Hey guys im a Manchester City season ticket holder and i come here in peace and dont want to annoy or upset any of you i just want your opinion on something please.

On my Manchester City forum i posted a thread about Mourinho and i think our owners will try to sign him in the summer and get rid of Mancini.

But some people seem to think that Mourinho's style of football is even more boring than Mancini's

Now i never recall Mourinho playing boring football when he was at Chelsea or even Porto and Inter.

Can you tell me what style he plays and whether you boys thought it was boring?

back 2 back prem champions cant be boring can it??

back 2 back prem champions cant be boring can it??

Well that depends people say he used to grind 1-0 results out all the time but never played attractive football which i seem abit bemused by

We played some excellent football under Jose, but he did tend to make us sit on a lead rather than keep trying to score more. His substitutions were special though, he wasn't scared to make them early if necessary, first half sometimes. And if we were sh*t in the first half you could guarantee we'd be a whole lot better second half. I wasn't overly impressed with his transfer strategy, but you can't have everything.

It wasn't always exciting to watch(although with Robben and Duff in the same lineup it was sometimes as spectacular as it gets, mind you), but he knows how to win things. I think Mancini is more boring and so is the football his teams play. Mourinho knew how to grind out results, but also knew how to get results and wasn't afraid of taking risks. Sometimes the risks didn't pay off, but those times were few.

back 2 back prem champions cant be boring can it??

Of course not ,and the bloke is a legend but i guess the question was about the style of football.

Im going to be honest here, it was for the most part awful. We sat through of a lot of sh*te, of course we won games but it wasnt pretty and I just couldn't help but think at times bearing in mind what sort of money had been spent we deserved a little bit more, in particular during that third season.

Yes i know we had that brief, very, very brief period with Duff and Robben in 04-05 where we were dynamite but how long was that exactly ? Some Chelsea fans talk about it like it was some sort of great halcyon era but the reality is he only stumbled across that formation (Duff,Gudjohnsen,Robben) due to Drogbas injuries and Kezmans failures. Sandwiched in between Robbens injuries it really was only about a 6 week period!

Just cant see him going to City by the way.

Long story short is that the foundation of those teams was defensive organization. That meant, firstly, a strong backline and not very much adventurousness from the fullbacks. On top of that, when we eventually fell into the reliable 4-4-3 system, we would always have Makelele in the middle of park cleaning up in front of the back four, and our wingers were drilled to make sure they tracked back to help out defensively. Some people think that adding this dimension was part of what made Joe Cole into the brilliant all around player he once was for us.

Jose tended to take expensive players who wouldve provided alot of panache, and put them in this system that didnt maximize their abilities. I think that grew a little frustrating for the players, and for our owner who (according to the reports) wanted a "barcelona in blue". People just tended to equate effective and suffocating defense and organization with being boring. Alot of times we were scoring three or four goals a game on lovely counter attacks, and not giving up any goals in return. But it was the longball to Drogba or the header off a FK that we were always tagged with.

As far as a manager to turn a team into a winner, I dont think there is anyone better than Jose. If he came to City, I could see him sticking to a similar formation, upgrading your defense, keeping De Jong and Barry in the middle with a third mid maybe in the Essien mould. But I think players like Tevez and Bellamy would be right up his alley. If City got him as manager, I think they would be league champs within 2 seasons at the most.

Welcome to the forum btw

Of course not ,and the bloke is a legend but i guess the question was about the style of football.

Im going to be honest here, it was for the most part awful. We sat through of a lot of sh*te, of course we won games but it wasnt pretty and I just couldn't help but think at times bearing in mind what sort of money had been spent we deserved a little bit more, in particular during that third season.

Yes i know we had that brief, very, very brief period with Duff and Robben in 04-05 where we were dynamite but how long was that exactly ? Some Chelsea fans talk about it like it was some sort of great halcyon era but the reality is he only stumbled across that formation (Duff,Gudjohnsen,Robben) due to Drogbas injuries and Kezmans failures. Sandwiched in between Robbens injuries it really was only about a 6 week period!

