Jose Mourinho | 2017/18 Assessments | Poll Added

[Hoof the ball]

Failure to prepare means you prepare to fail.

Yet another big game where we got outplayed. You can make arguments for a single player playing badly, or even a collective group of people playing badly, however, when it happens as a pattern against big teams who approach the game much as Tottenham and City do, then it becomes more than a critique of individual performance; poor tactical approach sets individual players up to poor performances.

What is the worst thing you can do against a team that emphasises high pressing, high energy and penetrative passing football? Concede possession deep into your own half.
Win the ball back in your own half with all players camped in and you rely on long passes to Lukaku to relieve pressure. You can't play out wide because your players are pressed in by a team that is set up to press. You can't pass through the middle because 21 men in one half of a field doesn't leave passing space. In big games we continuously and methodically concede field space in order to collectively defend. What happens? you get Sanchez way back looking frustrated. Absolutely doesn't matter how good your player is, he's going to have trouble time and time again running 3/4 of the field just to get on one on one positions.

 

[Axkiko]

We played with 343 against Arsenal away, 433 against Everton away. How could we play 4231 against Spurs. Mourinho needs to explain his tactic.

 

[Noir]

Well..yeah?

How about no? Even if Mourinho had a plan in place it went out the window after 10 seconds. After the goal the attack managed to do something but after that second goal we just collapsed. Were any of our players running, except Alexis? If i was the manager i wouldn't let them leave the field without sweat dripping from every pore of their well paid bodies.

 

[Kag]

I wonder at what point it went through his thick head that taking off Pogba for Fellaini would give us a better chance of winning that football match.

But he sure showed Pogba, didn't he? Brave soul.

 

[VP89]

On their ground their premier league defensive was great then no?

Wha? They were horrible at that moment

 

[Noir]

The second one is definitely his fault. There something wrong with the manager (of his resources) if his team looks constantly technically clueless. First one is debatable but our players don't seem to have grown in confidence after Mourinho has came in.

Is this a serious reply?

 

[Fracture90]

Even if he (hopefully) wins few major trophies there will always be that lingering thought in the back of my mind, "what if we had some attack oriented coach capable of getting the best out of our players"...

 

[Devil may care]

Had an absolute mare, started with the pointless 4-2-3-1 which nullified Pogba and left an already under par Matic stranded, and to top it off played Martial out of position for the entire first half. Then instead of just going for a simple 4-3-3 and taking one of the front 4 off, moving Pogba further up and taking it from there, he brings the tree and the worlds slowest attacker on, takes our only source of creativity off and the one forward player that had even looked remotely dangerous in the first half, it was a complete clusterfeck from Mourinho.

 

[Jim Beam]

I will leave his starting lineup aside. Many here wanted that team to start. On the other hand, I believe you can still play tight and hit them on the counter even with this side.

But, what was that second half? Aside from Pogba pass to Lukaku, we didn't actually play any football. I don't know how the answer is then Fellaini for Pogba. Really can't understand it and it's like we gave up 30 minutes before the end.

 

[Pscholes18]

Sooo how many more players does he need to sign in order for us to "devastate" the Prem? By now this team should be showing some sort if viable attack yet it's brainless shite week in, week out.

 

[Cheesy]

I will leave his starting lineup aside. Many here wanted that team to start. On the other hand, I believe you can still play tight and hit them on the counter even with this side.

But, what was that second half? Aside from Pogba pass to Lukaku, we didn't actually play any football. I don't know how the answer is then Fellaini for Pogba. Really can't understand it and it's like the side gave up 30 minutes before the end.

Yeah, the lineup itself didn't concern me - quite frankly I'm happy to see us opting for an attacking approach and trying to win big games, even if I'll also acknowledge pragmatism's sometimes needed. What was far more problematic was that for all our attacking options we did feck all to actually get back into the game and spent most of the second half trying to keep it to 2-0.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Awful from Jose tonight. The problem was evident within the first 15 minutes. We were getting totally overrun in midfield, but he never addressed it all night. It was so obvious to see.

Not sure what the feck he was doing tbh

 

[Hugh Jass]

Even if he (hopefully) wins few major trophies there will always be that lingering thought in the back of my mind, "what if we had some attack oriented coach capable of getting the best out of our players"...

Even Guardiola would have lost tonight because you are playing a good fired up spurs team in spurs.

I said at the start of the match, a draw would be a very good result. I kind of thought we would lose given we were playing a 4-2-3-1. To be critical of Mourinho, he should have set us up the same way we did against Liverpool in Anfield.

Bad day at the office but we move on.

