José Mourinho | 2018/19 Performances
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
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What if his sushi isn't even that good anymore?
That's how I feel too.
He was hired to win something (major). The statistically expected trajectory is out the window now (should have won the league last season) but the only sensible thing for the board to do is to back him fully in the marked and hope/pray that he'll get it right in his third season.
Do I expect this to happen? Not at all. Do I think it's impossible? No – not that either.
Wait and see. I certainly hope we won't get a meltdown. I doubt very much that the club has a contingency plan ready and waiting. If José leaves abruptly, the season could be truly terrible.
Still makes no sense to expect him to cook pasta.
Ideally, of course, you bring in the world's best pasta chef - and Luigi's your uncle. Easier said than done, though.
Its not anymore. I sincerely hope that the club is looking for a new kind of chef. But as long as the restaurant is made for sushi and there are just ingredients to play (sorry cook) that kinda football, we are kinda stuck with it. For now. And it will take some time to change the approach.
I hope he is gone next summer or at least the summer after that. But it would be footballing suicide to play someother type of football with him as coach and with the players he has bought and retained for his system. IMO.
EDIT: I hope he will be gone as long as its part of a long term plan from the club focusing on playing a different type of football going forward and appoint managers from that "philosophy" (yeah, I know). Until then I will bear with Mourinho. Providing he shows results.
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The restaurant was never made for just sushi, the restaurant was made to win top chef every year by whatever dish, sushi or pasta. The current chef has been given the resources to challenge for the competition but so far we don't even know what he's cooking but whatever it is, it doesn't look like he's mixing the ingredients right
I was thinking about this the other day, trying to make a list of Jose's strengths as manager. I struggled. He seems pretty shit at man management and that's the most important part of being a manager. That combined with his conservative tactics begs the question why he's considered one of the best anymore.
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This also frustrates the hell out of me, no wonder our team plays like shit if he's coming out with stuff like this after a great performance.
After seeing the likes of Zidane, Pep & alot of the big clubs turning towards ex players - I hope we soon go for a chef who has experience of this kitchen & understands his customers expectations.
It's very weird...We went from LVG who overly structured his attacks to the point that everything was so predictable, safe and dull to Mourinho's team that seems to have little attacking structure and relies on the players gelling together and using transitions to create attacking chances. I don't buy the overly defensive label, we generally get lots of players forward and at times played Matic on his own in midfield. But we play with such a poor attacking plan it seems like the players don't know what to do when things aren't coming off. We end up with completely weird set ups on the pitch, with players grouped in single areas of the pitch either down the left or through middle.
None of the above has really improved over the two seasons, and the pre-season seems like they're still there so I'm beginning to lose faith. Maybe Jose just isn't as adaptable enough. One of Fergie's biggest strengths.
None of the above has really improved over the two seasons, and the pre-season seems like they're still there so I'm beginning to lose faith. Maybe Jose just isn't as adaptable enough. One of Fergie's biggest strengths.
If his favourites like matic, fellaini and young played like this he be praising them to high heaven. He’s failed to build a team and move on the likes of Valencia, young, jones, smalling, fellaini, darmian, only this year did we sell blind. The football does not seem to have changed or evolved one bit, and if he thinks he can grind out a PL title, then he will be shown once again he’s just a relic of football. I look at Jose I see no hunger, drive and blind on his taste in football players. If he agrees to martial and Willian swap deal, he’s finished. I still cannot believe we could field a team in season 2018/19 with smalling, Jones, Valencia, young and fellaini, almost 80% of our deadwood which the biggest twist is jose’s Key players in his eyes
He is the anti Fergie really, shit man management and zero adaptability to the evolution of the game.
Matic and Fellaini love to keep it simple. Can go entire halves playing sideways 5 yard passes.
He's just SO fecking negative, you can't have that around a team that you're trying to motivate.
I swear he's depressed or something, it's like he doesn't enjoy football anymore, he just does it because it's what he's known for.
He's had 2 years now to get this team working, and if anything we're going backwards now.
I don't feel he can take us forward. He certainly won't be building a legacy here.
I swear he's depressed or something, it's like he doesn't enjoy football anymore, he just does it because it's what he's known for.
He's had 2 years now to get this team working, and if anything we're going backwards now.
I don't feel he can take us forward. He certainly won't be building a legacy here.