Just cant see him going to City by the way.

Cheers lads you have been helpful and not told me to f*ck off or anything

But why cant you see him moving to City?

Where do you think he will go if he moves (which he will)?

I'd like him at Barnet.

I don't know where peeps get that mourinhos style was boring.... duff and robben were exciting players to name just 2...the Only thing i wish i'd seen under him was the Wizard play and win the league with the team.

all the best for CL 4th spot.

This one is from way back in the past--in fact, I'm mildly embarassed that I can locate it on my hard drive. I guess it struck me as significant at the time, and I saved it in the Chelsea folder.

I wish I could give due credit. This was from a poster whose name I can't remember for the life of me but he was a Porto fan and was on here from time to time. Mourinho had just been appointed, and we were all wondering what to expect. It's quite accurate and a fun read ahead of us facing Inter this week.

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Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:38 am Post subject: (It's) All About Mourinho

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Another post from a Porto and Mourinho's fan. I'll try to explain which concepts and tactics are behind Mourinho's success.

First of all, let's start with the man. As some of you know, he was born surrounded by football, his father was a goalkeeper in Setubal, and later a average portuguese league coach. In a early age, he walked around with his father teams, and helped his father in small tasks in coaching, like sending tactical messages to the players, and, even, scouting the opponent's teams. He was 15, and from those days he learned the secrets of the locker rooms, and how to adress and understand the players.

He was a bellow average player in the youth teams, but early, choosed to follow his father footsteps and surpass him. Therefore he graduated in a Sports University (ISEF), in football, which gave him the theoretic knowledge on Training Methods which he improved later, being nowdays one of the best in the world in that field, integrating always the ball in the tactical and physical exercices, which boosts player motivation to train and overall abilities.

He is considered by one of his most famous college teatchers to be an absolute genious as a coach, unparalleled in the world.

After his degree he was, as you know, assistant coach to Bobby Robson in Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona, and to Van Gaal, also in Barcelona.

Before he joined Benfica as the first coach, he spent two years writing everything he knowned about football, coaching, and training in a book, which he calls 'The Bible', and which is kept secret (for all i know it was only given to Porto's Chairman, Pinto da Costa, aka The Pope, loll).

This secrecy over his methods is one of the reason's why Mourinho always closes the trainings to the public. Porton fans could only attend to the trainings, on the days following a defeat (that was the agreement made by JM with the fans), and fortunately we hardly did.

One small defect on Mourinho is to be pointed: He's Ego. He is a knowned Narcisist (even diagnosed by a knowkned Psychoanalyst in Portugal) and, eventualy, the teams he coachs, will after 2 or 3 years worn out of him, because of the way he takes success as his own accomplishment, therefore stripping the players of the spotlights. This tends to at a short term motivate the team, seeing themselves in the coach's confidence, but at the long term, they tend to feel that their personal conquests as teamplayers is overshadowed by the focus on the coach. That also was starting to happen in Porto, just before he left, with a huge respect from the players for JM's abilities as a coach, but with a growing distance from the man. Two small episodes from Mourinho's history in Porto: - When he won the UEFA Cup, he ran around the pitch alone, jumping and screaming, while the players celebrated in the oposite side.

- This year after winning the Champions League he did not celebrated with the players, he prefered to go and join his family on the bench, and did not fly home with the players to the apotheothic celebration with the fans, as they did.

To finish the 'Man issue', we can say that he's one of those guys that you love or hate, because he is good, he knows it, shows it and is arrogant if needed. You can hope for a close relation with the team fans, and a dubious relation with the press, the rival managers, and the other teams fans. My guess, is that you Blues fans will adore him, and everyone else will hate him. Just has it happend here in Portugal.

