Utd aren't playing that great either, they have been sixth for months despite their unbeaten run, hence why he's trying to deflect attention by having digs at us...shame he's taken this route but we can treat it with the contempt it deserves or just watch reruns of chelsea 4 Utd 0

Edited February 12, 20179 yr by The Brit

6 hours ago, kingcool52 said:

Maybe it's just me but I'm 100% sure he mean't this in a sarcastic and attacking way. I love this guy for everything he did for us but is trying to make us hate him or something? 

deary me...how on earth does one arrive at the conclusion that what Mourinho said in that interview with Sky Sports after the game is in any way sarcastic or that his comments are an attack on us?!? All he has done is to describe how we are set up & how we play. If anything, and given his football philosophy, his comments can only be interpreted as very complimentary of what Conte & the team has achieved thus far this year.

4 hours ago, big blue said:

Some pretty bitter comments from jose after their win today. 

I get he is trying to have a pop at the media who say his teams are defensive, but he is starting to grate on me.

Considering he said he loves this club, he doesnt mind having sky digs at us, which i find slightly disrepectful, especiallywhen he says nothing but nice things about porto, inter, and madrid. 

In spite of the league title we won second tine around, i feel it was a mistake coning back, as 2nd break up now seems to have soured a relationship with our most successful manager, certainly on his side anyway.

Im forever greatful for the good times, and i hope when we are no longer in direct competition, he shows the fans the respect they showed him from day 1. 

Until then i hope he fails miserably. 

 

deary me squared.....'pretty bitter comments'?!? He's asked whether Utd can catch us in the interview. All he does is answer the question & it's a very fair answer & appraisal of how we play. That's it. No bitterness on show whatsoever! It's got to the stage with some you on here where you are just reading in what you want to read in whenever he opens his mouth. I speculate that if he'd chosen to answer 'no comment' to the question that had been asked, some of you would react by saying he was jealous or pissed off.

His comments on MOTD was so full of bitter. You can only seen his facial expression to know the contempt and jealousy at us for being way ahead and Conte managing to do what he failed to do last season. His comments first when he was interview for sky sports was a complimentary back-handed dig at Conte then the comments on MOTD when he said something down the lines of he has to play a certain style of football here while other teams in the PL who are having great success are playing defensive football. I just had enough at this point. So bitter. At least Conte is not drawn into a war of words with him. We have scored the most goals in the league and so happened to beat his team 4-0. Defensive? Kiss my ass  

Can't wait till we smash them at old Trafford. Let's hope Conte runs down the touch line celebrating. 

6 minutes ago, STATS said:

His comments on MOTD was so full of bitter........some guff......more guff.....even more guff.......then......we have scored the most goals in the league and so happened to beat his team 4-0. Defensive? Kiss my ass  

so....let me ask you: are you of the view that if you beat a team 4-0 that you can't be described as having a 'defensive' style of play?

Man United fan here. I don't think Mourinho is having a dig at Chelsea. He just seems to have a chip on his shoulder about the media labelling him as only a defensive manager. That's my impression from it and I don't think it's anything to get upset about. 

Chelsea do play a counter attack style of football which Mourinho has also done throughout the years but Conte hasn't really been labelled a defensive manager in the media really. I remember when we were linked with Mourinho and everyone was saying he's far too defensive and dull....can't play the United way etc...I think that's annoyed him as his Chelsea and Madrid teams did play good football. I didn't see much of his Inter or Porto teams so can't say if they were good to watch

 

 

Edited February 12, 20179 yr by Ibrahimovic

5 minutes ago, Ibrahimovic said:

Man United fan here. I don't think Mourinho is having a dig at Chelsea. He just seems to have a chip on his shoulder about the media labelling him as only a defensive manager. That's my impression from it and I don't think it's anything to get upset about. 

Chelsea do play a counter attack style of football which Mourinho has also done throughout the years but Conte hasn't really been labelled a defensive manager in the media really. I remember when we were linked with Mourinho and everyone was saying he's far too defensive and dull....can't play the United way etc...I think that's annoyed him as his Chelsea and Madrid teams did play good football. 

