Jose Mourinho

[-Afri-Coy-]

If he decides to change his ways and give the players some creative freedom I will back him, but this get a goal up and stop playing football is bullshit, if we were getting the results I would put up with it... but were not..

Fair enough, and I don't think we should be shutting up shop unless we are 2-3 goals ahead, but even then its not a given that we win. This team has mistakes in it regardless of the setup we employ.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

Nope, you just seem to want to come across as important now. I asked you how you know, you basically don't and now you want to argue about some obtuse angle of intent. Bit like you did with Poch when you didn't like what he was doing.

Enjoy.

I'm clearly important to you, seeing as you have given so much time to such a pointless argument with me.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Fair enough, and I don't think we should be shutting up shop unless we are 2-3 goals ahead, but even then its not a given that we win. This team has mistakes in it regardless of the setup we employ.

I know the West Ham game is the one we point to, but I think when he first took over and based much of our attacking intent around Dele, the same signs were there. The West Ham game was the tipping point and he's definitely sat on his hands far too often in the last month and a half when he could have been proactive rather than reactive in his approach.

Agree with alot of what you have been posting this morning, balanced and fair.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

I'm clearly important to you, seeing as you have given so much time to such a pointless argument with me.

Sure thing.

 

[Gspurs11]

I read that in the last 8 league games, we've only scored 1 goal in the 2nd half. That simply isn't good enough who ever is at fault for it; for me it's a mixture of the players and Mourinho.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

Not at all, you have every right to have that opinion and your comments have been very fair. I was just pointing out that it isn't guaranteed to take us any further than we are now.

You're absolutely right, hence my saying we wouldn't necessarily be any better off. I just think we'd give ourselves a much better chance if we weren't always so reliant on being perfect defensively.

 

[muppetman]

So much of this thread is like Brexit - you are either rabidly for or against.

I wasn't mad keen when he joined but thought he deserved a chance to show what he can do and that's still the same for me. I thought the way we played against the better teams was spot on and something I wished Poch would do but to play in a very similar way against the lesser teams makes no sense.

However, I have to assume Jose knows more than I do and that he is capable of fixing it. if not, then i don't think winning the Caraboa and getting 6th will be enough. Either way he deserves the rest of the season.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

You're absolutely right, hence my saying we wouldn't necessarily be any better off. I just think we'd give ourselves a much better chance if we weren't always so reliant on being perfect defensively.

I think we have a solid defensive base and if we had better passers than Winks and Sissoko in the squad we would be equally as lethal in attack, to me that's our main shortfall and not necessarily the tactics.

 

[thebenjamin]

I think we have a solid defensive base and if we had better passers than Winks and Sissoko in the squad we would be equally as lethal in attack, to me that's our main shortfall and not necessarily the tactics.

Isn't the job of the coach to design a system of play that addresses the weaknesses? I mean, if he truly did want us to score more goals, the solution would absolutely not be playing Sissoko as a forward at home to Fulham. His solution to us throwing away narrow leads was to go more defensive.

 

[rossdapep]

We are underperforming, watch us play and watch United play, Ole is far from perfect but he has got them playing decent, entertaining football, top of the league and baring Bruno and at a push Rashford I wouldn't have any of them in my team.

We are very, very, very dull to watch, and sadly I think its by design rather than anything else.

Nah, all of their midfielders would make our team. Also, it has the balance required to allow you to play through the middle and be dynamic

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

I think we have a solid defensive base and if we had better passers than Winks and Sissoko in the squad we would be equally as lethal in attack, to me that's our main shortfall and not necessarily the tactics.

We do have Lo Celso who is a better passer though, but even when he's fit it's always one of him and Ndombele rather than both. This constant need to have Sissoko and/or Winks at the expense of more creativity is a big part of the problem for me.

 

[Donki]

Nah, all of their midfielders would make our team. Also, it has the balance required to allow you to play through the middle and be dynamic

Were you saying that at the start of the season? It isn't our players its the coaching.

 

[bryanabutler]

All guns blazing for Naglesmaan in the summer please and bring Sabitzer with him.

Hopefully, Jose can jib us a trophy before then. But I can see us getting decimated by city in the final.

Naglesmaan,Yes please But dont want Sabitzer, bring Domin

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

We do have Lo Celso who is a better passer though, but even when he's fit it's always one of him and Ndombele rather than both. This constant need to have Sissoko and/or Winks at the expense of more creativity is a big part of the problem for me.

