Jose Mourinho | 2017/18 Assessments | Poll Added

[Andersons Dietician]

I don’t think he should leave or really want him to leave as who would we even get right now bar Ancelotti, however if I woke up in the morning to Jose has left United I honestly wouldn’t really care.
Unless there is a colossal fall from grace and we all of a sudden go on the worst run in history and are sitting 8th or something fewer then you let him see out the season and see where we are at.

I think a lot of the issue is people look at that team and think he could be doing a lot better with it which I agree with because he has players that he refuses to play to their strengths. Infact all the way through the squad he does this and that’s just poor management.

 

[Jaap]

Criticising every little thing he does, sometimes not even considering the context, is horrible and miserable. People like this dont deserve anything.

Every little thing? We‘re observing more than criticising though. I really want him to succeed here, no question about that.

 

[Dobbs]

Criticising every little thing he does, sometimes not even considering the context, is horrible and miserable. People like this dont deserve anything.

Quite a statement given your posts in the Martial thread.

 

[Denis79]

We won 2 trophies last season and we're still in every cup this season and 2nd in the league. Way to early to call for his head, like some people are doing.

 

[Borden]

Criticising every little thing he does, sometimes not even considering the context, is horrible and miserable. People like this dont deserve anything.

Yes, poor Mourinho

 

[Jaap]

We won 2 trophies last season and we're still in every cup this season and 2nd in the league. Way to early to call for his head, like some people are doing.

No sane person is calling for his head - I hope BUT, regardless of the trophies we‘ve won, the football is far from the way most supporters want us to play or maybe it‘s just the way I personally see it.

 

[Denis79]

No sane person is calling for his head - I hope BUT, regardless of the trophies we‘ve won, the football is far from the way most supporters want us to play or maybe it‘s just the way I personally see it.

Yeah I agree, I've been really frustrated at times like everyone else. I hope it turns around, in the end I want us to get back to winning ways before anything else. The thing that annoys me more than the style of play is fielding players that are terribly out of form, then again our squad isn't that strong to leave Mourinho with many choises but still...

 

[haram]

Every little thing? We‘re observing more than criticising though. I really want him to succeed here, no question about that.

There are people who dig at everything he does. I've seen it throughout the forum. They don't actually analyse and look at the problem. They have an agenda against Mourinho and use anything to stick the boot in.

Yes, poor Mourinho

What was the point in this comment? What gives people the need to be such a dick about our OWN manager?

Quite a statement given your posts in the Martial thread.

I offer fair criticism. I praised him after the Benfica game. I rate him. He has flaws in his game which I highlight because there is a lack of balance in that thread and topic. I dont want to drag it into this thread.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Criticising every little thing he does, sometimes not even considering the context, is horrible and miserable. People like this dont deserve anything.

Yeah they should just go die already.

Also it's quite amusing that the guy who recently spent his time whining incessently about martial without context and being a prick to other posters to the point where everyone called him out for his posting thinks he stands on some imaginary high moral ground.

 

[Jaap]

Yeah I agree, I've been really frustrated at times like everyone else. I hope it turns around, in the end I want us to get back to winning ways before anything else. The thing that annoys me more than the style of play is fielding players that are terribly out of form, then again our squad isn't that strong to leave Mourinho with many choises but still...

We‘ll see.
I actually find our squad perfectly fine, plenty of defensive options, midfielders & forwards to choose from. Probably second best in the League.
Maybe Mourinho‘s style of play just doesn’t suit most of our attacking players... don’t forget that our four 4-0 wins came against the bottom three sides in the League & an Everton side that were only losing 1-0 seven minutes before the end of the game.

 

[Water Melon]

No one is saying Pogba will turn us into 1970 Brazilian team but the football performance & the results would be so much better to take us closer to Man City than the staggering 8-point gap between the Manchester clubs.

Pogba with Man Utd 17/18

14.8 - Chances/game
3.0 - Big Chances/game
3.0 - Goals/game

Pogba without Man Utd

7.0 - Chances/game
1.6 - Big chances/game
1.6 - Goals/game

It’s very obvious Pogba makes a huge difference to the way we play. His absence has reduced our attacking output by a staggering 50%.

I doubt that the gap between us and City will reduce with return of Pogba. Am ready to bet that the gap will be at least 8 points at the end of the first half of the season. We will continue to defeat small teams, whereas against top sides our record won't improve imo.

