Jose Mourinho

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I'm not onboard the Mourinho train yet. I definitely see why the club made a change but I simply don't enjoy the style of football Mourinho typically employs. Even though he's only been with us for 3 matches i'm not keen on the tweaks he's made such as the lopsided full backs, Dier being brought back in and the overuse of punts by the goalkeeper. In addition we know he won't be as dedicated to the development of young players as Poch or want to build a long term legacy.

These are factors that I care about. I obviously want Mourinho to succeed as that means we all benefit but I just can't get behind him the same as I did Poch as he doesn't tick as many boxes.

 

[freeeki]

At 47 years old Ferguson took Man United to 11th in the league.

Poch has plenty of time to achieve things.

Edit, add to that Poch has also out done the same better managers you speak of too.... Pep - check, Klopp, Check - we beat them all.

Ferguson had also won three league titles and two European trophies with Aberdeen by the time he turned 45, so let's not be silly

 

[McFlash]

I'm not onboard the Mourinho train yet. I definitely see why the club made a change but I simply don't enjoy the style of football Mourinho typically employs. Even though he's only been with us for 3 matches i'm not keen on the tweaks he's made such as the lopsided full backs, Dier being brought back in and the overuse of punts by the goalkeeper. In addition we know he won't be as dedicated to the development of young players as Poch or want to build a long term legacy.

These are factors that I care about. I obviously want Mourinho to succeed as that means we all benefit but I just can't get behind him the same as I did Poch as he doesn't tick as many boxes.

I see your point but I honestly quite like the lopsided fullbacks because it seems to be playing to our strengths more - Aurier is a lot better going forwards, than he is defending.
I also prefer the kicking long, as opposed to farting around at the back, which used to give me so many heart attacks.
Dier, I agree with but I think the idea that Poch was great at developing youth isn't actually true. You only have to look at the stagnation of the academy and lack of loans to see that.

 

[dudu]

Ferguson had also won three league titles and two European trophies with Aberdeen by the time he turned 45, so let's not be silly

I'm not being silly mate. I just don't think it's fair to rewrite history.

Did we or did we not have a better return against top managers under Poch than under other managers in our recent history despite a huge disparity in wage gap, cost of the team? I can look at things in relative terms and be proud and thankful for what he produced for us.

Does he have flaws? Sure. Is he destined for great things? In my opinion, Yes.

At 47 years old, with his whole career ahead of him he has every single opportunity to go and manage a top side and get everything he needs to win things over and over again.

 

[Gb160]

These are factors that I care about. I obviously want Mourinho to succeed as that means we all benefit but I just can't get behind him the same as I did Poch as he doesn't tick as many boxes.

I think this is where a lot of fans will have differing opinions.
The only box we should be looking at ticking is the 'successful' box...I see the boxes you mention as things to start worrying about when we've got a hatful of trophies in the cabinet... they're supplementary.

Analogy time:
When you're fixing a car, worry about getting the wheels shiny and the stereo system fixed once you've got the engine sorted.

 

[freeeki]

I'm not onboard the Mourinho train yet. I definitely see why the club made a change but I simply don't enjoy the style of football Mourinho typically employs. Even though he's only been with us for 3 matches i'm not keen on the tweaks he's made such as the lopsided full backs, Dier being brought back in and the overuse of punts by the goalkeeper. In addition we know he won't be as dedicated to the development of young players as Poch or want to build a long term legacy.

These are factors that I care about. I obviously want Mourinho to succeed as that means we all benefit but I just can't get behind him the same as I did Poch as he doesn't tick as many boxes.

I don't understand. You surely cannot prefer the turgid, tap-it-about-at-the-back, hoof-it-backwards-to-Lloris, everyone's-sussed-out-this-diamond-nonsense-but-we'll-do-it-anyway cack which we saw every week under Poch's final year?

 

[GMI]

I see your point but I honestly quite like the lopsided fullbacks because it seems to be playing to our strengths more - Aurier is a lot better going forwards, than he is defending.
I also prefer the kicking long, as opposed to farting around at the back, which used to give me so many heart attacks.
Dier, I agree with but I think the idea that Poch was great at developing youth isn't actually true. You only have to look at the stagnation of the academy and lack of loans to see that.

I agree on this last point and don't buy this whole 'Jose will destroy the academy' line. How many academy players are playing regularly at Man City or Liverpool? Chelsea didn't bring any through for 15 years and are now only being forced to do so because of a transfer ban. Poch inherited Kane and wasn't great at using the academy either.

The bottom line is that for the top 6 clubs 99% of all academy players will not make regulars in the first team. Jose tends to manage successful teams with a lot of money and a pressure for success. If we had appointed Pep he wouldn't be looking to our Academy to help him succeed.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Were Toby’s passes for Dele’s goal ‘punts’ or well executed, accurate passes over a long distance which required vision and technique, not to mention great runs by Son / Dele?

 

[dontcallme]

I agree on this last point and don't buy this whole 'Jose will destroy the academy' line. How many academy players are playing regularly at City of Liverpool? Chelsea didn't bring any through for 15 years and are now only being forced to do so. Poch inherited Kane and wasn't great at using the academy either.

The bottom line is that for the top 6 clubs 99% of all academy players will not make regulars in the first team. Jose tends to manage successful teams with a lot of money and a pressure for success. If we had appointed Pep he wouldn't be looking to our Academy to help in succeed.

Agree, also Poch hadn't brought our young players forwards significantly for the last 2 seasons.