Unfortunately Lo Celso has been struggling this season, had he been fit I really think we would've seen a midfield of Lo Celso/Ndombele/PEH by now and they would probably start most games.

JM alluded to this a few weeks ago when asked about the same midfield line up.

 

[eViL]

We were playing like this before Mourinho got here.

It's the team. Too many athletes, not enough footballers.

Sissoko doesn't take enough responsibility in the final 3rd, technically poor.

Winks has lost his bottle somewhere along the line, no forward passing, constantly turning his back to block shots and passes, refuses to carry the ball into space.

Lamela too many touches on the ball, too one footed, always injured.

Dier poor passing, misjudges too many balls in the air.

Dele doesn't press, no desire, poor passing generally, gets caught in possession dawdling on the ball, too one footed.

Sanchez same as Dier. Sanchez is suited to high line play (which I believe is why we bought him), not blocks.

Lucas runs into blind alleys, poor off the ball when we're in posession.

Davies too many safe, pointless passes.

ALL players that will literally run themselves into the ground but ultimately, one of them will cost you each game by not putting the game to bed, giving away possession or a free kick in a key area, or making a defensive error.

All players from the Poch era, that I believe cost him his job and unless we begin a cull will also cost Jose, trophies or not. Lamela, Sissoko and Sanchez cost us over £100m alone and Levy is going to want to see returns on that level of investment.

 

[Trix]

Isn't the job of the coach to design a system of play that addresses the weaknesses? I mean, if he truly did want us to score more goals, the solution would absolutely not be playing Sissoko as a forward at home to Fulham. His solution to us throwing away narrow leads was to go more defensive.

I don't think it's the system, it's the mentality. A friend of mine was at the game and he said the coaching staff were constantly shouting at them to push forward and to keep pressing. There was certainly no intention to hang on to a one goal lead and concede possession like we did second half. I wonder at times how much the rest of the team trust our back line as they drop deeper and deeper despite being shouted at to push forward.

 

[E17yid]

He’s obviously not going anywhere before the end of the season so we’ve just got to keep our fingers crossed things turn out alright.

I’m not massively fussed about style of play as long as we’re seeing good point returns on games (which we obviously aren’t at the moment) but it is a funny old season this year with everyone being consistently inconsistent so I’m not Jose out or anything.

We better hope that neither Kane or Son get seriously injured this year, though, otherwise we’re proper fucked.

 

[Danny1]

I am still giving Jose time, as we are still in a good position in the league, in a final and still in the other two competitions. I agree the football hasn’t been great the last month or so but I have to look at this side and wonder where the real quality is. Ndombele was excellent for 60 mins last night but for some reason disappeared. GLC is permanently injured unfortunately and Alli has lost the trust. People calling for Bale but clearly he isn’t up to speed yet.

I also however believe that he picked the wrong side last night, there was enough on the bench to not have to play Sissoko RW at home to Fulham and I’m hopeful that Jose has realised this. We lack creativity and rely on a select few every game to get us a goal.

Unfortunately I can’t see us or any team spending big so this squad is the one we will be with until the summer. We have a large number of players who just aren’t very good, Sanchez, Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Lucas etc etc. Now if these were purely squad players then that would be ok but a few of them start near on every game.

Regi and PEH were superb additions in the summer and I’m hopeful that we can get a few more in after this season, most notably a top quality centre midfielder and centre back.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I've always been on the "our players suck" bandwagon. The squad is not good enough for a title tilt and it's a squad that will do well to get in the top 4.

IMO, if anybody thinks we already have the squad quality to finish regularly in the top 4 then they are deluding themselves..

Entirely not. We have weaknesses yes and a couple of obvious needs, but the squad is good enough to qualify for CL.

 

[rossdapep]

Love how the Jose disciples immediately accuse anyone who has anything negative to say against Jose of having an agenda against him!

Disciples?


How about people who are just trying to support the manager whilst he's at the club and understand what changes can be done to help us become better.

I could sit here and whinge about him and refuse to watch us play but what would be the point in that? Id rather ge patient understand what is going wrong and what can be done about it.

If Jose shows he clearly hasn't got the answers my patience will wear thin just as it did with AvB, Ramos and Poch