ti vu
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- Jun 16, 2015
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Agreed. Thing with Real Madrid was, Mou had to compromise for their attacking stars. Madrid was never a completely Mou team where he had full control. The more Mou gets close to his ideal, the more the team becoming defensively formidable. This can be said about the second stint at Chelsea. Mou had toned down and was not backed to full extend as his first tint. He had to compromised with lesser quality in defense: David Luiz, Cahill, aged Terry, Cech & Ivanovic; inexperienced Zouma. Then he had Hazard not on the level that's worthy neglect of defensive duty, so Mou had to compromised. Bought Felippe Luiz who was one of the best balanced full backs, but couldn't work out with Hazard left him fully exposed. Understandably, Azpilicueta would give a better balance to the team since he is a defend first full back. This is not Mou ideal of building the team, but compromise to Abramovic's sexy football.To be fair, and going on a tangent - Mourinho's spell at Madrid coincided with a return to greater emphasis on team ethic, rather than individualism in the highest level of football - with Barcelona's high pressing possession tactics (starting with Messi upfront - and running through the spine and out wide), Dortmund's brand of gegenpressing that dismantled Madrid, and arguably the most dominant side of the three year window, Bayern Munich.
eg. One of the biggest differences between Bayern in the 2011/ 2012 season (where they lost the European Cup final at home) and 2012/ 2013 (where they won the Big Ears) was the transformation of the likes of Robben and Ribéry from rather egoistical, at times frustrating individuals to gritty 'parts of the whole' - especially in terms of recovering lost balls, being more assertive in 50/50 situations, pressing up front, filling voids, counterpressing in wider areas, and supporting Lahm/ Alaba in the defensive game.
José demanded greater workrate from not just Cristiano, but Özil in the #10 position aswell - to supplement Benzema up front. And one might argue that Madrid would have had a greater chance to win the European Cup if the players (specifically Ronaldo and Özil) were more willing to chip in with the defensive work instead of being all woe is me, and concertrating on just the attacking game. Their left flank in particular - with Cristiano and Marcelo, was almost suicidal at times, and those details can cost you in the big moments. Fergie allowed greater freedom to Ronaldo because we had Tevez and Rooney to provide graft in the final third, as well as the likes of Fletcher, Park, and Hargreaves - who were like duracell bunnies in midfield and provided great tactical flexibility to a team.
That's being said Mou ideal is not a full out attacking football. Mou uses exploiting tactic building strong team ethnic mixed with great disciplined. To those calling Mou ideal is defensive, that may be half true. However calling that football boring is hypocrite seeing SAF in later years using similar tactic. Bayern's counter attacking set up under Heynckes or Simeone's Atletico are also defensive but are entertaining.