 

 

Welcome to the site. Entirely agree with your thoughts on the matter. Stick around.

2 minutes ago, youlots said:

Welcome to the site. Entirely agree with your thoughts on the matter. Stick around.

Thanks mate

I think some of the people here thinking Mourinho is spending his time having digs at Chelsea are just barking up the wrong tree. I've watched pretty much all his interviews at United and he mainly seems annoyed with being tagged as a defensive manager. It seems like he thinks he's stuck with the label while others who play counter attack don't get it. 

The manager he clearly hates though is Wenger! So many digs at Arsenal and Wenger. 

36 minutes ago, youlots said:

deary me squared.....'pretty bitter comments'?!? He's asked whether Utd can catch us in the interview. All he does is answer the question & it's a very fair answer & appraisal of how we play. That's it. No bitterness on show whatsoever! It's got to the stage with some you on here where you are just reading in what you want to read in whenever he opens his mouth. I speculate that if he'd chosen to answer 'no comment' to the question that had been asked, some of you would react by saying he was jealous or pissed off.

Fair enough. You have your opinion i have mine. Imo it was a very wenger type anti football brigade quote that moutinho himself has fought against his whole career. This is my opinion based on more than this particular interview, but from interviews over the last few months, where mourinho eluded to how much praise conte is getting for playing in his opinion a similar type of winning football mourinho was critised for, when he was winning titles here. 

I dont expect mourinho to sit in the old trafford digout with a chelsea scarf, but back handed compliments, in an attempt to prove something to the media, i think its a little unnecessary. 

If you want to take everything he says at face value, then great thats good for you, but i dont think it is unreasonable for fans to read between the lines with what he says. 

 

19 minutes ago, big blue said:

Fair enough. You have your opinion i have mine. Imo it was a very wenger type anti football brigade quote that moutinho himself has fought against his whole career. This is my opinion based on more than this particular interview, but from interviews over the last few months, where mourinho eluded to how much praise conte is getting for playing in his opinion a similar type of winning football mourinho was critised for, when he was winning titles here. 

I dont expect mourinho to sit in the old trafford digout with a chelsea scarf, but back handed compliments, in an attempt to prove something to the media, i think its a little unnecessary. 

If you want to take everything he says at face value, then great thats good for you, but i dont think it is unreasonable for fans to read between the lines with what he says. 

 

Righto bb - thanks for replying & credit to you for admitting that your opinion is based on a number of interviews of him this season - doubt that I'll see many others on here acknowledge that that is also what their 'opinion' is based on. I disagree that he's given a back handed compliment though - in fact, if anything, he's complimented Conte & Chels in the material interview. I agree that he's not overly fond of the footballing media in this country & their collective understanding of his preferred style of football. Frankly, who can blame him for that? Much, indeed most, of the alleged 'understanding' of the football media is agenda driven rubbish after-all.

I guess some of our fans hate him for the same reasons they loved him while he was our manager (the remarks/digs at rival clubs), I kind of understand both sides though.

My 2 cents - of course I'll remember him forever and I'll be thankful for what he did for us, but a new era has begun and it really is time to let go and move on. I don't hate him but as long as he is managing in England and his team is competing for the same titles as we are I can't wish him any success.

2 hours ago, youlots said:

so....let me ask you: are you of the view that if you beat a team 4-0 that you can't be described as having a 'defensive' style of play?

Beating a team 4-0 doesn't by itself preclude a team from having a "defensive" style of play. But, beating a team 4-0, with a cheaper assembled team, should preclude the defeated team's manager from making a comment like that. 

Most of the doubt towards the sincerity of his ‘praise’ is down to the history of his comments in the media. He was our manager for about six years overall, we all know what he's like, it's not as if his compliments have never been backhanded. All of sudden, he's not playing mind games...I'm not so sure.

Edited February 12, 20179 yr by Floyd25

1 hour ago, Nicholas. said:

Beating a team 4-0 doesn't by itself preclude a team from having a "defensive" style of play. But, beating a team 4-0, with a cheaper assembled team, should preclude the defeated team's manager from making a comment like that. 

so...based on one result where your team gets humbled some time back...and in circumstances where that club has spent more on its squad somehow equates to a position where, in the present, you cannot answer a question that is asked of you?!? mmmm...from the land of the free....what poppycock.

