Jose Mourinho

[TonySoprano]

He's got to his 3rd season meltdown in his 2nd season here.

That's progress i guess.

 

[Igula]

Bielsa cannot fairly be described as a manager who has "never won anything", the way Poch could.

Bielsa could be more accurately described as someone who has rarely bothered to finish the projects he starts.

He had slightly more matches in charge in his two seasons at Bilbao, but in terms of time served this is already his longest tenure in a club managerial role in his entire career.

I think if Poch spent time at one of the big boys in Argentina there is a good chance he has titles as well, but that is beyond the point.

Bielsa not staying long is due to him. That is part of what he brings with him so if people are talking about his genius his inability to stay at a club to bring them success is part of his legacy.

I am only pointing out that for a manager who has spent as long a time managing as him the results are pretty unimpressive, Argentinian titles and Olympic gold included.

 

[hiatus]

He's got to his 3rd season meltdown in his 2nd season here.

That's progress i guess.

Less than a full season of league matches in. It's really something.

 

[Igula]

They are a Championship team mate, that's the point. He's only bought a few players, so he's had to transform the ones that were already there.

The tailing off is also a narrative that all statistics refute, the same as they did with Poch actually, with both teams running and making more sprints in the latter stages of the league than at the beginning. There is also the case that the size of the squads are small compared to the teams they were competing with.

Leeds will most likely lose a fair few games this year, as will Brighton, as did Sheffield, as did Southampton these are teams who are brave enough to play football, not to play like Stoke. They have all recently been in Championship or lower, they should have no right to beat the current World & European and PL Champions but they almost did. Chelsea are being outplayed by Brighton, they arent winning and it is more than likely they will lose. But what we should be worried about is THEY ARE BETTER THAN US as a consequence of how they are managed.

Better than us?

Brighton had the great and powerful Potter as their manager last year and finished 18 points behind us in a nightmare season for us.

Super star Bielsa managed a whole 2 less losses in the Championship last year than we had in the PL and was so amazing on Saturday that they have the same amount of points to start the season than us.

Odd way to judge them being better than us.

 

[Igula]

Definitely ‘not worse than Sissoko’. Sissoko was at least energetic for a bit. However, game had fallen apart even at that stage.

I was really hopeful that Tanguy would have come on and taken on their MF, perhaps cut some passes through. In reality, he did it about twice, then kept passing it to Everton. After that, I think he decided to sit back and resort to sideways / Winks-style passes as he didn’t want to take the responsibility of pushing on.

Very little to praise from anyone, really.

Would we have been worse with him on for 90? Dunno, he was pretty invisible after he’d been on for 5 minutes - but the same - as you say, can be said for everyone.

Shit-show.

I will also give more importance to Ndombele's passing because it is exactly what we were missing last year and need this year.

We have enough energetic players- Sissoko, Aurier, Moura, Winks, PEH are all energetic but ineffective so I will be much happier to praise the skills that we are lacking and will improve us over the skills that we have and do little to improve us overall.

 

[Maureen]

Lazy reporting. No-one wants to be told they’re lazy, but you tell me that team looked like they were busting a gut?

I do t it’s a question of busting a gut I think it’s the manager they may not be busting a gut for. Players are bound to react criticism like that when it’s the manager who has picked the team, prepares the team and made the subs. Then comes out and says they were lazy , not fit blah blah always the deflection. He played lamela and gedson in most of the pre season games they should enough energy why weren’t they involved yesterday?

 

[Cravenspurs]

Dun, dun, dun...I laughed at the ManU fans and Chelsea fans that fell out of love with Jose, but now it sucks to see reports (whether they are legit or not) about players firing back at him.

 

[FightingIllini]

I am only pointing out that for a manager who has spent as long a time managing as him the results are pretty unimpressive, Argentinian titles and Olympic gold included.

His reputation was always based more on his tactical acumen than the actual results, plus his reputation for developing young talent.

And he's also just a strange old wizard of a guy. So in that way things like quitting Lazio in two days only add to the legend.

I wouldn't hire him for Spurs, but he's a fun figure to have around in the league.

 

[Sparkplugs]

Not even sure they were lazy

They are just shite

Sissoko , dele , lucas , hoijberg

Not one of those fuckers can control a football when its moving at pace

How are you supposed to win football matches when almost half of your outfield players genuinely couldn't trap a bag of cement

Our midfield has the ball control skills of a baby elephant ...absolutely zero creatively and zero dynamism (apart from GLC), genuinely worried for season ahead mate

 

[snowkarl]

notimpressed by his team talks at all

I honestly found myself fast forwarding whenever he or Kane was doing the "motivational speaking".. just so cringy. Felt like I was being touted Herbalife supplements.