 

[Water Melon]

We won't be great but we will be better. Carry the team? He doesn't have to carry the team, in every game he wanted to do it all by himself he was bad instead of making it simple but effective.

We will be better but the return will not make us competitive against City. As for being selfish at times, I agree with that, Paul does indeed try something Hollywood-esque at times, which again hinders our game. So again, the absence of Pogba is not a valid reason for me to justify our drop in form in the last month. We faced better opponents and we struggled, especially in attack.

 

[Water Melon]

It would weaken his negotiating position with United that’s why mate.

It’s a simple case of give me what I want or I feck off from him.

Fully agree. Mou is playing a game, hopefully Ed has an ace up his sleeve too.

 

[Jaap]

It would weaken his negotiating position with United that’s why mate.

It’s a simple case of give me what I want or I feck off from him.

Clever briefing from his agency.

 

[haram]

Yeah they should just go die already.

Also it's quite amusing that the guy who recently spent his time whining incessently about martial without context and being a prick to other posters to the point where everyone called him out for his posting thinks he stands on some imaginary high moral ground.

Everything I talk about in regards to Martial is WITH context. That's 100% the main thing I refer to when talking about Martial.

Let's not do this here. I feel like people are reading my posts trying to find something to have a dig at because of the Martial thread.

 

[prtk0811]

I doubt that the gap between us and City will reduce with return of Pogba. Am ready to bet that the gap will be at least 8 points at the end of the first half of the season. We will continue to defeat small teams, whereas against top sides our record won't improve imo.

We will have to do a double on them.

 

[prtk0811]

We will be better but the return will not make us competitive against City. As for being selfish at times, I agree with that, Paul does indeed try something Hollywood-esque at times, which again hinders our game. So again, the absence of Pogba is not a valid reason for me to justify our drop in form in the last month. We faced better opponents and we struggled, especially in attack.

Because midfeilders with passing range is a big part of our attacking build up which herrera simply does not offer, matic alone tries a lot but others teams are equally as good defensively. Mkh is a big let down.

 

[Isotope]

Zidane’s a strange one. Is a genius having a poor season, or an average manager that inherited a brilliant team?

He was fecked because Morata was sold without any replacement. Then his best player is having a ballon d'or hangover season.
Also as our team has shown, it's hard to win games when your striker(s) turn shite.

 

[haram]

We will be better but the return will not make us competitive against City. As for being selfish at times, I agree with that, Paul does indeed try something Hollywood-esque at times, which again hinders our game. So again, the absence of Pogba is not a valid reason for me to justify our drop in form in the last month. We faced better opponents and we struggled, especially in attack.

What do you mean the absence of Paul is not a valid reason for our drop in form? He's our best and most crucial player. Any United fan can see that.

We struggled in attack because Pogba is missing...

 

[Water Melon]

What do you mean the absence of Paul is not a valid reason for our drop in form? He's our best and most crucial player. Any United fan can see that.

We struggled in attack because Pogba is missing...

I watched Paul for the whole last season, he was not the most crucial player, never in a game against a top 4 side. This season, he has not played against a top 5 side yet. I am also yet to see Pogba replicate his form at Juve, which is not a dig at Pogba, but the reinforcement of my idea that the manager needs to make his players perform at their best.

 

[prtk0811]

I watched Paul for the whole last season, he was not the most crucial player, never in a game against a top 4 side. This season, he has not played against a top 5 side yet. I am also yet to see Pogba replicate his form at Juve, which is not a dig at Pogba, but the reinforcement of my idea that the manager needs to make his players perform at their best.

Paul needs right partners along ith him to cover his defensive mistakes. Matic and fellani or herrera will get the best out of him. Last season we just dint have much but carrick helped in a 4141 system as a holding mid to stabilize the rocking ship.

 

[haram]

I watched Paul for the whole last season, he was not the most crucial player, never in a game against a top 4 side. This season, he has not played against a top 5 side yet. I am also yet to see Pogba replicate his form at Juve, which is not a dig at Pogba, but the reinforcement of my idea that the manager needs to make his players perform at their best.

So tell me who in our team is supposed to drive from midfield. Who is supposed to be the creative spark? Shield and hold the ball? Herrera?

 

[RooneyLegend]

He's done nothing to deserve the fanfare and defending he gets on here. Led us to 6th place and a couple of second rate trophies, Now has us trailing by 8 points to league leaders after a mere 11 games, looking more and more like the season is going to be about a top 4 battle rather than a title challenge. All this while spending a mini fortune and coaching our team to play some rather uninspiring football. All of us would love to see him doing a fantastic job but he just isn't.

