José Mourinho | 2018/19 Performances

[Jackxxx]

I really don'т understand people standing for Jose. This is so wrong...
Jose had strong squads in his previous teams, winning the titles and on the next season with the same strong squad performing terrible and then get sacked.

But that's not so important. The most important thing is that United has to look like United. United has the United way and no one has the right to change it. This is team that forged its unique style of play through a lot of years full of ups and downs, tragic incidents, glorious victories. Jose has no right to change this! United players were always playing for the win, but with style entertaining the crowd. And the goal was always to destroy the opponent, not to score a goal and sit deep back till the end of the game. "Jose is a pragmatic man" is so fecking annoying. We don't need pragmatic man. We need someone who respects United way. It is the same logic in Barcelona - every manager respects the way Barcelona is playing and no body is trying to change it.

"The players are not good enough". "The squad has no quality". What? WHAT? Are you joking? Fecking blind? Sir Alex spanked the little, pinky, french butt with the young Da Silva twins on the wings! Don't tell me the squad has no quality! With this squad Sir Alex could get 110 points, drinking dark red wine in his sofa watching the games on the TV at Wilmslow.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Jose. I am not a negative person. But when you have a problem you have то find a solution. And Jose proved to be the wrong solution for United prolems.

 

[Skills]

I also don’t know what the expectations were before Mourinho arrived and how close he was to meeting them, or how realistic they had been in the first place.

For the board to turn on him after last season is a bit weird and suggests that something had to happen behind the scenes. We had by far the best league season since Fergie left, got to the FA Cup final which we were a little unlucky to have lost and only really disappointed in the CL but still not to the same extent we had under LvG. In a normal season where a team above us do not break 100 points we would have been in the title race up until the end. We had a reasonably good season but in the end he got no support from Woodward over Summer and he’s getting killed by some fans online as well.

That posturing for a new contract the entire first half of the season probably lost him a lot of good will, which was then followed up that second half of the season where the football was as tumescent as I can ever remember it (despite the club sanctioning him Sanchez).

 

[Thomas A.Anderson]

If it's true that he's not giving any tactical instructions and just leaving it to the players to do what they want then he won't be here for long.

They certainly played like it on Sunday.

This is some mega bullshit right here.

If somebody really believes this "article" then he needs his head examined.

 

[#07]

 

[Jezpeza]

You mean when we had Ferguson.

And Busby. In fact if you know anything about SAF you know his early career at United was turd for the first 3 years. His career rested on an FA Cup Final which luckily we won.

We chopped and changed all through the eighties and we were turd then, won next to nothing and played second tier at one point.

Maybe I should rephrase stability to giving a decent manager some time and backing.

And anyone who thinks Jose is a shit manager not a good one obviously just has a vendetta against him. Loads of armchair fans and critics who say he’s shit despite his CV and career achievements. Shit about ‘oh we need to pass quicker and press and blandly blast blah’. Like anyone here would no where to start in charge of a football club but try to analyze team tactics etc. managing your lads under tens doesn’t count

Our managers seat will become a poisoned chalice because you can’t live up to the expectations of the fans when the board have control and lower expectations. That’s the thing at the moment. We are stuck with the dregs of 3 previous managers and the board haven’t allowed their replacement. Jose inherited a handful of players good enough to wear a Man Utd shirt and the board haven’t backed him in making wholesale changes. Yes it costs money but that’s today’s market. And we are the richest club. All this toss about not feeling the players he wanted are value for money.
Why Did they not question LVG for throwing money at Shneiderlin and Darmian and Blind and Rojo etc etc?

 

[ErranMorad]

I also don’t know what the expectations were before Mourinho arrived and how close he was to meeting them, or how realistic they had been in the first place.

For the board to turn on him after last season is a bit weird and suggests that something had to happen behind the scenes. We had by far the best league season since Fergie left, got to the FA Cup final which we were a little unlucky to have lost and only really disappointed in the CL but still not to the same extent we had under LvG. In a normal season where a team above us do not break 100 points we would have been in the title race up until the end. We had a reasonably good season but in the end he got no support from Woodward over Summer and he’s getting killed by some fans online as well.

Could it be his statements after the Sevilla loss combined with his fallout with Pogba and Martial? I mean here we have Eddy trying to sell United as an adult version of Disneyland and there is Mourinho telling the world how United are used to getting knocked out of the champions league. Plus, he is keen on selling some of the young players that the club think are it's future.