I'm reaching quite a bit, but have been starting to wonder if there are some disagreements between Jose and the board, which has led to Woodward being unwilling to splurge in the transfer market. If fans are worried about the Jose 3rd season meltdown, I'd imagine the board would be watching him very apprehensively as well. And there's been talk that the board are preventing Jose from selling Martial in fear of another De Bruyne event. I think this scenario is possible. Woodward might be clueless about football, but I'm sure he's not clueless about managing his employees and assets.
For me it's simple: which is more likely at this point?
A. Jose bucks up, transforms us into a force and we challenge City for the title, while actually creating chances and having happy players
B. City (and potentially others) are out of sight at Xmas, Jose has alienated Martial, Perreira is gone, Pogba is close and fans are even more apathetic to watching us
It's like the 7 year mark in a relationship. If you're not going to put a ring on it, then you both need to agree to end it.
A. Jose bucks up, transforms us into a force and we challenge City for the title, while actually creating chances and having happy players
B. City (and potentially others) are out of sight at Xmas, Jose has alienated Martial, Perreira is gone, Pogba is close and fans are even more apathetic to watching us
It's like the 7 year mark in a relationship. If you're not going to put a ring on it, then you both need to agree to end it.
I think that's a little unfair to Matic. I remember being surprised at how good he was on the ball in the first few matches of the season, and he does pass forwards quite a bit, albeit he's not that great a passer and often ends up losing the ball.
But they move quicker than a rock lol the idea of matic and fellaini in our midfield but willing to drop pogba would be up there when managers hit the bottle lol no manager can be serious with Valencia, young, Jones, fellaini, lingard or mata and matic in our team can win a title
Dont misread. I rate Matic's passing higher than most. Actually think he could be a poor man's Carrick if he showed more passing ambition, but he doesn't do so enough, usually till we're chasing a game. Of course he can't control a game like Carrick could and doesn't have the same range of passing hence why I say poor man's version
The negativity is extremely tedious. I'm not really looking forward to our season at all.
Understood you. My impression of him was a little different, but fair enough. The season was so dull that I barely remember any of it anymore.
No surprise there, during LvG days we had plenty of people wishing us to lose games so (in their mind) he would get a sack. Some defended it with greater good bullshit, 2 years later here we are. Best part of all, one of those for greater good is i think a scout, not sure whats exactly a job of a scout guess giving likes to newbies so they get promoted, if so, thats fecking funny
. Having a guy who wished United to lose games during LvG time, defended it with as greater good and then after even said how he doesnt see anything wrong with it, to be a scout for future full members, oh man.From the fans or the manager? I think the fans have the right to be concerned to be fair.
Jose.
Fair
I don't understand him at all, would it have hurt to put some praise on Pereira and boost his confidence? It's like he just looks for a chance to shit on the younger players.
I'm just hoping that the board will have the balls to actually sack him if/when we have a shit season. The onlt part of the season I'm looking forward to is knowing that each game is one step closer to his last. Either this season, or next. Don't see us winning anything important in that time, only see us further isolating some of the young players we have and continuing to play awful football.
Absolutely. This is all most fans are asking of him. Sod the champagne football; let’s just not lose to each and every one of the newly promoted teams.
I know standards have dropped but “great performance”? Christ. The best CMs on the day were all wearing white. Which tells you all you need to know about how “great” his performance was.
The “play even more simple” comment is depressing though, I agree. As limited as he was he gets bonus marks for at least trying to be progressive with his passing, from time to time. If the plan is for all of our CMs end up as risk averse as Hererra was on the ball yesterday I think I’ll have to stop watching.
Have you looked at his thread? I don't know if people are trying force praises or if they are serious.
I haven’t actually. I did watch the game though. “Ok” is fair enough. A couple of nice passes and he worked hard. Like I said, though, there were CMs on the other team more impressive on the day. And the other team was/is shite.
The lad was trying his hardest and busting a lung, more so than anyone else and was our best player in the friendly so I think that warrants a bit of praise at least.
The one thing I find hard to understand is his inability to deal with different players different strengths & weaknesses.
Every player will have a weakness & In my opinion a proper team is built by having 11 players that magnify each other's strengths & cover each other's weaknesses.
As for pure example - Firminho is currently a false 9 at Liverpool; his strengths lie predominantly more in positioning & ability to play deeper & bringing in others in to play rather than being a traditional striker who is required to finish. Even though his finishing is not bad - I wouldn't highlight that as a strength. Consequently the likes of Salah & Mane are much more direct & deadly finishers - having strengths whilst their ability drop deep whilst bringing others in to play inclusive of accurate passing is not their strength. Whilst not looking at their whole team; their front 3 seems balanced in covering & understanding their roles to work results through their different strengths.
