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Manager Jose Mourinho

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The tendency of this forum to gang up on and use abusive language towards anyone with an unpopular opinion is really disgusting.

Just because more than one person goes hard against another doesn't mean it's a case of ganging up if more than one person opts to do so....

Also; you're failing to consider that some people build themselves into a position/dynamic/persona over time to the point that some elements of the usership are simply just sick of them.... Similarly, there's also those with troll tendencies that go looking for shit trying to provoke a reaction.


I've pointed this out before but you've walked into a community (with no moderators!) where some relationships go back close to a decade (it's unrealistic to expect bad blood and politics not to exist).... You've been here a matter of weeks and ought to consider that..... You don't know the track records of any of the posters.
 
I do think for most Spurs fans defensive football is not what we are known and admired for. And what has made us love the club over the years.

Most neutral fans I know will say they have enjoyed watching Spurs as literally anything can happen.

So it’s a big departure to be where we are now.

I can see where you are coming from. Personally I’m just on the train for the journey. If it leads to silverware then it’s acheived it’s purpose.

If we then become a counter attacking based team for the next three decades that will really surprise me tbh. And I’d love to see what someone like Ledley would do if he managed us having been around so many different managers and playing styles.
I'm happy to be a counter attacking team. I really am. It plays to our strengths. I'd prefer to think that we are playing that way because JM is playing to our strengths rather than being a counter attacking manager per se.

I'll come back to our best performances in the CL under Poch - Real, Dortmund....we hit them on the counter with superb breaks and clinical finishing. The run to the final was amazing but we used up a decade of luck to get there and a lot of it was big boot up to Llorente, which is hardly brilliant football is it. Effective in Europe, but not so much against Sheffield United or West Brom in the PL.

Listening to Poch after those matches against Dortmund, I'm thinking of the first one, not the 3-0. 3-1 was it? He virtually said that the team didn't follow the plan. Well fuck me, Poch. Can we learn from this? We've got lightning pace and great finishing, we don't bloody need to boss possession all over the park. Can we maybe change the plan? Sometimes?

And I agree with you; just because we're playing on the counter doesn't mean we always will. Interesting to see how the season pans out and how Mourinho improves over the Summer.

I'm glad to be on this journey. This time last year we'd had 10 months of alarming decline where it was hard to see if we had any strengths to build on at all. Apart from the Llorente Hail Mary, which wasn't easy to build on seeing as we'd let him go an a free because we couldn't be arsed to pay him a few £mill a year. When it was him who saved our whole season with 2 late goals to struggle past PSV 2-1. That would have been one point from 12 and not even getting to Europa.
 
I'm happy to be a counter attacking team. I really am. It plays to our strengths. I'd prefer to think that we are playing that way because JM is playing to our strengths rather than being a counter attacking manager per se.

I'll come back to our best performances in the CL under Poch - Real, Dortmund....we hit them on the counter with superb breaks and clinical finishing. The run to the final was amazing but we used up a decade of luck to get there and a lot of it was big boot up to Llorente, which is hardly brilliant football is it. Effective in Europe, but not so much against Sheffield United or West Brom in the PL.

Listening to Poch after those matches against Dortmund, I'm thinking of the first one, not the 3-0. 3-1 was it? He virtually said that the team didn't follow the plan. Well fuck me, Poch. Can we learn from this? We've got lightning pace and great finishing, we don't bloody need to boss possession all over the park. Can we maybe change the plan? Sometimes?

And I agree with you; just because we're playing on the counter doesn't mean we always will. Interesting to see how the season pans out and how Mourinho improves over the Summer.

I'm glad to be on this journey. This time last year we'd had 10 months of alarming decline where it was hard to see if we had any strengths to build on at all. Apart from the Llorente Hail Mary, which wasn't easy to build on seeing as we'd let him go an a free because we couldn't be arsed to pay him a few £mill a year. When it was him who saved our whole season with 2 late goals to struggle past PSV 2-1. That would have been one point from 12 and not even getting to Europa.

Jose prefers to play football without the ball. His Madrid team that broke records was incredible at it.

I looked at their squad the other day. Ronaldo, Benzema, Kaka, Özil, De Mari, Higuaín and a young morata. Absolutely mental that was his attacking option. But played on the counter to an incredible level.

 
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I'm happy to be a counter attacking team. I really am. It plays to our strengths. I'd prefer to think that we are playing that way because JM is playing to our strengths rather than being a counter attacking manager per se.

I'll come back to our best performances in the CL under Poch - Real, Dortmund....we hit them on the counter with superb breaks and clinical finishing. The run to the final was amazing but we used up a decade of luck to get there and a lot of it was big boot up to Llorente, which is hardly brilliant football is it. Effective in Europe, but not so much against Sheffield United or West Brom in the PL.

