been his biggest fan, if we make the knockout stages of the CL but fail to qualify for the CL by either catching up with the current top 4 or winning the CL even I don't think that would be fair to pin that on JM. The cards we will be left with if that happens will have some bearing on the unresolved issues in 1 and 2 above.
I think he was being sincere when he said he was happy with the squad. It’s well documented and he admitted it himself today that he’s now coaching a number of players that he was pursuing when he was at other clubs. The more time he spends with the group he’ll better understand what he needs to add but I don’t think it’s a scenario like it was at United where he need to make wholesale changes. Once the current group is re-energised and in tune with his way of thinking with the addition of maybe 2-3 quality players we’ll be competitive again.
 

stov

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,353
6,112
I think we all have a feeling that we should win something soon. The club has taken major steps last 10 years, we have challenged both in the league and CL.
Ten second placed doesnt taste as good. Thats a fact.
If Jose can get us back to playing good footbal and winning games....and maybe get us a thropy or two...ill be happy
I'll be happy too. But I'm not sure we will get what we want with mourinho.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
absolutely correct. if you don't have the results, the attractive football doesn't matter. but if the entire season becomes 1-0 grind it out wins, that isn't living up to the standard either. So, the benchmark is wins and attractive football. we had that early with Poch and had neither at the end.

A season of 1-0 grind it out wins sounds A ok to me.
 

George94

George
Feb 1, 2015
3,661
19,454
I'm a romantic at heart and love the stories and characters in football. The whole thing would be pointless for me if that humanity and basic empathy wasn't there.

I love Poch, and I hated him getting the sack. He was ultimately a great manager and a great person. He changed the club and he will go down as one of the greats in my eyes. His downfall was ultimately his inexperience.

But after today I cant help feeling like Levy has made a good decision, as much as I may hate the process behind it. Because when you remove all emotion, winning is about having great players, and all our great players might just be sticking around for a few more years now.

Felt like Poch wanted basically to scrap half the squad and start over again... another 2-3 year plan before challenging for trophies...

Even with some positions that need addressing, this current squad has too many good players to not be competitive.
It's perfect for Mourinho to take over and work with.

Poch obviously just had enough here, to be honest - it all just became a bit stale unfortunately.
 

Joshua

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2015
2,213
12,952
I want both, but if I had to choose I'd choose excellent football over winning stuff
We’ve all had lifetimes of pretty football that ultimately leads to failure. Don’t understand how people aren’t bored of being the nearly men. I’ll take a 1-0 win off a set piece for every week for the next 3 and half years if it leads to titles. We need tangible success now. And if we don’t we’ll find ourselves playing that pretty football as a mid table club again not a champions league one.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
I want both, but if I had to choose I'd choose excellent football over winning stuff

That's fine and your entitled to have that opinion :)

Personally what we really want is a manager like Pep or Klopp, they win and play good football, especially Pep, maybe the idea is just to get over the line and win a couple of pots then when Jose leaves we can attract a manager who plays attractive football.
 

stov

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,353
6,112
That's fine and your entitled to have that opinion :)

Personally what we really want is a manager like Pep or Klopp, they win and play good football, especially Pep, maybe the idea is just to get over the line and win a couple of pots then when Jose leaves we can attract a manager who plays attractive football.
Good point. Pep in 3 years then. I can wait for that?
 

jimbo

Cabbages
Dec 22, 2003
8,035
7,436
That's fine and your entitled to have that opinion :)

Personally what we really want is a manager like Pep or Klopp, they win and play good football, especially Pep, maybe the idea is just to get over the line and win a couple of pots then when Jose leaves we can attract a manager who plays attractive football.

I would add that we should maybe give it a few games at least before we decide that the quality of the football is or isn't attractive enough.

We don't know how he's going to play yet. I have an undeserved confidence that some of the doubtful will be pleasantly surprised.
 

rightwayup

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2011
351
1,232
This playing the right way is too overthought. We do not need to play fantastic football from keeper to goal. We have had so much possession in the last few years with nowhere near enough goals reflecting that possession. We need to get the ball to key players in the last third and attack from there. We have some of the best attacking minded players in the premiership lets use them properly.