Still strange that he was kept in the summer if those were the boards concerns. Or may be they are waiting for us to fall out of the top 4 before they let him go like the last two times.

 

[ErranMorad]

Plane banner protest.

Our fans keen to join in the circus.

 

[Stacks]

I'm not sure how the club expects the young players to develop without an experienced leadership group in the squad.

That too.

rrruh? Shaggy? our squad is as experienced as Chelsea's more so than City's and more so than Liverpool's? always a new excuse.

United have 12 players aged 28+, Chelsea has 10, City has 8 and Pool has 6. this isn't some inexperienced squad. next excuse please

 

[Rajma]

plane banners

 

[Sarni]

rrruh? Shaggy? our squad is as experienced as Chelsea's more so than City's and more so than Liverpool's? always a new excuse.

United have 12 players aged 28+, Chelsea has 10, City has 8 and Pool has 6. this isn't some inexperienced squad. next excuse please

Really, it’s just about the numbers?

Our experienced players are Jones, Smalling, Young, Valencia, Romero, Herrera, Rojo, Matic, Grant, Sanchez, Mata and Fellaini. Most of them would not start for Everton.

Would happily trade 8 of them for Silva, Aguero or Willian.

Besides, how have Chelsea become a benchmark for what we should be like and a stick to beat Mourinho with? They also lack experience and leadership and haven’t done that well for the last year.

 

[Stacks]

Really, it’s just about the numbers?

Our experienced players are Jones, Smalling, Young, Valencia, Romero, Herrera, Rojo, Matic, Grant, Sanchez, Mata and Fellaini. Most of them would not start for Everton.

Most of these players have won countless trophies. I don't know what you even want/expect? Matic and Sanchez in particular are have proven EPL status.

And who are Liverpool's experienced players? Chelsea's?

 

[BusbyMalone]

A plane banner ffs. Idiots. There is absolutely no chance of Woodward leaving this club. Jose will be long gone before that happens.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I can just imagine the Glazer's discussing it amongst themselves now.

On the one hand, he's made them hundreds of millions of dollars.

On the other, there's a plane banner above OT wanting him out.

A tough decision, indeed.

 

[RedorDead21]

Great opportunity for Jose to defend Ed and say they are both committed to working together. He's backed me more often than not etc etc.
Of course if we lose it will prob be..."I told him. He takes instruction worse than these players".

 

[GifLord]

 

[Sarni]

Most of these players have won countless trophies. I don't know what you even want/expect? Matic and Sanchez in particular are have proven EPL status.

And who are Liverpool's experienced players? Chelsea's?

Liverpool and Chelsea have the exact same problems as us and neither did better than us last year so I am not sure how they are the benchmark. Chelsea aren’t even in CL.

Oh I forgot, they are above us after two games.

 

[Sarni]

Two fecking games.

 

[GifLord]

Two fecking games.

Against City and Liverpool... oh no it was Brighton an Leicester

 

[roonster09]

Against City and Liverpool... oh no it was Brighton an Leicester

So Shaw is the best attacking LB in the league and arguably in the world. Contributed to 2 goals in 2 games.

 

[Sarni]

Against City and Liverpool... oh no it was Brighton an Leicester

Two games.

Our first two games of 2007-08 were a home draw to Reading and a draw at Portsmouth. Then we lost to City (the shit one) at Etihad and then struggled to 1-0 wins against Spurs (crap team back then) and Sunderland at OT, both with late winners and won at Everton after a very late goal from Vidic. We actually did not have a dominant performance before October when we beat Wigan 4-0. Mourinho would be murdered for this kind of start.

We went on to win the league and CL and it was one of the best seasons in club’s history and somehow there weren’t millions of threads on how Ferguson should go immediately.

It is unbelievable how little room of error Jose has because our own fans have bought into the toxic mentality.

 

[Cassidy]

If it's true that he's not giving any tactical instructions and just leaving it to the players to do what they want then he won't be here for long.

They certainly played like it on Sunday.

Thats been apparent to me that we dont focus heavily on tactical instructions in some games since last season.

Oh should I say we don’t look like we do some of the times

 

[Cassidy]

Two fecking games.

It was so much better last season...

 

[Xoxo Gossip boy]

Sweet christmas

 

[MoskvaRed]

Two games.

