mufc Jose Mourinho

[Zizouz]

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 José Mourinho’s use of Phil Jones to man-mark Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, left, was reminiscent of a Sir Alex Ferguson’s tactic in his final season at Manchester United. Photograph: Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images

The problem with facing Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, as so many Premier League managers have discovered this season, is that their front three becomes a front five. In Monday night’s FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge, José Mourinho responded by effectively deploying a back six.

Chelsea have overloaded the opposition frequently this season thanks to Eden Hazard and Pedro (or, in this case, Willian) drifting inside to positions close to Diego Costa, allowing Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses to push forward aggressively down the outside. Opponents are exposed when their back four is dragged to one side, leaving Alonso or Moses free at the far post, and the only response is for the opposition wingers to retreat, effectively forming a six-man defence.

Mourinho was perhaps the first manager to effectively accept the latter situation. Phil Jones and Matteo Darmian were fielded in nominal full-back positions, but instructed to man-mark Hazard and Willian respectively, often ending up in front of their centre-backs, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo. In turn, this forced Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young – two natural wingers who have often found themselves deployed at full-back over the past couple of seasons – to track back and cover the space on the outside of Manchester United’s centre-backs.

The approach was typically Mourinho, about being flexible and determinedly nullifying key opposition players, but also somewhat of a throwback to the Sir Alex Ferguson days. United’s approach in the full-back positions was somewhat reminiscent of the way Gary Neville and Denis Irwin tucked inside to track Youri Djorkaeff and Roberto Baggio during their famous 2-0 victory over Internazionale on the way to winning the 1999 European Cup, for example. Introducing Jones to man-mark the opposition’s key player was also something Ferguson did regularly during his final campaign when he pinpointed a dangerous opponent: Everton’s Marouane Fellaini and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale inflicted United’s first two defeats of 2012-13, and in the return meetings found Jones tracking them all over the pitch.

In the opening stages Mourinho’s unusual defensive approach, combined with Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera shutting down N’Golo Kanté and Nemanja Matic quickly in midfield, caused Chelsea real problems. Chelsea’s back three struggled to find a positive forward pass, with every other player tracked comfortably. United’s pressing was impressive, they circulated the ball effectively, and played the majority of the first 15 minutes inside Chelsea’s half.

Conte’s side adapted impressively, however. Hazard and Willian realised they were under close scrutiny and started to vary their positions more dramatically, with Hazard drifting into midfield and Willian moving across into an inside-left role. United were still attempting to man-mark, but Jones and Darmian clearly felt uncomfortable crossing to the opposite side of the pitch, and often let their opponents run free. Willian showed some lovely touches in possession, particularly with a couple of backheels into the path of team-mates which quickened the tempo, while Hazard became the game’s key player.

The Belgian’s drifts inside meant he was no longer simply watched by Jones, but also by Herrera – who was dismissed for two fouls on Hazard, the first a body-check, the second a trip when Hazard typically spun quickly after receiving possession. Although Hazard was not literally the matchwinner, with Kanté’s second-half long-range strike proving the game’s only goal, it was his movement which ensured Chelsea’s passing improved dramatically, and his trickery which resulted in Herrera’s dismissal, the contest’s turning point.

Mourinho immediately summoned Fellaini in place of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, which meant Marcus Rashford was now extremely isolated as United’s formation appeared 6-2-1 when Chelsea retained possession for long periods. Pogba, who had started brightly, was eventually overshadowed by Kanté, but this was simply a reflection of Chelsea’s overall dominance. With David Luiz able to step forward and dictate play, Chelsea were in control and Chelsea continually piled pressure upon United’s massed defence.

Rashford was forced to fend for himself up front, and turned a David Luiz mistake into a fine goalscoring opportunity which forced Thibaut Courtois to save smartly. But Mourinho made little attempt to change things significantly – Jesse Lingard on for Young was his only second-half substitution, and former Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata did not get off the bench.

Mourinho may seek to replicate this plan for Chelsea’s trip to Old Trafford next month. One suspects, however, that Conte will have an alternative strategy of his own, and having increasingly used a 3-5-1-1 in the second half of matches recently, may start to use that system from the outset too.

 

 

[Agony]

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Jose Mourinho has said he would never have sold Angel di Maria, Javier Hernandez or Danny Welbeck, or signed some of the players his predecessors did, as the Manchester United manager claimed he inherited a “sad club” that is not yet “ready to be Manchester United, to be a dominant force”.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Premier League Show, which airs on BBC2 on Thursday night, Mourinho admits he cannot understand why United bought and sold some of the players they did and warned “there is a space between the general ambition of such a giant club and what we are in reality”.