Basically we need better tempo and good possession in the right parts of the pitch.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
I would add that we should maybe give it a few games at least before we decide that the quality of the football is or isn't attractive enough.

We don't know how he's going to play yet. I have an undeserved confidence that some of the doubtful will be pleasantly surprised.

Yeah I agree, Jose's 2nd seasons normally have record breaking results bar United recently but then again that squad wasn't that good. His teams normally peak after two transfer windows - as I keep saying I don't think we're that far away ourselves, we need to get our confidence and some love back, these players have it well in them to play some good stuff, you don't just lose it just like that.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
I would add that we should maybe give it a few games at least before we decide that the quality of the football is or isn't attractive enough.

We don't know how he's going to play yet. I have an undeserved confidence that some of the doubtful will be pleasantly surprised.

Jose is in short term mode at the moment. He/we can think about next season and building a team he wants and his philosophy in the summer. For the time being he’ll do what any decent coach will do, assess our squad and play to what he perceives to be our strengths while trying to set us up so that opponents can’t easily exploit what he thinks are our weaknesses.
 

guiltyparty

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2005
9,023
13,524
It’s been said already but the media exposure is phenomenal. The Guardian alone is currently running about 5 pieces.

Mind you, the bulk of their articles are portraying José as a deranged white male incel and make flaky arguments that the cast of the rebooted GhostBusters-in the spirit of diversity- manage us

Yeah you can’t buy this exposure - well, you can for £15m a year. Probably worth it for that alone, like a headline player signing. This has always been about that too, same as NFL and Amazon documentary, making sure Spurs are in the global news as a big fucking deal.

It’s nuts, I feel like I’m in Back to the Future 2 and Biff’s suddenly Donald Trump, except you’re inside the casino with your feet up rather than being chucked out and shot at. Is surreal.
 

JerryGarcia

Dark star crashes...
May 18, 2006
8,694
16,026
They are not mutually exclusive though are they. You can have good football and win stuff.

Absolutely that would be ideal and what we should always aspire towards. We've done the pretty football for a long time though with no trophies so now lets try winning some and worry about the flair later. To be honest I can't ever imagine being bored watching Kane, Son, Dele and co if they're winning games.

Mourinho is here so we just have to get behind him and see where it takes us, we can at least wait to see what kind of football he produces before assuming we'll be bored by it or that we won't be entertained.
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,337
329,027
That's fine and your entitled to have that opinion :)

Personally what we really want is a manager like Pep or Klopp, they win and play good football, especially Pep, maybe the idea is just to get over the line and win a couple of pots then when Jose leaves we can attract a manager who plays attractive football.
I think we are all going to be surprised tbh. Boring grind it out football is not what he's telling the players he wants to do. I'm sure there will be matches where this is necessary, but on the whole I think it will be far more attack orientated.
 

Everlasting Seconds

Well-Known Member
Jan 9, 2014
14,914
26,616
Let's be honest, most of us hated Mourinho when he was a rival manager because of his arrogance and obnoxiousness, but when it becomes your arrogance and your obnoxiousness it galvanises you and gives you strength. I love Dele but rival fans hate him because of his antics. Same with players like Julian Dicks, Diego Costa, Roy Keane, Patrick Viers etc. We all hate them but if they were our dickhead we would love them.
I can honestly say I never hated him. Maybe because I'm not English I have a larger appreciation for a big personality like Mourinho. During his time at ManUtd I did think that his best was behind him, but I didn't dislike him. And now I believe his best is ahead of him.
 
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Hakkz

Svensk hetsporre
Jul 6, 2012
8,196
17,270
I think we are all going to be surprised tbh. Boring grind it out football is not what he's telling the players he wants to do. I'm sure there will be matches where this is necessary, but on the whole I think it will be far more attack orientated.

I'm guessing the noises from the squad are pretty positive atm.
 

Everlasting Seconds

Well-Known Member
Jan 9, 2014
14,914
26,616
I think we are all going to be surprised tbh. Boring grind it out football is not what he's telling the players he wants to do. I'm sure there will be matches where this is necessary, but on the whole I think it will be far more attack orientated.
Before having seen a ball being kicked, I'm envisioning a cleaner, speedier, crisper version of Pochettino football, with less possession and more deadly accurate counter attack.
 
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