Our first two games of 2007-08 were a home draw to Reading and a draw at Portsmouth. Then we lost to City (the shit one) at Etihad and then struggled to 1-0 wins against Spurs (crap team back then) and Sunderland at OT, both with late winners and won at Everton after a very late goal from Vidic. We actually did not have a dominant performance before October when we beat Wigan 4-0. Mourinho would be murdered for this kind of start.

We went on to win the league and CL and it was one of the best seasons in club’s history and somehow there weren’t millions of threads on how Ferguson should go immediately.

It is unbelievable how little room of error Jose has because our own fans have bought into the toxic mentality.

The reaction is not really to two games - the end of last season was toxic (with Seville a turning point for many) and so there are no reserves of goodwill or trust for Mourinho (unlike for Fergie in 2008).

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Not ideal, but we have to remember it's from two games. If those bad trends continue we're in trouble.

 

[simonhch]

Two games.

Our first two games of 2007-08 were a home draw to Reading and a draw at Portsmouth. Then we lost to City (the shit one) at Etihad and then struggled to 1-0 wins against Spurs (crap team back then) and Sunderland at OT, both with late winners and won at Everton after a very late goal from Vidic. We actually did not have a dominant performance before October when we beat Wigan 4-0. Mourinho would be murdered for this kind of start.

We went on to win the league and CL and it was one of the best seasons in club’s history and somehow there weren’t millions of threads on how Ferguson should go immediately.

It is unbelievable how little room of error Jose has because our own fans have bought into the toxic mentality.

Who is reacting to two games? Huge chunks of us were saying how awful the football was for the last 75% of last season, and how the team seemed devoid of coherency or strategy. Several worrying trends in player relations also starting emerging over a year ago. Criticism has been rife for ages. Lots of us said this is likely to be a miserable season with more terrible football, not based on some crystal ball of the future, but because of what we’ve already seen last season. The way we’ve started this season, and the concomitant complaints, are merely a predictable continuation of this prophecy.

And however you want to spin it, the atmosphere around the club IS toxic.

 

[reddevil80]

Newbie here, just want to mention that, so far, I haven't noticed anybody showing that ALL we are now is a "reactive, counter attacking" team now. I am not the only one (surely) who would rather support an attacking, aggressive side that fought for every ball and lost than a team who just sat back and played sidewards and backwards in the hope that the opposition are completely mute and couldn't see us trying to drag them into our half to sneak around them am I? Maureen is far too defensive and outdated, we need him out and some fresh attack minded gaffer.

 

[Vadim]

Forget about style of football, how good defence is and how efficient our attack is under Jose. It's all moot. All that the Glazers care about is results. If by Christmas it appears that we'll struggle to achieve Champions League football come end of May 2019, then Mourinho will be sacked.

That's what it's all about for United, Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea these days. Only City have the ambitious owners. Some may argue Liverpool have bought some very good players but they still had to 'sell to buy' in the first place (Coutinho, Suarez etc).

Until the Glazers leave, it will always be the same.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

I am hesitant to say that Mourinho needs to go just yet, we are only 2 games into the season after all. But there is a huge concern that the football is not improving regardless of the 2nd place finish last season.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Not ideal, but we have to remember it's from two games. If those bad trends continue we're in trouble.

I'm pretty sure those trends are right in line with last season, we were unusually efficient in the little chances we created which is not bound to continue for long.

 

[VP89]

Newbie here, just want to mention that, so far, I haven't noticed anybody showing that ALL we are now is a "reactive, counter attacking" team now. I am not the only one (surely) who would rather support an attacking, aggressive side that fought for every ball and lost than a team who just sat back and played sidewards and backwards in the hope that the opposition are completely mute and couldn't see us trying to drag them into our half to sneak around them am I? Maureen is far too defensive and outdated, we need him out and some fresh attack minded gaffer.

If he was a reactive manager he wouldn't have finished 2nd last season.

 

[Xoxo Gossip boy]

I just don't understand how people can't see that Mourinho is THE problem. Come on, this isn't rocket science! How long are we going to keep putting up with this defensive pile of garbage that he calls football?

The crazy thing is, there are actually people here that feel our current crop of players aren't good enough. Not good enough to beat the Star studded Almighty fast paced Brighton?? Are you having a laugh? You think Willian and Anderwe..... (can't be bothered to spell his name) will change anything?

Now we have a Liverpool fan (of all people) telling us how we should feel about our club and manager because he cares so much about us.