 

[Stamford]

I'm not onboard the Mourinho train yet. I definitely see why the club made a change but I simply don't enjoy the style of football Mourinho typically employs. Even though he's only been with us for 3 matches i'm not keen on the tweaks he's made such as the lopsided full backs, Dier being brought back in and the overuse of punts by the goalkeeper. In addition we know he won't be as dedicated to the development of young players as Poch or want to build a long term legacy.

These are factors that I care about. I obviously want Mourinho to succeed as that means we all benefit but I just can't get behind him the same as I did Poch as he doesn't tick as many boxes.

Honestly the academy and our loan policy has been terrible under Poch

 

[King of Otters]

Not really... I watched the first half (20 minutes) of our game against Bournemouth at half time I jumped into the pool and didn't bother with the 2nd half..

In 30yrs of supporting Spurs I've never missed a game deliberately. I plan my life around our games and even the wife knows to not try anything differently.

I don't not support Jose' I've come to like his interviews but we all know how this will end....maybe after the Poch stint I don't have the energy of being so close yet so far.

Can't get my head around this at all.

 

[dontcallme]

Can't get my head around this at all.

He's a Liverpool fan.

 

[carpediem991]

I'm not onboard the Mourinho train yet. I definitely see why the club made a change but I simply don't enjoy the style of football Mourinho typically employs. Even though he's only been with us for 3 matches i'm not keen on the tweaks he's made such as the lopsided full backs, Dier being brought back in and the overuse of punts by the goalkeeper. In addition we know he won't be as dedicated to the development of young players as Poch or want to build a long term legacy.

These are factors that I care about. I obviously want Mourinho to succeed as that means we all benefit but I just can't get behind him the same as I did Poch as he doesn't tick as many boxes.

You enjoyed the style of football we played under Poch for over a fuckin year that got worse game by game? Until to the point we deserved not to win the games against Sheffield, Brighton, Watford or Newcastle?

Full backs were a big issue for us all season. Since Mou is here, they actually have a solide use and start to contribute on their strenghts (at least they are on a better way).
The development of young players (especially the academy) is more than a myth. KWP was not progressing a single bit, Onomah/Edwards/Griffiths have gone for various reasons, Carter-Vickers looks further away of the first team than ever and the first and last academy player that made it was Winks.
A long term legacy can be built over several managers. For me its the board who is in control of that. The last thing we need now is a slow long term project as it just won't fit with the ambitions Kane, Son or others have by now. We should find a way to win things and then build on that.

I actually could not give a fuck on how nice we play if we are on the winning side. Our players quality will always ensure we are not doing a Park the bus Brighton or anything. Even then I think our counter attacks could be very exciting.

 

[Primativ]

I'm no Poch apologist, he had to go but you can't just spout nonsense and expect not to be called out on it.

What nonsense is that? That Poch isn't an Alex Ferguson or a special manager? get real.

 

[dontcallme]

What complete nonsense.

 

[marion52]

No argument from me that possibly/probaBly Poch was struggling to get us back on track.
The biggest thing that bothers me about JM is that he won’t build a team to take us forward. He’ll do his best to win something but chances are he leave us in a worse mess as he appears to have done at previous clubs.
Poch was trying but I feel the new stadium and the financial constraints prevented him from improving/ tweaking the team season on season to keep us at the level we were becoming accustomed to.
I hope JM proves me wrong but his history tells me otherwise - he’s a love em and leave em type of a guy?

 

[tiger666]

No argument from me that possibly/probaBly Poch was struggling to get us back on track.
The biggest thing that bothers me about JM is that he won’t build a team to take us forward. He’ll do his best to win something but chances are he leave us in a worse mess as he appears to have done at previous clubs.
Poch was trying but I feel the new stadium and the financial constraints prevented him from improving/ tweaking the team season on season to keep us at the level we were becoming accustomed to.
I hope JM proves me wrong but his history tells me otherwise - he’s a love em and leave em type of a guy?

Yeah he's only going to be here for a couple of years. As for what state he leaves us in, who knows.

 

[Hakkz]

How often do managers leave their clubs in, what would be considered by the fans of that club, a good state?

 

[carpediem991]

No argument from me that possibly/probaBly Poch was struggling to get us back on track.
The biggest thing that bothers me about JM is that he won’t build a team to take us forward. He’ll do his best to win something but chances are he leave us in a worse mess as he appears to have done at previous clubs.
Poch was trying but I feel the new stadium and the financial constraints prevented him from improving/ tweaking the team season on season to keep us at the level we were becoming accustomed to.
I hope JM proves me wrong but his history tells me otherwise - he’s a love em and leave em type of a guy?

I can only repeat myself: In what state left us Poch? Everything appeared to be a big mess.
Ffs get behind our manager who acts completely reasonable so far. To say Mourinho is not a guy to take a team forward is laughable.

You all should save your energy until Mou really shows signs that he causes a mess at our club. Out of all managers United had since Sir Alex left, Mou was probably still the most succesful. And their squad is and was pretty shit, especially for the ambitions they have. Not close to compare to our potential.

 

[dudu]

What nonsense is that? That Poch isn't an Alex Ferguson or a special manager? get real.

He absolutely isn't Alex Ferguson, and I don't think it's fair to compare him to one of the greatest managers in my lifetime so early in his career.

I and actually many people in football believe that what he did achieve with us was pretty special. It's clear you don't and that's fine but I am looking at things from a relative point of view. Poch competed with, finished above many top managers during his tenure with us despite not having the tools they did at their disposal.