Our issue last season had a lot to do with the manager. The squad as well, but the manager did a woeful job. Agree with everything else you've said.
Your conclusion of jose time here is a little warped.
Firstly imagine being micro managed for the 1st year of your new employment, with not only levy office located nearby, but amazon, looking for juicy tid bits.
1.Then at the start of the season a unfit bale, ndombele still not upto speed, and issue with le celso.
2. A collection of defenders who can not defend and players who are not savvy enough to play many formations.
3. Now lets add how many games, were lost by rickets by our own players, dier, holberg, sergio, toby, i could go on.
Jose's tactics till december had us around top of the table, even on the back of my number three statement, once Jose moved ndombele to partner holberg, to help improve our general play and build up, it all fell apart.
watch how jose will employ xhaka, if roma gets him - Deep lying playmaker ala 'xabi alonso', 'ballack', 'fabregas', liverpools 'tiago'.
4. To lose against zagreb, is a reflection of the playing squad, as the players should be savvy enough to manage and see out games, watch the champions league final again, to understand my point, which chelsea won using jose 2010 tactic and the infamous low block.