 

[edcunited1878]

Jose is doing fine and managing the squad. After a great start, the team has sagged yet are still 2nd in the league but it is tight 2 through 6.

Last year's league finish was an anomaly as the priority to win Europa League, which isn't second rate anymore with the final prize entrance into the elite competition that eluded United LVGs last year is commendable. Oh, and United didn't have their leading scorer for the final.

Jose spending a mini fortune was necessary and it's not as if he's been able to turnover the entire squad, which arguably has to be done. It's never perfect, but he's able to continue reinforcing the squad.

The gap between City and the rest of the league is massive at the moment, but ways to go....and a little context for the masses.

Last year after 11 matchweeks, United were 6th - 16 GF, 13 GA, +3 GD with 18 points...8 points behind Liverpool at 26 points.
This year after 11 matchweeks, United are 2nd - 23 GF, 5 GA, +18 GD with 23 points....8 points behind City at 31 points.
Differences after 11 matches YOY: +4 positions / +7 GF / -8 GA / +15 GD / +5 points....same points behind 1st place

 

[Jaap]

So tell me who in our team is supposed to drive from midfield. Who is supposed to be the creative spark? Shield and hold the ball? Herrera?

Well, isn't the Manager's job to find a way to creativity - even without Paul Pogba? We have creative players in the side, but maybe the likes of Mata, Mkhitaryan are not as good as some make them out to be.

 

[prtk0811]

Well, isn't the Manager's job to find a way to creativity - even without Paul Pogba? We have creative players in the side, but maybe the likes of Mata, Mkhitaryan are not as good as some make them out to be.

Dont know about mata, because mourinho hardly plays him as a playmaker in big games . Mkh certainly lets mourinho down. To and extent herrera too when he is in posession.

 

[prtk0811]

Mourinho will have to pull the rabbit out of the hat and take points directly off man city in both games, and kick on from here and put a consistant winning run.

Hoping that the international break do not bring out more crucial injuries anymore.

 

[Hawks2008]

£300m is chicken change when José spend it? Talk about moving goal posts

I've noticed that, also I find it funny that at the beginning of the season everyone was saying we have the squad to win the league but now everyone is throwing our players under the bus and talking about how the squad isn't enough to protect the manager. When people were making these excuses for LVG they would get slaughtered (and rightfully so) but I suppose standards have changed around here.

 

[fellaini's barber]

Said it before, will say it again.. to those who keep going on about how poor Jose was left a shit squad while Pep Barca mk 2 at City, do you honestly feel that if we had hired Pep, we'd still be playing Young and Valencia as fullbacks, Fellaini in midfield and players like Lingard and Smalling will still be at the club? You guys make it sound like the club was forced on Jose and the club is skint.

 

[Ban]

Said it before, will say it again.. to those who keep going on about how poor Jose was left a shit squad while Pep Barca mk 2 at City, do you honestly feel that if we had hired Pep, we'd still be playing Young and Valencia as fullbacks, Fellaini in midfield and players like Lingard and Smalling will still be at the club? You guys make it sound like the club was forced on Jose and the club is skint.

Club isn't skint but club on the other hand cant buy about 5, 6 players in one window. And if one of the new players gets injured even a replacement for him in January.
He's doing his best to make it better and I do think he should have bought at least one more player but we don't have bottomless amounts of money.


But hey it's November and it's clear its not working out so lets get a new manager possibly in the summer.
THere was a question the other day if anyone is calling for his head and voila. Between the lines many are doing it. Crazy but that's just my opinion.

 

[boxykronikle]

I posted this in the newbie section, but decided to post it on here as well.

Hi first I would like to say I am a Manchester City fan first time posting here. Only have watched a couple Manchester United games the season including your game against Chelsea. This will be more my observations of the Chelsea game.

I think that you have better players then they are being portrayed of late. I would say what you are most lacking is a top midfield pivot and while yes Pogba will help with that. I think his skills are best shown a little farther forward. It seemed like there was no connection between your defense and attack. It seemed Lukaku and at times Rashford were stranded up top fairly often. Now while I think you are operating without a top pivot this is not entirely the issue because lets face it many teams with players nowhere good as yours have a team that transitions to attack a lot kicker then your's does. Traditionally that rapid killer break has been one of the key facets of a Mourinho team and at the moment it is missing. I am not sure why this is so he has always been great at this.