 

[Doom Funk]

Our midfield has the ball control skills of a baby elephant ...absolutely zero creatively and zero dynamism (apart from GLC), genuinely worried for season ahead mate

Watching that second half yesterday made me think how the hell is this possible

How have we found ourselves with so many midfielders that are bereft of any technical ability

There is incompetence and poor squad planning but this is something else

 

[Igula]

His reputation was always based more on his tactical acumen than the actual results, plus his reputation for developing young talent.

And he's also just a strange old wizard of a guy. So in that way things like quitting Lazio in two days only add to the legend.

I wouldn't hire him for Spurs, but he's a fun figure to have around in the league.

I agree there are two things I won't argue when it comes to Bielsa:

1. It is a good sign if your manager trained under him or was influenced by him

2. He is a character that is great for the media and great for the stories he likely brings about him

I think he would be a terrible option for Spurs but am fine with him managing another club in the league.

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

Better than us?

Brighton had the great and powerful Potter as their manager last year and finished 18 points behind us in a nightmare season for us.

Super star Bielsa managed a whole 2 less losses in the Championship last year than we had in the PL and was so amazing on Saturday that they have the same amount of points to start the season than us.

Odd way to judge them being better than us.

Are you watching them play? And are you watching us play?

They are playing better football than us, this is absolute fact.

 

[Cravenspurs]

Lazy reporting. No-one wants to be told they’re lazy, but you tell me that team looked like they were busting a gut?

Did you see him talking about pressing in the Amazon Doc? I would love to see if he works diligently on that in practice or if it was just a dressing room instruction.

I made that mistake when coaching basketball with 6th graders. They were struggling to guard man-to-man and I was trying to coach 2-3 zone during halftime. Some kids got it, but most were confused as fuck. I didn't work on that prior in practice.

I am not saying Jose hasn't gone over his pressing tactics in practice, but the way they edited it made it look like the players were like "ok, good to know".

So what's my point? He was calling his front line lazy for not pressing effectively, but how much work has he actually put into pressing? Cause for the most part, we are not a pressing outfit. We don't press like SH, City, or Pool. For me it's not lazy, it's shit instruction.

 

[Igula]

Are you watching them play? And are you watching us play?

They are playing better football than us, this is absolute fact.

Better football based on what? Style?

Because it certainly isn't better football based on results.

 

[Matt1882]

We had one of the most lethal attacks in Europe, they are STILL here.

What we are seeing is a managerial problem. Take a look at how RB Leipzig play, how Leeds play. I'm watching Brighton play Chelsea right now, they are losing 1-0 to a pen but play better than us. These are championship level players, coached brilliantly and it shows. There are many more teams to add to that list.

Spurs were also once in that mould. They were coached well, played well and competed way above their level as a consequence. Competed with teams who spent many multiples of monies more than us, they were better than the sum of their parts. With individual players improving. Beisla has taken a Championship side that's barely had any new additions since he's been there but he has improved almost every player and has them playing better football than us. This is COACHING.

You do understand that teams like Brighton etc get some freedom to play decent football that bigger teams rarely do?
Everyone we play stifles the life out of the game, poch era and Mourinho, and they know they can get something from that.
Changing the way we play at least gives them something to think about.

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

Better football based on what? Style?

Because it certainly isn't better football based on results.

Brighton have been the better side tonight. If you say they havn't then you are the first person to say this and I'm sat watching the game currently with 3 Chav fans, all of whom openly saying they have been shit. All of whom are very disappointed at how they have played.

 

[Sparkplugs]

Watching that second half yesterday made me think how the hell is this possible

How have we found ourselves with so many midfielders that are bereft of any technical ability

There is incompetence and poor squad planning but this is something else

That is the eternal question, I guess Ndombele was supposed to be a messiah in midfield but he has proven sweet FA, and when you look at our midfield it’s hard to know where he fits into the system as he can’t/won’t run back, unfortunately he’s only one small piece of a very fucked up jigsaw!!

 

[SpiderSpurs]

Brighton have been the better side tonight. If you say they havn't then you are the first person to say this and I'm sat watching the game currently with 3 Chav fans, all of whom openly saying they have been shit. All of whom are very disappointed at how they have played.

Watching a game with three mates whilst posting online. Seems legit...

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

You do understand that teams like Brighton etc get some freedom to play decent football that bigger teams rarely do?
Everyone we play stifles the life out of the game, poch era and Mourinho, and they know they can get something from that.
Changing the way we play at least gives them something to think about.

No we are outplayed by most teams we play. What games under Jose did we play where the oppo stifles the life out of the game? This is Jose's MO, it's what he is trying and failing to do.