 

[Revaulx]

When Sanchez arrives it will (until the end of the season), prove whether we just needed a star man in the final third to link it all together or that it's just a systemic issue with tactics/training. Hopefully, it's the former.

Early days, but tonight it looked like the latter.

 

[L1nk]

Shown his weakness tonight, attacking tactically, he's tried to go toe to toe with Poch on this front and got absolutely schooled tonight. Absolutely abysmal from start to finish from him.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Wrong tactics and wrong set up.

Either too defensive or too attacking.

Yet to find the right balance in big games which is not good enough.

433 was a must tonight, with an extra midfielder, and didn't do it.

 

[Minimalist]

Early days, but tonight it looked like the latter.

I do think it's becoming crystal clear that Mourinho just expects his attackers to 'sort it out' for themselves. So basically it's russian roulette every match.

 

[Jim Beam]

Yeah, the lineup itself didn't concern me - quite frankly I'm happy to see us opting for an attacking approach and trying to win big games, even if I'll also acknowledge pragmatism's sometimes needed. What was far more problematic was that for all our attacking options we did feck all to actually get back into the game and spent most of the second half trying to keep it to 2-0.

I honestly did wanted Herrera to start in 4-3-3, but mostly because Matic worried me a little as he wasn't in best form lately. But, nevertheless, we looked ok for about 20 minutes until they scored second and then went into the abyss. Would really like to hear what was the game plan for second half more than the first.

 

[Sylar]

Why do we still go with 4231 in big away matches. Its just madness. Even some tough home games. We keep doing the same thing, and keep struggling.

433 would get the best out of our three best player imo (pogba, martial and sanchez)
But regardless of that, we cant play 4231 when we have the defence we did today.

I dont get why Young has gone ahead of Shaw as LB.
Dont get why we play Jones LCB (cant remember when he last played well there). Rojo was on the bench so not sure why that happened.
Starting Martial on the right when hes scored 3 in 3 from the left is madness.
Pogba and Matic as a 2 is fine against teams who will park the bus, but against teams that will press it isolates Lukaku

 

[Vilev]

I'm going to answer here. Originally it was about Martial's situation, the fact that he made way for Sanchez, while actually looking good on the left in recent games and that is all has not worked at all. But i think the whole situation might be a part of a bigger problem.

This club has gone too soft.

There is a difference between "hard" and basically arrogant and sort of abusing or petulant. Jose clearly does not see it. Sure with some players this spartan (i dont know how else to describe it) way worked. But it's looking more and more like a one-trick pony. In a way that if it fails, Jose does not have any backup moves.

It was obvious from the first 5 minutes that Martial was simply not ready to play. Not in the right state of mind to play. It's all down to man-management. SAF was hard, sometimes even too hard (Pogba's situation for example), but ultimately he always managed to find a way to connect with players. Look at how clearly unhappy Rooney was playing in SAF's last year. Jose simply does not account for these things. And in the end that was the reason for Chelsea's demise a couple years back. Nobody gave a damn about him, cause everybody was tired of him.
I can easily see it being the case here. I do hope it would not come to that though.

 

[El Zoido]

He goes defensive in big games and we draw or lose, everyone complains. He goes offensive in big games and we lose, everyone complains. Maybe our squad is just massively overrated by our own fans.

 

[Saad K]

Jose's post match presser lol. Some good comments. Said Jones was unlucky, had a bad touch and scored an amazing goal, "a goal Harry Kane would love to score"

 

[dwd]

He goes defensive in big games and we draw or lose, everyone complains. He goes offensive in big games and we lose, everyone complains. Maybe our squad is just massively overrated by our own fans.

Or maybe he just hasn't got a clue to win in the big games?

 

[Kevin]

He's not the Mourinho of old. Just not the same man. It's like buying a 33-34 year old Cristiano Ronaldo back.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Calm enough in the post-match interview. Which is good. Was worried he’d be wild-eyed and paranoid. A lot of work still to be done in getting this team to the required level. Ho hum. We move on.

 

[Robindinho]

Another shocker of a performance in a big game... how can you set up with a midfield two of Pogba and Matic against a team known for its high pressing and high intensity game? Just loses all control and puts us on the back foot.

 

[Fracture90]

Even Guardiola would have lost tonight because you are playing a good fired up spurs team in spurs.

I said at the start of the match, a draw would be a very good result. I kind of thought we would lose given we were playing a 4-2-3-1. To be critical of Mourinho, he should have set us up the same way we did against Liverpool in Anfield.

Bad day at the office but we move on.

Sorry mate but that's straight up bs excuse right there.

