Mourinhospeak - don?t you just love it!

[Dorset]

These days, whenever Jose gives an interview, I am reminded of a phrase once used by my boss when passing on a word of advice - ?It?s just a suggestion, but let?s not forget who is making it.? Lest we forget, Jose?s latest dispatch began life in the Club?s Official Magazine and as such it is much more than just your run of the mill, hacked about offering. Newshounds mess around with it at their peril, but then they wouldn?t wish to when our manager provides high quality copy, in stark contrast to the banal, clich? ridden stuff they usually get served them day in day out by the football fraternity. Shame on them for constantly biting the hand that?s feeding them so well, say I, but that?s another story entirely. For the moment it is of more relevance to consider what Jose gets out of these party line pieces?

This week we have marvelled at his melons, smirked at his status for Spurs, laughed at his zeroing in on Benitez and Wenger and nodded in appreciation as he brought Fergie?s recent spending spree into perspective with our own begging bowl activity. All said with purpose and for a purpose, but no statement more so than one receiving little or no coverage, even though it gave the ?Mourinho game? away in its simplicity and scrupulous preparation. It related to the tactical ploys planned for last season and the fact that, presumably, we were never able to utilise them fully due to injuries. The Media skipped over this without highlight, what with it being a totally football based matter and consequently of little interest to their gossip guzzling public, but here?s the relevant part of Jose?s response :-

?[Last season] the situation of playing with the best team, using the tactical systems not just to get the result but to play at the high level, everything was impossible. What I want is solutions in my hands. It is like playing chess and you don?t have bishops and horses. I want to have everything in my hands to promote competitiveness between our players, promote doubts in the opponents, to give culture to my teams in terms of tactics, to have options in relation to my needs.?

Whilst it is pretty clear why this particular Jose insight appealed to me it is also a superb expression of his ?wishin?s and hopin?s? that neatly sidesteps giving any offence to those who might be called mere working parts within his Grand Scheme of Things. Now I don?t know whether Jose realises that ?horses? are actually called ?knights?, but I?m guessing that he does. I?m also guessing he?s aware that knights and bishops are known in the game of chess as minor pieces and, although he would never have described any of our recent acquisitions in such terms, this quotation reveals the groundwork done in a seemingly off the cuff interview to get over his point to the fans with genuine honesty, a touch of self-deprecation, and without rocking any boats.

What this quote tells me is that, for one reason or another, he didn?t have solutions in his hands last season and he?s going to make damn sure he gets them next time around. The minor pieces are in place, he?s got the strategy and the tactics, but does he have all the options in relation to his needs?

Dare I say - almost?

[flasher10]

So, there must have been too many rooks last season - long balls up the pitch.

More bishops sounds good though, nice diagonal balls often give decent penetration (ooerr missus).

[callista]

What this quote tells me is that, for one reason or another, he didn?t have solutions in his hands last season and he?s going to make damn sure he gets them next time around. The minor pieces are in place, he?s got the strategy and the tactics, but does he have all the options in relation to his needs?

Dare I say - almost?

I liked that particular part of the article as well and thought it was a fantastic way of putting things. The media were too busy picking up on the more juicy points (to them) than actually looking and understanding what he was trying to say.

I just loved the way he used the chess analogy to get his point across - so clever - and a million miles away from other managers outpourings.

Jose has called himself a bad loser in the past and he has been saying if the season started again tomorrow he'd be ready for the fight. I think Jose learns from every one of his mistakes and he is determined to try and rectify those made last season. I'm certain these purchases this year (and perhaps more to come) mean that he does not want to be in the position again of being unable to put his tactical masterplan into operation because he missing some pieces off his chess board.

Jose please don't ever leave us the premiership (and Chelsea of course) would be an appalling dull place without you.

[Jack]

Good assessment of Jose's thinking, Dorset. I especially liked the last sentence:

"I want to have everything in my hands to promote competitiveness between our players, promote doubts in the opponents, to give culture to my teams in terms of tactics, to have options in relation to my needs."

It sums up Mourinho perfectly. He wants his players to push each other, to confound the opponent, to be sophisticated and understand the aim of the WHOLE team (as opposed to merely their own purpose), and to have as many ways of developing that during a match as possible. Jose has always advocated having 7 players on the bench rather than 5. He characterised it as giving as many players involvement as possible on a match day, but the truth is that he'd love to have every possible option open to him depending on any given situation - a full array of pieces on his board if I can borrow the analogy.

We owe Mourinho a huge debt, not only in terms of the silverware we have amassed in his 3 years at the club, but also for the way he's educated us, given everything for the club and it's fans and taken all the heat that the media has generated in our direction - the guy has been nothing short of masterful in his management, and I use the term management in the global sense.

[callista]

Jose is just one smart cookie full stop.

He's miles ahead in terms of man management, player empowerment et al than just about any coach around.

He's always looking ahead, figuring out ways to be better to make players believe they can be better and for him it always boils down to a team work ethic, talent, desire to please the coach and a creating that will to win.

It's no fluke that his guy has won what he has done and he's not even 45 yet!