Edited February 12, 20179 yr by youlots

3 hours ago, youlots said:

so....let me ask you: are you of the view that if you beat a team 4-0 that you can't be described as having a 'defensive' style of play?

Of course you can, but for one we are not "very defensive". I disagree with that. Being tight at the back and countering with force is not "very defensive". It is simply counter-attacking football. We withdraw to a defensive style of play when we have the lead in a lot of games. Apart from that, we are applying the pressure and then like stated, once we have lead we go much more defensive and tight at the back. For example when we battered Arsenal last week, it was our counter attacking football that hurt them and proves possession does not win you games. Were we defensive against Arsenal? Not at all. Just great counter-attacking strategy.

 And then to top it off, his comments on MOTD where he did not name a team but was clearly implying us, was stating that we are being successful by playing a negative style of football which is untrue.

5 minutes ago, STATS said:

Of course you can, but for one we are not "very defensive". I disagree with that. Being tight at the back and countering with force is not "very defensive". It is simply counter-attacking football. We withdraw to a defensive style of play when we have the lead in a lot of games. Apart from that, we are applying the pressure and then like stated, once we have lead we go much more defensive and tight at the back. For example when we battered Arsenal last week, it was our counter attacking football that hurt them and proves possession does not win you games. Were we defensive against Arsenal? Not at all. Just great counter-attacking strategy.

 And then to top it off, his comments on MOTD where he did not name a team but was clearly implying us, was stating that we are being successful by playing a negative style of football which is untrue.

now you're dissembling & inventing: first, I think there is a tantamount difference wouldn't you agree between 'defensive' & 'very defensive'? I never said we were 'very defensive' did I? So, some invention there on your part is there not? And from it you proceed with your straw-man - ie you disagree that we're 'very defensive' & that is a form of dissembling. Secondly, it is trite that counter-attacking football has its genesis in a style of play that is defensively focused - you can't have one without the other. Thirdly, to say that we we're not 'defensive' against Arsenal is quite frankly ludicrous. Do you understand that the whole point in letting a side have more of the ball than you is that by definition you defend & wait patiently to pick them off & then break quickly? Finally, further invention from you: where on MOTD did Mourinho 'state', as you say, that we are playing 'negative' football?!? Quite simply he doesn't, does he?

9 minutes ago, youlots said:

now you're dissembling & inventing: first, I think there is a tantamount difference wouldn't you agree between 'defensive' & 'very defensive'? I never said we were 'very defensive' did I? So, some invention there on your part is there not? And from it you proceed with your straw-man - ie you disagree that we're 'very defensive' & that is a form of dissembling. Secondly, it is trite that counter-attacking football has its genesis in a style of play that is defensively focused - you can't have one without the other. Thirdly, to say that we we're not 'defensive' against Arsenal is quite frankly ludicrous. Do you understand that the whole point in letting a side have more of the ball than you is that by definition you defend & wait patiently to pick them off & then break quickly? Finally, further invention from you: where on MOTD did Mourinho 'state', as you say, that we are playing 'negative' football?!? Quite simply he doesn't, does he?

I am referring to Mourinho calling us 'very defensive'. LOL. I disagree with you. To say we were 'very defensive' against Arsenal is frankly ridiculous. We were the dominant team. Did it once look like we were going to lose that. It could have been 6 if we made the most of our counter attacks. Do you understand that letting a team have more of the ball than you does not necessarily mean you are defensive? It does not. It simply means you are a counter-attacking unit. Napoli when they were playing 3-4-3 under Mazzarri were known for their counter-attacks. They done it excellently. Not one person can tell me they were defensive because they were a counter-attacking team.

Anyone who thinks we were defensive against Arsenal is ridiculous. There is one thing sitting back and rarely looking to attack. There is another thing sitting back and countering without being labelled 'defensive'. What Mourinho done at Anfield this season is defensive. What we done against Arsenal is not defensive.