Listening to Poch after those matches against Dortmund, I'm thinking of the first one, not the 3-0. 3-1 was it? He virtually said that the team didn't follow the plan. Well fuck me, Poch. Can we learn from this? We've got lightning pace and great finishing, we don't bloody need to boss possession all over the park. Can we maybe change the plan? Sometimes?

And I agree with you; just because we're playing on the counter doesn't mean we always will. Interesting to see how the season pans out and how Mourinho improves over the Summer.

I'm glad to be on this journey. This time last year we'd had 10 months of alarming decline where it was hard to see if we had any strengths to build on at all. Apart from the Llorente Hail Mary, which wasn't easy to build on seeing as we'd let him go an a free because we couldn't be arsed to pay him a few £mill a year. When it was him who saved our whole season with 2 late goals to struggle past PSV 2-1. That would have been one point from 12 and not even getting to Europa.
Nice post.

I think the narrative of 'best football' didn't start but became more dominant with Spain's tiki-taka style around 2008-10 which led to this idea that possession based football was the only way to play and anything else was wrong. Add that to the "Spurs way" ideal and you've got a number of fans who simply won't accept Joseball even if it brings success and trophies. For my part I actually don't like watching it as much as our high tempo press under Poch but I'd be willing to sacrifice some aesthetics for trophies but I will be judging it in that context too.
 
Nice post.

I think the narrative of 'best football' didn't start but became more dominant with Spain's tiki-taka style around 2008-10 which led to this idea that possession based football was the only way to play and anything else was wrong. Add that to the "Spurs way" ideal and you've got a number of fans who simply won't accept Joseball even if it brings success and trophies. For my part I actually don't like watching it as much as our high tempo press under Poch but I'd be willing to sacrifice some aesthetics for trophies but I will be judging it in that context too.

Yeah, high tempo press at some point was cool.
But it only lasted efficiently maybe 1-2 year? Before that we were building up to that, and afterwards... last 12 months of Poch reign it was not there anymore.

Most of the time I was not enjoying how we were playing. All this useless back-passing from (current line up example) Son to Kane to Ndombele to Regulion to Dier to Lloris to Alderweireld to Aurier to Hjojberg to Ndombele to Kane to Bergwijn and then again back to Kane, Ndombele etc... god damn it was dull at times. And we saw right in front of us how Leicester clinched a title with counter-attacking football...

Anyways, football can be played in different ways. I personally have no issues with our current style of play, mainly because of the fact that our squad is well suited for that.
Let's not forget - when Jose first joined, this was not his 1st idea. We were playing way more open game but there was no progess. Not in how the game looked nor in results. During this season he has found an approach which works with our personell and I have nothing against continuing with it, until it works.

Some people just don't seem to understand that there could be different approaches and ways to "skin a cat"... it is either Pool&City way or it is wrong way. I cannot agree with that.
 
Fair points. I'm not being aggressive or abusive mate. Or purposely trying to upset anyone.
I just do not like the way mourinho sets teams up to destroy rather than create.
I was not keen on him coming to us, but he's here and that's that. Maybe his supposed magic will rub off on us and we will start to win trophies, but I'm not convinced . I really hope I'm wrong, the chances of that are extremely high if you go off how many times my missus tells me I'm wrong .
Ok but he’s our manager now and we’re doing well despite not playing particularly attractive football but I supported us through Graham, Gross, Santini and Terry Neill and still got behind them
Not easy trust me!
 
Reading through the recent posts:

why do some people assume we will a trophy with JM bcos his a serial winner and with this type of football? Who has recently won anything with this type of football apart from
Leicester ? There is no gaurantee!
Everyone keeps going on about being top or 2nd but there is so few points in it that it doesn’t really matter if your 2nd or 5th one point behind.
Manure will be above us if they win their game in hand and yet everyone has been slating OGS yet Maureen is producing masterclasses? If we don’t beat Leicester we could drop out the top 4!
His tactics and subs in the last 2 games have been completely shocking almost a bottle job he needs to show more balls. I’m sure we could have beaten palace and at least got a draw with pool if he did.
If we are top playing palace and pool why do we play like underdogs as if we are bottom of the league and show virtually zero ambition.
This type of football is even worse than Pauli’s and big Sam I’m their prime. Most on here would have slated them big time but have now sold their soul in the hope he wins a trophy.
We are a better team than the football we play which is the worst thing!
If we are going to park the bus at least make it hard for the oppo to get balls into the box stop crosses etc. Look at the build up to the corner last night we just let hendo run through but no one challenges him.
We play a game by numbers I.e. just having bodies back but no one actually engages with the oppo especially sissoko who just points. Last night that’s all he did!
Some of the following need to go davies, sissoko, dier who was appealing with his passing and clearances, Lucas yo name a few.
we could have won that game if we could string two passes together which is another indictment of Maureen and his coaching . We have no idea how to control the game or keep possesion. Best to prevent the oppo scoring is by preventing them having the ball but we just give it away so cheaply and normally when under no pressure. Davies in the 2nd half gave the ball away 3 times in quick susccession.
Apologies fir long post could go on for ever but ....
If we do win - big if, according to you, will you fuck off?
 
