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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

Everlasting Seconds

Well-Known Member
Jan 9, 2014
14,914
26,616
Dele is playing so far forward at the moment he's not really playing as a no10 linking the midfield and attack but more as a striker. Considering Son and Lucas also playing far forward its like a 442 or even 424. We need an extra body in midfield and push Dele in the front 3 so 433 is necessary for us imo.
But we don't have that extra body in midfield. Yes yes yes I know we have Lo Celso and it's a given that not using him is so stupid and that the head coaches don't understand a first thing about that. But maybe, just maybe two different managers not starting him isn't such a dark and stupid coincidence. Maybe we simply don't have an extra player for the midfield 3.
 

Danny1

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2006
5,622
17,169
He is getting to know the players still. The ones who have continuously been poor (winks, Rose, sissoko, aurier etc) will get removed from the team and hopefully moved on for some money so that we can bring in some quality.

Simply put, we have a few very good players (Kane, Alli, Son, Ndombele, Lo Celso) and the rest are very poor (I exclude the youngsters and Sess). Winks, Dier, Rose, Gazza, Sissoko, Wanyama etc etc etc are all either bang average or injuries have finished their careers. One hell of a job to get us back to the top table and it may take a few years before we do.
 

Hakkz

Svensk hetsporre
Jul 6, 2012
8,196
17,270
I thought the real issue last night was Aurier and his positioning (presumably on Mourinho's instruction). Him being so far forward meant Sissoko spending more time at RB than CM which then left Winks trying to be Kante - I like Winks, but he's not Kante and cannot do that.

I'd love to know what's going on with Ndombele and Lo Celso - the first should have started the game and then been subbed if/when his fitness became an issue and Lo Celso should start ahead of Moura who is a super sub for me and definitely should be the sub rather than Eriksen..

It's interesting that everyone was wanking into a sock over the early sub of Dier the other day and yet I thought the changes were way too late last night - if United had anyone decent up front to play with Rashford they could have run riot we were so poor defensively.

Clearly the players weren't great but I think Mourinho takes the flack - just as he takes the praise when he gets it right.

Either way - please can we see our new players on the pitch from the start and then swap them for the wantaways if/when they need to be subbed?


Isn't that exactly what happened last season when Trippier was told to stay further up the pitch? The same midfield partners at that time, same results.
 

muppetman

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2011
8,901
24,815
Isn't that exactly what happened last season when Trippier was told to stay further up the pitch? The same midfield partners at that time, same results.
Indeed, but plenty on this site have stated that Mourinho wouldn't make the same mistakes as Poch due to being elite - or something.

It was just interesting to me that it was pretty obvious what the issue was and yet we carried on regardless, also Rashford was absolutely bang up for it and yet we ended up with Sissoko covering for Aurier which then lead to the pen.
 

Metalhead

But that's a debate for another thread.....
Nov 24, 2013
25,351
38,294
He's picking the same group of players that have been here for years. We're stale and need freshness and new ideas. That team last night offered none of this
It's been, what, three weeks? Maybe I'm being old fashioned but I always figure that a manager should be afforded a bit of time to implement changes. People are waaaaay too impatient.
 

Cochise

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2019
4,762
12,519
Why is everyone banging on about the lopsided full back thing??

Last night we mainly played with a traditional back two with Jan playing much wider than the LB has in the previous 3 games. It wasn't until near the end when UTD started to sit back that we reverted back to it.
 

SpartanSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
12,552
43,063
Good article from Seb, I know some people aren't so keen on him as he had mean words about the whole situation.


It's a good article but I feel it's one that's been sitting in the drafts folder since Poch was sacked. The club have moved on, we need to too. Poch was far from the only problem at the club but he contributed to our downfall. I was as disappointed last night as everyone else and do blame Mourinho for how he set him up for what it's worth. I still think the managerial change was necessary.

I also feel that criticising him at this point is extremely unfair considering he has hardly had any time on the training ground with this team and the mental and physical issues were ones he inherited from the awful start to this season, let alone the obvious squad weaknesses. If Poch left in preseason as he threatened and Jose came in then I'd bet my house we'd be a lot better off now points wise.
 

muppetman

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2011
8,901
24,815
It's a good article but I feel it's one that's been sitting in the drafts folder since Poch was sacked. The club have moved on, we need to too. Poch was far from the only problem at the club but he contributed to our downfall. I was as disappointed last night as everyone else and do blame Mourinho for how he set him up for what it's worth. I still think the managerial change was necessary.

I also feel that criticising him at this point is extremely unfair considering he has hardly had any time on the training ground with this team and the mental and physical issues were ones he inherited from the awful start to this season, let alone the obvious squad weaknesses. If Poch left in preseason as he threatened and Jose came in then I'd bet my house we'd be a lot better off now points wise.
The interesting bit for me was the questioning if the new manager bounce is over already - will have to wait and see.
 

SpartanSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
12,552
43,063
The interesting bit for me was the questioning if the new manager bounce is over already - will have to wait and see.

Burnley game will be telling.

My biggest issue this season has been our inability to bounce back from shocking performances like last night. That horror show at Brighton after being hammered by Bayern was when I knew the Poch era was over. Then after that more dross against Watford and Everton, failing to build on good CL performances.

Big response needed this weekend.
 

Primativ

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2017
3,229
12,486
I didn't watch the game as had work xmas party but it seems a deeply disappointing performance. I'm troubled that Jose went with Winks and Sissoko but with 3 games in a week I guess he chose for rotation.
 

allatsea

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,865
16,053
I didn't watch the game as had work xmas party but it seems a deeply disappointing performance. I'm troubled that Jose went with Winks and Sissoko but with 3 games in a week I guess he chose for rotation.
It was a disappointing result it was not a deeply disappointing performance. As usual far too many are over reacting to losing. Man United need some credit for their performance as does their Manager but people seem just to want to criticise Spurs and ignore the opposition.
 

Kiedis

Well-Known Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,926
8,490
The Burnley game will be just at tough as the game vs. United. We'll need to raise ourselves quickly.
 

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
41,883
71,188
I still find this a very interesting appointment. Mourinho's forte is getting the best out of a top-end squad, whether that's an existing one with players underachieving, sending lots of money, or bringing in older players cheaply. That isn't our situation. Our squad isn't good enough to win the CL or PL without major luck (which we did have last season), and we're not just looking for short-term success. This is a rebuild job, creating a top squad from younger talent with big but not galactico money. It's not something he's had to do since his earliest days.

That being said, I'm an optimist and I do think it's possible. Especially if his good attitude so far sticks, and he's able to get buy-in from younger talent. Today was a disappointment, but he's won three games from four with a squad where previously you couldn't see where the next three points were coming from, and looked good doing it too. Many players are struggling for fitness, don't want to be here or are simply past it - for an effort at turning them around mid-season it's been far from bad.

Looking forwards, I'd say there's two big questions to answer in relation to our regression since 2017. Firstly, what's gone wrong with transfers - why haven't players been moved on, why haven't we found those talented youngsters, and how did we end up buying nobody at all? Secondly, what's gone wrong with fitness - why have Wanyama and Dembele ended up permacrocked, Lamela even worse, Rose and Kane badly effected, Trippier supposedly having an awful season because of his groin etc.

I love Poch, but I love the club more. So hopefully the answer to both those questions is that he and his team were given lots of authority and license on the back of their success and made a pig's ear of it off the pitch, in which case we should soon see an improvement. The first bit of evidence isn't great here though, with more messing around on the Davies surgery question. Regardless of the answer and therefore just how hard a task he has in store, I'll be fascinated to see whether Jose's got it in him, and hope he learns from today, we progress from here and enjoy renewed success.COYS
Daniel and some fans still believe this is a top end squad despite mounting evidence to the contrary every game.
 

glacierSpurs

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2013
16,163
25,472
It was a disappointing result it was not a deeply disappointing performance. As usual far too many are over reacting to losing. Man United need some credit for their performance as does their Manager but people seem just to want to criticise Spurs and ignore the opposition.
Guess most of us were disappointed at how lacklustre and lack of commitment the team was, rather than the loss itself. Especially it was Mourinho's first return to OT, we would have really thought the reaction to the game will be much stronger rather than being so passive and reactive.
 

Kiedis

Well-Known Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,926
8,490
It was a disappointing result it was not a deeply disappointing performance. As usual far too many are over reacting to losing. Man United need some credit for their performance as does their Manager but people seem just to want to criticise Spurs and ignore the opposition.

The disappointing thing about the performance is that our setup made it easier for United to press us and force long balls and then gain momentum than it had to be. And barring the first 30 odd minutes, we were actually pretty comfortable defensively until the dying minutes where we threw everything forward.

The disappointing thing about the result is how it feels so inevitable that we'll make absolutely baffling mistakes to shoot ourselves in the foot in these high profile games.
 

SpartanSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
12,552
43,063
Daniel and some fans still believe this is a top end squad despite mounting evidence to the contrary every game.

I don't think we are far from a very good squad to be honest, certainly a top 4 competing one. The issue is it will hinge on what Levy can achieve in the transfer market in the next two windows.

We've scored 11 goals in the 4 games Jose has been here, you don't do that with average forwards, regardless of opposition. Plugging up a defence should in theory be a lot easier than building a dangerous attack.
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,336
329,025
JM was overheard by a friend of mine saying he learned a lot more from yesterday than he had in the previous three games put together. Regarding the players that is.

What he means by that I'm not sure. I guess we'll see in his team selection for Burnley.
 
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