The skills:

Mourinho is world class in:

- Motivating players - wether it is on the locker rooms, or by statements to the press that work, indirectly, has a message for the team. He also has very strong starts in the game (forget the championsleague final) and at the start of the second halfs. He's one of the best giving the team a feeling of reunion, of working together for the same objective, sometime's choosing an exterior enemy to gather the troops against, and it could be the press, a rival club or coach. His players tend to be confident (almost arrogant) and not to shake in important matches, and his team, always (i mean always) adresses a game to win wether they have to atack all game or counter atack. He expects the players to be as confident as he is, and takes's the best, psychologically, of them. If they lack the nerve constantly, they'll be dropped out.

- Tactically - In Porto every player knowned always what it was expected from him in the pitch. How exactly to atack, and who and how to defend. He's a controll freak as he is a workaholic, and even on pre-season friendly matches, every player got a full written report of the other teams tactics and individual abilities. This was so extense, that each player would know the direct oposite player most used driblle, strong points, weak points, etc, etc. Further we can say that each position in the field will have directives of how to play, and that he seeks that in no moment of the game one of his player doesn't know what he should do. This means that every aspect is studied and passed on to players, from indirect kicks, throws, to the exact number of atackers the team must have (3) when the other team has a corner, to start an imediat counter attack, as in normal play, tending the team to work clockwise, with or without the ball.

One example of how minutia he gets, is when he substitute's a player, changing the team's gameplay, he sents the player in with written message's for the key player at midfield telling him how to position. In the portuguese Superliga the tv cameras used to spent there time trying to zoom on the piece of paper with the message.

- Training - For what he brag's about, he is the nº 1 in the world, but also by the number of football students, that choose is training methods has a case study for post-graduations. As said before, training is integrated, no more running around the pitch for hours, or physical exercises without the ball. everything is methodically done together.

- The way he reads the game - Mourinho was invited to do the match coments in the Spain-Portugal, and all the country was astonished by his knowledge of the game, tactical nuances, etc, etc. He was so outstanding that days after the match people and the press were still talking about his performance and made us all feel that we didn't understand a thing about real football. The good thing is that the usual tv experts all got blushed with there own ignorance.

Mourinho is good in:

- Making the right subs - Although he reads the game well, at a number of times i was not that much convinced that he made the right subs. And that means something! it means he doesn't go for the popular subs, but for those he thinks will do the team well. Several and several times Porto was able to turn around a negative score, and many times with goals scored by the subs chosen by JM.

Mourinho is not that good in:

- Playing that all atacking football the fans love to see - and this means that you wil not have open games with a lot of goals, neither will you have the pitch full of creative players, only the necessary ones. Forget about 4-5 wins or defeats. As soon as Mourinho as 'his own team', the results will tend to be 1-0 or 2-0, for Chelsea.

- Launching young players - Mourinho only puts on the field the best players he has at the time, not looking at ages (although prefering young motivated players). This means that the 'young-star-to-be' will not play until JM thinks he's the best for that game, even though some gameplay would help him gain experience and fulfill his pottencial. This means, for example, that Joe Cole may have his chance, but that JM won't wait forever to see results.

The tactics: This is the juicy part!!

Where to start? hummmmmm...... by the defense, as JM always does!

Expect a zonal defence, using one strong mark CB and the other CB being free and pacey (Terry and Gallas?). Most of the times the defense will use off line tactics to stop teams with speedy forwards.

One thing JM is strong about is the heigth of the wingbacks: they have to be tall and able to help in central defense when needed (that's why Ibarra was shipped to Monaco on loan). This means that when oposite team is atacking down one flank, the defender of the oposite flank goes imediatly to the center to help defending. They also help on atack with quick combinations with the winger (Porto was great in that) but expect more runs with the ball when the team is playing in diamond formation, without wingers. Defensive compensations are made by the CD or by the DM if he is playing in 4-3-3 (actualy it is a 4-2-3-1) or by the two midfielders in the edge when he plays a diamond formation.