Nice post.

I think the narrative of 'best football' didn't start but became more dominant with Spain's tiki-taka style around 2008-10 which led to this idea that possession based football was the only way to play and anything else was wrong. Add that to the "Spurs way" ideal and you've got a number of fans who simply won't accept Joseball even if it brings success and trophies. For my part I actually don't like watching it as much as our high tempo press under Poch but I'd be willing to sacrifice some aesthetics for trophies but I will be judging it in that context too.
Jose also revelled in his role of anti-football villain tbh, he deliberately ensured Stamford Bridge pitch would be in an awful state when Barcelona came there in the 2006 CL, they lost anyway and the pitch was relaid before Chelsea’s next game.
 
Jose prefers to play football without the ball. His Madrid team that broke records was incredible at it.

I looked at their squad the other day. Ronaldo, Benzema, Kaka, Özil, De Mari, Higuaín and a young morata. Absolutely mental that was his attacking option. But played on the counter to an incredible level.



Interesting how similar our goals this season look to this.
Not a single backwards pass, barely even a sidays pass. They get the ball in their own box and every pass is as straight up the pitch as the game allows. Players runs also go straight up the pitch.
You wonder if this is the reason Winks has been dropped. He does't operate that way, gets the ball, takes 2 or 3 touches and then turns round and passes to the CB.
 
Reporter asking Klopp about Tottenham style of play, reporter also saying that Liverpool is very attacking, very exciting, while Spurs just sit back and just wanna hit teams on counter attack. I thought Klopp answer was brilliant, he said :
"Im not sure about what u said about Tottenham, i see alot of similarities with us to be honest in the way they set it up and the way they build up, they play football actually. You are right they can sit back and defend and go for counter attack but thats not the only strenght of Tottenham. If you only read newspapers about Tottenham games then that could be your impression (that Tottenham only sit back and counter) but if you watch their games then you see that they have a proper football side and play real football".
Blimey, Klippety can be ok (mind you, would he have been so complimentary if they had lost ?)
 
Blimey, Klippety can be ok (mind you, would he have been so complimentary if they had lost ?)
I think he said it before the game, Mrs P.

You´re right, though. Klopp´s behavior is clearly different when he´s not winning - we could see it during the game on Wednesday. It´s all mind games with these guys, one way or another, but at least Klopp is brave enough to disrupt stupid narratives such as this one - Jose is destroying football, etc. It seems like he knows our team better than some of our own fans.

Klopp is a much more authentic man than Pep Guardiola, for example. I really respect him.
 
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I think he said it before the game, Mrs P.

You´re right, though. Klopp´s behavior is clearly different when his team is not winning - we could see it during the game on Sunday. It´s all mind games with these guys, one way or another, but at least Klopp is brave enough to disrupt stupid narratives such as this one - Jose is destroying football, etc. It seems like he knows our team better than some of our own fans, by the way.

Klopp is a much more authentic man than Pep Guardiola, for example. I really respect him.

He's done you...... It's all about making them/him look better. Oldest trick in the book.
 
He's done you...... It's all about making them/him look better. Oldest trick in the book.
It´s not just what he said about the way we play. And as I said, these guys are always playing mind games - their only objective is to win. But I feel he plays by the rules - do you know what I mean?

His works... You just have to respect them. He didn´t have Messi, Xavi and Iniesta when he started; he won the Bundesliga at Dortmund, not at Bayern; he is winning at Liverpool after years of improvement - didn´t get a billion to spend, like Pep and City.

The man is no angel and I´m sure Jose is pissed we couldn´t win against his team - we clearly prepared ourselves well for Wednesday´s match and I think Klopp is stuck in Jose´s throat since his Dortmund days. But fair play...

We´ll beat them in the long run.
 
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I'll come back to our best performances in the CL under Poch - Real, Dortmund....we hit them on the counter with superb breaks and clinical finishing.
There’s one thing counter-attack and another park the bus. Against Man City we played like a good counter-attacking team, we tried different things, short passing from the back, or quick vertical passes, or direct passes, sometimes pressing in certain areas (wide areas especially). Against Liverpool and even Chelsea we parked the bus. No intention to attack, just sit back and pray for the best. While counter-attacking can be entertaining maybe just as much as the attacking football, parking the bus is a pathetic style of football imo.
 
There’s one thing counter-attack and another park the bus. Against Man City we played like a good counter-attacking team, we tried different things, short passing from the ball, quick vertical passes, direct passes, sometimes pressing in certain areas (wide areas especially). Against Liverpool and even Chelsea we parked the bus. No intention to attack, just sit back and pray for the best. While counter-attacking can be entertaining maybe just as much as the attacking football, parking the bus is a pathetic style of football imo.
We didn´t park the bus against Liverpool. I´m not The Athletic biggest fan, but this is a pretty good article:

 
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