 

[GloryHunter07]

Calm enough in the post-match interview. Which is good. Was worried he’d be wild-eyed and paranoid. A lot of work still to be done in getting this team to the required level. Ho hum. We move on.

He is leaving that to you Pogue

 

[El Zoido]

Or maybe he just hasn't got a clue to win in the big games?

His career would beg to differ. I don’t believe he’s lost it, the guy is an obsessive student of the game since he was a teenager. I’ll keep the faith for now.

 

[Ash_G]

Why do we still go with 4231 in big away matches. Its just madness. Even some tough home games. We keep doing the same thing, and keep struggling.

433 would get the best out of our three best player imo (pogba, martial and sanchez)
But regardless of that, we cant play 4231 when we have the defence we did today.

I dont get why Young has gone ahead of Shaw as LB.
Dont get why we play Jones LCB (cant remember when he last played well there). Rojo was on the bench so not sure why that happened.
Starting Martial on the right when hes scored 3 in 3 from the left is madness.
Pogba and Matic as a 2 is fine against teams who will park the bus, but against teams that will press it isolates Lukaku

To add to this we simply have to get better at building from the back. So often we lump it forward and don't win it and all of a sudden half our team, including Pogba, are on the wrong side of the ball.

In general our movement feels like it's behind the other top teams. Everyone wants the ball to feet, some of them have got to provide runs/decoy runs to allow a pass to be made.

 

[Paxi]

It's pretty obvious we need more control in the midfield - whether it's having Herrera in there or buying someone else.

What I really don't understand is why Jose dropped Luke Shaw? He's been playing well and was building good momentum but then gets dropped?

 

[Hugh Jass]

Sorry mate but that's straight up bs excuse right there.

We will see when Spurs play them in Spurs. I will remember this post.

 

[Renegade81]

Set up plain wrong tonight was made far too easy for Tottenham. The changes were too late in the day, and when finally made, lacked the players needed to propel a resurgence. Has to accept responsibility for this one I'm afraid the weaknesses were glaringly obvious tonight as early as 10 seconds in.

Seems livid regarding Fellaini. When asked about the injury "tis always the same thing" seem to indicate his patience has ran in Fellaini. And to him he didn't think it was bad enough to be substituted. But Fellaini did.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He is leaving that to you Pogue

Heh. Paranoid is the last thing I am. Was led up the garden path by BT commentators. Gullible, if anything. The opposite of paranoid!

 

[Redo91]

His whole decision making process with Fellaini made no sense. First of all if he wanted to bring him on why the hell did he take off Pogba? Yes he was having a poor game but he's our most creative midfielder. Can you imagine any of the rest of our midfielders creating that chance for Lukaku? Also Matic was having a shocker and is Ann inferior player to Pogba so surely he should have made way.

Then to only leave Fellaini on for 8 minutes? If he's injured and it's a recurrence he shouldn't have been brought on in he first place. If it was tactical then why waste a sub taking a substitute off like that. The cherry on top was the fact that Herrera barely resembled a footballer when he came on. Constantly have the ball away.

 

[Fracture90]

We will see when Spurs play them in Spurs. I will remember this post.

You can remember all you want but that won't change anything, because that was an utter bs excuse and you know it.

Far too many times we have played poorly like this against decent opposition.

 

[Sylar]

To add to this we simply have to get better at building from the back. So often we lump it forward and don't win it and all of a sudden half our team, including Pogba, are on the wrong side of the ball.

In general our movement feels like it's behind the other top teams. Everyone wants the ball to feet, some of them have got to provide runs/decoy runs to allow a pass to be made.

Yep. Same issue we had against City with Rojo lumping the ball forward so much, that even if Lukaku wins the ball hes isolated and nobody gets the knock down. We need a defender who can get the ball and pass it forward to a midfielder and taking out an attackers press.

 

[Hugh Jass]

You can remember all you want but that won't change anything, because that was an utter bs excuse and you know it.

Far too many times we have played poorly like this against decent opposition.

Every match away from home is tough. But we have five real tough ones. Arsenal, Spurs, City, Chelsea and Liverpool. You will simply not go to any of those sides and get an easy win. If you do win, you need a lot of luck. So expect more of it.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

He's not the Mourinho of old. Just not the same man. It's like buying a 33-34 year old Cristiano Ronaldo back.

That's a good comparison.

 

[Silas]

The Fellaini sub (on) was the only thing that pissed me off. He had the chance to make it a midfield 3 by subbing on Herrera for Lingard, but instead took off our only source of creativity from midfield. If he was injured it's fair enough, but I didn't notice anything apart from the elbow strap.