I look at City - i see de bryune & Silva playing as CM; something I simply wouldn't have expected due to their mechanical weaknesses. However this is compensated by fernandinho who has the strengths that de bryune & Silva have whilst the latter 2 have the strengths that fernandinho lacks such as pure ability on the ball. They have a midfield 3 that cover for each others weaknesses & amplify it's strengths.
Here at United everything seems so jumbled. What is Lukaku's strengths (speed, running in to channels/space, finishing with his left foot & heading), what are his weaknesses (first touch & taking on men directly in front of them). What is Martial strengths (good finishing on his right foot , ability to take men on directly in front, likes to keep the ball close to him whilst making one two passes), what are his weaknesses ( can't cross, is not a sole target man type striker, doesn't make runs behind the striker).
Never mind talking about Rashford'&Sanchez's strengths and weaknesses - the last thing that should be done is playing Lukaku as a target man & Martial as a winger who supplies him. There is no covering for each others weaknesses, no amplifying of strengths & that is witnessed throughout the squad.
Why do we go for defenders playing in pairs that have the same exact strengths & weaknesses? Bailly, Smalling, Jones , Rojo can be decent yet together they don't mesh well. To this day Blind & Smalling has been the best CB partnership followed by Bailly & Rojo because they were able to blend & look after each others backs. Why was Lindelpf or Blind removed whilst having 4 or 5 other defenders who do very similar roles to each other.
Ultimately - Jose would prefer 4 fellaini's & 4 Matics & 3 Lukaku's because they will all play the same exact way having the same exact strengths but also having the same exact weaknesses.
A team of Lukaku, Pogba, Martial, smalling, Blinds, Lindelpfs, Valencia, Sanchez, Mata could have been reorganised better so we had a multitude of strengths & yet covered each other's weaknesses.
When did damn work rate become a thing that every single person in the team needed? We don't; we could have 2 or 3 players that highlight Work-rate within our squad & the rest should be covering for their weaknesses. De bryune to this day does more work on the ball than with his feet & if Jose was still in charge of him; he would be sidelined like he did in Chelsea just like martial for not having the work ethic, the defensive ability that he expects from every single player of his squad.
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That's what our standards have dropped to these days, though. Our other players (besides Sanchez) did feck all , so it's only fair to Pereira some recognition for at least trying to make something happen.
I thought Sanchez was our best player. Certainly the only United player who actually looked like he might belong in a higher league than the opposition. Pereira did work hard, I’ll give him that.
Pretty much this, I think we could sign a CB and a right winger and a new RB and i'd still be feeling the same way, He's creating this dark gloom over our club and if it can be felt by us on the outside I can only think what the people on the inside feel like,
He used to have character, a personality, cockiness and somewhat of a charm but now he's just a grumpy old negative man that no one wants to be around.
It's not about how great or average Pereira was, it's simply about talking up your own youth players to lift their confidence, it's not rocket science, managers do it all the time, Mourinho has lavished praise on mediocre performances of the players he likes in press confrences, so there's no reason he couldn't have given the lad a boost.
Questionable, he looked like our biggest threat but did he actually do any threatening? A lot of the same from him in my opinion. A lot of weaving back and forward on himself outside the box without causing their defence any problems. It's a friendly though with a broken team so it was a relatively good performance, but average as they come going off his past standards.
Agreed.
Like I said in my previous post - pereira isn't getting credit from Jose right now because pereira has strengths that Jose does not see as compulsory whilst having weaknesses that the rest of the team would have to work together to overcome.
However that's how a team is made - by looking after each others strengths & weaknesses. José would prefer 11 matic's having the similair strengths (like physique for example) than a combination of different abilities.
However that's how a team is made - by looking after each others strengths & weaknesses. José would prefer 11 matic's having the similair strengths (like physique for example) than a combination of different abilities.
Here's the thing... He also seemed the only player capable of a forward pass, through the lines, which would find a teammate. The rest (Herrera, Garner, Shaw and Darmian) just passed it from side to side in the classic laborious way that we've done all of last season and resulted in us playing the most slow, boring and predictable football.
Do you agree with this? Yes or No?
If the answer is no, then we saw different things and the disconnect is too big for us to discuss the topic. Sort of like a discussion between a creationist and evolutionist, there no middle ground to have a genuine discussion.
If you do agree with it, don't you think then that it's worthy of praise? Rather than being told to play more simple?
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