Mourinho said other successful teams in the PL are playing a different style of play which he cannot do at United. He was obviously indicating that we don't play good football. I get you are one of those guys who love him and are prob pissed he is not here but believe me, like Mourinho's famous words, once you move from a rival to another, the "love story" is over.

alright...more dissembling on your part, followed by some meandering et al & finally some speculation. Let's try again shall we? First, I want you to answer some questions ok?

1.    Kindly refer me to one of my previous posts in this thread we're I have stated that we play 'very defensive'?

2.    Kindly isolate within the material MOTD interview with Mourinho where he explicitly states, according to you, that we play 'very defensive'?

3.    Did I state in my post above that against Arsenal we played 'very defensive'? That'll be a yes or no type of answer.

 

5 minutes ago, youlots said:

alright...more dissembling on your part, followed by some meandering et al & finally some speculation. Let's try again shall we? First, I want you to answer some questions ok?

1.    Kindly refer me to one of my previous posts in this thread we're I have stated that we play 'very defensive'?

2.    Kindly isolate within the material MOTD interview with Mourinho where he explicitly states, according to you, that we play 'very defensive'?

3.    Did I state in my post above that against Arsenal we played 'very defensive'? That'll be a yes or no type of answer.

 

Cognitive reasoning is clearly not your strong point. Let me try and explain things so your brain cells might tick into life.

1) Like I just said if you open your eyes. Mourinho referred to us as "very defensive" which is what I have been refuting since I commented on this, but you have this magnetic love for him where you see everything good in him. 

2) Mourinho labelled us as a "very defensive team". Look back at the quotes. MOTD he referred to us as being successful but in other words not playing good football. That is not true.

3) Erm, you just stated anyone who says we did not play defensive against Arsenal is ridiculous. OK, you did not say "very defensive", there is your brownie points. I removed the 'very'. Happy? Either way, I will change that. We were not defensive against Arsenal. We were the better team who counter attacked excellently. That is not defensive. Not in the slightest.

Comprende? 

hehe..cognitive reasoning. Would that involve, among other things, remembering & paying attention? I think so. So...to your answers: you now admit, somewhat begrudgingly it must be said, that I never used the words 'very defensive' at all. An apology was probably warranted but I'll take the belated admission. Secondly, and for the record, this is what Mourinho says about us in the sky interview after the match against Watford:

Mourinho told Sky Sports when asked if United themselves can catch Chelsea:

"Honestly I don't think so. Why? Because Chelsea are a very good defensive team, they defend very well and defend with lots of players, very good players, and are very well organised.

"I think in this situation, a very defensive team wins the title with counter-attack goals, set pieces goals, and individual goals from talented players. So I don't think they're going to let it slip."

I'll admit that he does use the term 'very defensive'. Now why do you think he feels we defend with lots of players? Do you think that we don't

Separately, I'm not going to reply to your speculations and ad hominems concerning me & where my loyalties lie that you set out in your earlier post - frankly it's beneath me to do so.

fun fact conte and his very defensive team have scored 13 more goals than his incredibly entertaining gunslinging attacking man united brand of football, without spending £150 million last window too

 

little chance but i hope we're able to wrap the league title up at old trafford, mmhh the salt would be damn delicious

 

Fun fact, we had 41.7% possession against Arsenal.

And spent 112 million pounds

Stats!

Edited February 12, 20179 yr by Stim

25 minutes ago, havelschayes said:

fun fact conte and his very defensive team have scored 13 more goals than his incredibly entertaining gunslinging attacking man united brand of football, without spending £150 million last window too

 

yes. one can't quibble with our goal record - or for that matter with our goals conceded record. Both very healthy. As far as goals go though, we have a much higher return than the likes of pool & Utd among others when it comes to converting from shots on target:

https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/ontarget_scoring_att

and our total 'shots' this season are much less than the likes of Utd, spuds & pool:

https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/total_scoring_att

Edited February 12, 20179 yr by youlots

wowsers a whopping 8% less possession! that means we indeed played "very defensive" football! thanks for the fun fact 

and we spent £45 million less then them! wait a minute that kinda proved my point so not really fun...