Midfield - I think you'll see various systems with the same dynamic of play. The 4-3-3 for the easier games and the home games, consisting of two wingers and a striker in atack, and a triangle in the midfield (this was the most famous tactic used by him in portugal for the superliga, not the diamond, that he only used in derby's and in the championsleague, because he had is wingers not available for the competition). The triangle consists of one DM who will have a very important role in the positioning of the team, he might help the central defenders if needed (if he is tall) or positioning the team to atack by defending high on the field. It is not important for JM that he has briliant technic, it is far more important that he is tactically inteligent in his actions. The other two players would be a midfielder who can both atack and defend well, with a good long range shoot and pass (like maniche) and the other would be the 10, to whom is given freedom, but also expected to help the team defend if needed.

In the Diamond formation (which is a 4-4-2 system without wingers) used only in matches against similar or superior teams, he will use two players who can both defend and atack, by the edge of the diamond, which may also explore the wings for atack. The low tip of the diamond is a DM and the atacking tip a nº 10 (9,5 like Platini), playing closer to the atackers and using the space in there back to atack in the middle or leaning to the wings in some of the atacking moves of the team.

Atack - Expect your forwards to be... defenders! Calm down! He is not Otto Rehagel and you'll not be fans of the english greek team. What i mean is that the most important aspect of the way JM plays with his teams is closing down on the opponent. He is obcessed by it, specialy on doing it on the other team half pitch, right in there defense, destroying the possibility of building any game, or even long balls to the atack, because our forwards will close down on each player who has the ball, increasing the mistakes made, and the passes missed. Expect many goals to be scored by some atacker stealing the ball to a defender. His closing down sistem is not defensive, by the oposite, it's atacking, because he do it high in the other team field (we call it in portugal 'high pressure' which would mean something like 'high closing down'). Atackers, midfielders, everyone but the CD will close down, and that's why many great teams that played against Porto, simply just didn't play a thing. The team will work as a block, all the sections close together, limiting the other teams space to play. You will see in many games, you're central defenders in the half pitch line.

The atacking system will consist of 2 wingers and a striker (if in 4-3-3) or a striker and a pacey forward with some positional freedom (if in Diamond). All of them are expected to help the team defending (by the Closing Down), but not to move backwards too much because JM likes to leave a threat in the atack when he is defending in his side of the pitch.

Overal Tactic-

With the ball - take the game into the other team half side, short pass, and envolvement movements in which all the players participate.

Without the ball - close down fast on the oponent, to take him the ball or make him miss his pass. Everyone helps defending, and the sectors work close to each other.

To keep in mind: JM for many ocasions argued that he preferes players who are not stars, or premadonas, but that are young (24-26) and never won a thing, so that he can motivate them to winning and not just settle for their past trophies. JM said once in Portugal that he could never be a coach in a team like R. Madrid because of the way players acted like stars, missing on training, or going out at night. Therefore don't expect someone like Ronaldo ever to come to Chelsea if JM is not sure that he is going to die on the field if needed.

I hope this is of some use for you Chelsea fans. I will also start to suport the team, and you're complex but exciting coach.

I remember that post.

Reading it back is amazing.

Fair to say he nailed it spot on.

wow, that is incredibly accurate. Its hard to think that was written before he came here.

Great find.

I'd like him at Barnet.

I don't know where peeps get that mourinhos style was boring.... duff and robben were exciting players to name just 2...the Only thing i wish i'd seen under him was the Wizard play and win the league with the team.

all the best for CL 4th spot.

True, but they weren't José's signings.

We played our best and most exciting football in his first season. But José sold both Robben and Duff and our football became more and more dull to watch as time went by.

I enjoyed that read bang on as well....

wow, that is incredibly accurate. Its hard to think that was written before he came here.

Great find.

Yeah that was a fascinating article and great insight into José.

Hey guys im a Manchester City season ticket holder and i come here in peace and dont want to annoy or upset any of you i just want your opinion on something please.

On my Manchester City forum i posted a thread about Mourinho and i think our owners will try to sign him in the summer and get rid of Mancini.

But some people seem to think that Mourinho's style of football is even more boring than Mancini's

Now i never recall Mourinho playing boring football when he was at Chelsea or even Porto and Inter.