I wasn't excited by his appointment, just curious. I won't be surprised to see him leave (even before Christmas). Good riddance!

 

[JPRouve]

If he was a reactive manager he wouldn't have finished 2nd last season.

I'm not sure about the link, you can be a reactive team and have success. The only issue with being reactive is that it's near impossible to sustain it for a long time.

 

[VP89]

I'm not sure about the link, you can be a reactive team and have success. The only issue with being reactive is that it's near impossible to sustain it for a long time.

I don't think it's possible for a Premier League manager to go into each game with say 50% and react only when they conceded or chasing the game..and still end up finishing 2nd.

It just doesn't add up. In my opinion you can't be a reactive manager all season and finish 2nd.

However I do agree in certain games we look lazy and half arsed. I don't think that's Jose though, he's actually complained about the attitude since Huddersfield away last season. It's the players, and Pogbas post match interview seems to elude to the same.

 

[Schneckerl]

We went on to win the league and CL and it was one of the best seasons in club’s history and somehow there weren’t millions of threads on how Ferguson should go immediately.

It is unbelievable how little room of error Jose has because our own fans have bought into the toxic mentality.

It's not unbelievable that the greatest manager in the club's history who won 9 EPL/1 CL (at that point in 2007/08) has more room for error than Jose has right now.

 

[Thomas A.Anderson]

If he was a reactive manager he wouldn't have finished 2nd last season.

Also, anybody who writes "Maureen" needs to be banned instantly.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

I'm pretty sure those trends are right in line with last season, we were unusually efficient in the little chances we created which is not bound to continue for long.

I can't find comparable stats from last season (please do, anyone who knows a decent website) but looking at the official PL stats from 17/18:

Goals - 68
Goals per match - 1.79
Shots - 512
Shots on target - 178
Shooting accuracy - 35%
Penalties scored - 1
Big chances created - 60
Hit woodwork - 16

https://www.premierleague.com/clubs/12/Manchester-United/stats?se=54

Our goals per match is on an upward trend since Jose came in and hasn't been better any time post-Fergie. Our shots and shots on are less than 16/17 but we scored more goals, so we were much more clinical which is what we were all calling for after that ridiculously wasteful season in front of goal.

I'd like to see 17/18 figures for GifLord's categories. I agree with you they wouldn't be particularly good, but off the top of my head I'd be surprised if they're as bad as those we've managed in our first two games this year so I'm not expecting a straight trend downwards over the past 18 months or so. The point I take from a (very quick) look through those PL ones is that even though we aren't where we should be regarding our attacking play we're at least producing better results in terms of goals per game.

 

[Adisa]

I know it's two games but those games were against Brighton and Leicester. What that tells me is that even if those stats improve, it won't be by much.

 

[reddevil80]

If he was a reactive manager he wouldn't have finished 2nd last season.

He IS a reactive manager, always in his 3rd season. He does it everywhere he goes and he gets found out each time. We had a few strokes of luck last season too (as did all teams), but my point is that we are not an enjoyable team to watch and we most definitely are not a team to be feared anymore, why?, because we won't go forward and attack. That has slowly been taken out of man utds dna and we are paying heavily for it by being laughed at. At OLD TRAFFORD too, how can any fan be happy with this? Maureen was once a force to be reckoned with but his counter-attacking football is seriously outdated and the fans do not like it. Mourinho (I think) has lost the players confidence and the fans too, obviously woody is sick of him now, I feel he has to go as i honestly think stickig wih him will put us outside the top 4 or maybe even 6 this season.

If he was a reactive manager he wouldn't have finished 2nd last season.

 

[Thiagoal]

I just don't understand how people can't see that Mourinho is THE problem. Come on, this isn't rocket science! How long are we going to keep putting up with this defensive pile of garbage that he calls football?

The crazy thing is, there are actually people here that feel our current crop of players aren't good enough. Not good enough to beat the Star studded Almighty fast paced Brighton?? Are you having a laugh? You think Willian and Anderwe..... (can't be bothered to spell his name) will change anything?

Now we have a Liverpool fan (of all people) telling us how we should feel about our club and manager because he cares so much about us.

I wasn't excited by his appointment, just curious. I won't be surprised to see him leave (even before Christmas). Good riddance!

Totally agree; either he changes his tactics and gets us to play with pace and freedom, or he's getting sacked imminently as we don't have the team to play his dour counter-attacking style.