Asked if United are bigger than Real Madrid and Inter Milan, two of the previous clubs he managed, Mourinho said: “I am not saying bigger. It was easier to get the objectives at the other clubs than here. I found a sad club [here]. Man Utd sold players that I would never sell, bought players that I would never buy. I would never sell Di Maria, Chicharito [Hernandez], Danny Welbeck. Never. No chance.
“I am enjoying every moment of it. It is hard. It is difficult, but I knew that before. Manchester United has a name and a prestige and something magical in football that attracts everyone.

“The relation between our true potential and the expectations we create, there is a gap. We are not ready to be Manchester United. We are not ready to be a dominant force. We are not ready to try and win everything.

“Because of the nature of the club, and of myself, we are ready to fight for every game, every point, of that there is no doubt. But there is a space between the general ambition of such a giant club and what we are in reality.”
Forget it, it is not possible, don’t try to go 10, 20 years ago because it is not possible any more,” Mourinho said, in reference to Ferguson’s 13 titles. “I have many, many doubts that dominance is going to get back to the Premier League. So win titles, try to get back to the Champions League, win in Europe, but the base has to be the empathy with the fans. That is based on the quality of our football.”

On his own future, Mourinho said: “I’d like to [stay], I am really happy. I will stay here until the owners and the board don’t want me
Man Utd is very powerful,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be in the Champions League to attract the best players. Last summer, we got players who could be playing in the Champions League. Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] could be in Paris [with PSG], [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan could be in Borussia [Dortmund]. [Paul] Pogba could be at Juve. We were able to attract the players because they know Manchester United sooner or later will get there. If any player decides not to come because of that I am happy that they are not coming.

“I don’t [want to be in the Europa League next season] but I prefer to be in the Europa League than not in Europe. If we don’t play Champions League, we play Europa League and we have to try and win it.”

Mourinho believes Pogba needs time to readjust to English football but is unsurprised by Ibrahimovic’s success.


“It isn’t easy for Pogba,” he said. “The country is so different than Italian football. It is hard for him. I’m not disappointed at all. The most important thing is his personality. He is professional, he will improve for sure.

“Zlatan is not a surprise for me. I know the personality, I know the body, I know the ambition that brought him here. Could he do it in the best league in the world? He has done it everywhere else. He’s doing amazingly well.”
Many other teams in England are going to finish the season without a trophy and we have one-and-a-half which is good,” he said. “But we have to fight for the top four, we have to fight for the Champions League. The League Cup is not enough to say that the season is over at the end of February.

“I try always to get the best out of my players and get the team to play the way that suits them and the way we can get the best out of them. We normally dominate matches, have the ball, create a lot of chances. But we need to kill matches and kill opponents. If you don’t kill, you are killed.

“I won so many matches and titles in my career the other way round, being safe, being in control and waiting for the mistake. I bite you, goodbye. Now we have to kill matches to have the complete pleasure. We are missing this.


“[Losing] affects my mood always. But I have found a certain balance. After a bad result at home would I make a joke 10 years ago? I don’t think so. But I have changed. I change but I keep my nature and that is [with] a bad result you are not happy.”

 

[Zizouz]

All them guys were 25+ so he ain't lying about keeping them 

[Badman]

So how much more money does he want to spend until its "ready to be Manchester United"

[Drift]

Mourinho would have LOVED Welbeck. 

[Agony]

1 hour ago, Badman said:

So how much more money does he want to spend until its "ready to be Manchester United"

Enough to replace at least a third of the squad that will never be good enough to take us to the next level 

[Badman]

Wish we could have the same inclination so I can say the same thing

[i5_PRODUCER]

Squad wipeout pending

 

[Mame Biram Diouf]

Needs to stop moaning. Sounding more like Moyes everyday 

[Anderson]

Pros - bought 3 genuine world class players, something we havent had for tiiiime.

Cons - 6 at the back v Boro when 2-0 up

/

Add your own

[Mame Biram Diouf]

7 at the back vs Middlesbrough when 2-1 up 

 

Phil Jones lwb vs Rostov 

 

Pogba DM 

 

4231

 

5 at the back 

 

Subbing off an attacking player for a defender and causing us to get pegged back for the remaining time in a game whenever we are 1 goal up with 30 minutes to go

 

No game time for TFM 

 

 

[i5_PRODUCER]

I rate him , highly.

Long story short

Not an overnight job , 3pts >> No points and sexy football , Needs to tone down the siege mentality bs but then again that is his thing.

Bottom line

Def winning the league in his tenure but 50% of the players we have now wont be.

 

[Thizz]

On 17/03/2017 at 9:45 AM, Young Bape said:

 Jose can be trusted with money too

PMSL

[Anderson]

Tactical genius 

 

[Thizz]

He's skipped straight to his 3rd year.

Some of these quotes he's coming out with are mental. 

[Lieutenant]

Sorry which 3 world class players did he buy?

[Anderson]

Ibra Micki Pogba

[Thizz]

'10 draws is better than five wins and five losses in the long term'

[Fresh]

But actually giving 10 points away to other teams vs giving 15 away... 

[Agony]

 

[Agony]

[Agony]

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