Can you tell me what style he plays and whether you boys thought it was boring?

For you, and your club, there would be no better manager in the world. No one, not Lippi, Capello, Hiddink. None of them would give you what you, players and fans alike, really need. Self-belief.

It was what we needed when he took over at Chelsea. A winning mentality. An unshakeable belief that you are THE BEST, that are you are going to succeed. That it is you against the world on oaccaisions doesn't matter. We will overcome.

That is what Mourinho gave us literally from day one. That is what he could give you. That is his genius.

Ypu might watch a few boring grind out wins, but he usually makes up for it in the press conference after! ;)

Definately not a boring man! You'll get an article like this atleast once or twice a week

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...e.html?ITO=1490

PS, that guy was SPOT on, seems to have an abundance of football intelligence himself.

Edited February 22, 201016 yr by Barry Bridges

Ypu might watch a few boring grind out wins, but he usually makes up for it in the press conference after! ;)

Definately not a boring man! You'll get an article like this atleast once or twice a week

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...e.html?ITO=1490

PS, that guy was SPOT on, seems to have an abundance of football intelligence himself.

yeah he seems to know his fair share about football

Reading all of this makes me miss Mourinho.

That post from the Porto fan hits the nail right on the head. Make no mistake, we all loved him for what he brought to us, but at the same time his "I'm taking all the heat to bring focus away from my players" started wearing a bit thin. The press loved to hate him, and he loved to prove himself right. There were quite a few grumblings toward the end of his tenure that he was "damaging" the club.

I have always maintained that Jose will be succesfull wherever he goes, and if he did go to City, with your HUGE bankrol to back him, you would be successfull, and would be so immediately.

However, he would do the same as he did at Porto, as he has done at Chelsea, and is currently doing at Inter. He will come in, there will be a whirlwind of success, he will fall out with everyone other than "his players" and then he'll head on to another team.

I could see him at City, and then I could see him taking off for an International position.

Scott

That post from the Porto fan hits the nail right on the head. Make no mistake, we all loved him for what he brought to us, but at the same time his "I'm taking all the heat to bring focus away from my players" started wearing a bit thin. The press loved to hate him, and he loved to prove himself right. There were quite a few grumblings toward the end of his tenure that he was "damaging" the club.

Scott

pretty much how i feel about Jose now. he almost became a caricature of himself towards the end, and it was having a negative impact on the club. i honestly cant see Jose being at any club more than 3 or 4 seasons, his tactics and man management is all about shock and awe (to coin an americanism). he wins the players hearts and minds, wins trophies, starts to lose some influence, moves on, etc...

Completely agree and big respect to the Porto fan for taking the time to document that stuff, its incredibly accurate for the time of posting.

I think that JM is a very ambitious man who wants to win the leagues in all the major places before taking on international teams.

He is far too complex to sit in one place for years, he likes to move about.

I would hat to see him at Man Utd, but for the previous reasons of moving about and being a controversial figure, I just hope that doesn't happen.

Let me firstly say,surely your club isnt going to spit in the face of yet another manager by getting rid of him in the summer,and secondly,why would jose want to go to a club like city when he will be getting the united job when fergie leaves.

Not too sure JM would last at Man U. I can't stand Fergie but following him will be impossible. Not only will you have to win but you will have to do it with style. The Utd fans will be complaining after 20 games about how defensive they are with him in charge and in typical Mourinho style he will tell them how much better the Chelsea fans are. I'm sure you can work out how well that will go down.

Let me firstly say,surely your club isnt going to spit in the face of yet another manager by getting rid of him in the summer,and secondly,why would jose want to go to a club like city when he will be getting the united job when fergie leaves.

well tbh mate it depends whether the owners want to keep mancini or they want the glittering bauble that is Jose

and why would he want to join united? he rates himself as a better manager than fergie so if he joins utd there is a chance that he wont have the success fergie had and will mean he is not the manager that fergie was he will not want to live in fergies shadow