To me though this is because your team is too stretched. The space between your midfield and forwards is huge. I don't think Lukaku is actually bad at holding up the ball, but you can only hold it up for so long with no support. Often when he received it him and Rashford would be in a 4v2 with support taking even world class players would find such situations difficult.

I am not sure why this is happening. If it it the positions Mourinho is setting up his team in with the forwards either too far up the pitch or all midfielders sitting too deep, Mourinho telling his midfielders to stay back, or maybe the midfielders themselves aren't transitioning fast enough themselves though I find this doubtful with the qualities your players possess. Maybe it really is the lack of a pivot that is holding you back.

Interestingly Manchester United have covered the least distance covered in the league so far:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-total-team-distances-11478064

I think this shows you are playing too stretched. I am not saying be as compact as Manchester City, but I think distance covered shows your team is not moving around enough as a unit. I can't form conclusions why this is happening, but think their is something tactically wrong with the way you are setting up.

Exactly my thoughts. We missed Pogba and Carrick. I was hoping with Pogba's absence, Carrick or Herrera can do the job but it doesn't turn that way.

Said it before, will say it again.. to those who keep going on about how poor Jose was left a shit squad while Pep Barca mk 2 at City, do you honestly feel that if we had hired Pep, we'd still be playing Young and Valencia as fullbacks, Fellaini in midfield and players like Lingard and Smalling will still be at the club? You guys make it sound like the club was forced on Jose and the club is skint.

No, but we will have tons of midfielders.

To be fair, seems to me that Smalling is doing better than whatever CBs they have in City bar Kompany.

 

[Water Melon]

So tell me who in our team is supposed to drive from midfield. Who is supposed to be the creative spark? Shield and hold the ball? Herrera?

It needs to be done collectively as a team. Paul has never been a defensive mid. He is neither a ball winner, nor a defensive mid. So, instead of going in circles, I for the last time giving out the message: Jose Mourinho is yet to show with Utd that he can get the team play at a champions level, which implies getting the best out of what is available. So far, this has not been the case.

 

[fellaini's barber]

Club isn't skint but club on the other hand cant buy about 5, 6 players in one window. And if one of the new players gets injured even a replacement for him in January.
He's doing his best to make it better and I do think he should have bought at least one more player but we don't have bottomless amounts of money.


But hey it's November and it's clear its not working out so lets get a new manager possibly in the summer.
THere was a question the other day if anyone is calling for his head and voila. Between the lines many are doing it. Crazy but that's just my opinion.

Nothing in my post remotely looks like calling for his head, you are making all that up. You have not answered the question I asked in that post. We can't buy 5/6 players in one window? Who made that rule? Not every player out there cost $90m. Or is there a rule stopping us from selling the average players in the squad too? Both managers have had time to assess the the squad and figure out what they needed to do their job. Pep decided he needed better fullbacks,wingers etc, Jose is cool with the likes of Fellaini,Lingard and and was pretty smug about it at the beginning of the season when we were trashing shit teams left and right. I know City overdo it on the spending but people should stop making this stupid excuse for Jose about how he was handed this shit squad he has no power to do anything about, because some of of this shit players are his favourites. The question I asked is,if we hired Pep, do you honestly feel he'll be having to use fullbacks like Young and Val for any reason after 2 seasons? Do you feel Lingard would still be playing for us? Do you believe that Fellaini would have been 'very important' to him. The answer is no!. People keep going on about how he has to 'manage the squad', he's not at Burnley and its his second season ffs

 

[fellaini's barber]

Exactly my thoughts. We missed Pogba and Carrick. I was hoping with Pogba's absence, Carrick or Herrera can do the job but it doesn't turn that way.



No, but we will have tons of midfielders.

To be fair, seems to me that Smalling is doing better than whatever CBs they have in City bar Kompany.

What's wrong with having tons of midfielders or whatever if thats what you need to win? Smalling is shite, but then so is Stones just that it looks like the latter doesn't ever seem to have much defending to do. Probably due to the 'tons of midfielders' ahead of him

 

[Son Of Sam]

I watched Paul for the whole last season, he was not the most crucial player, never in a game against a top 4 side. This season, he has not played against a top 5 side yet. I am also yet to see Pogba replicate his form at Juve, which is not a dig at Pogba, but the reinforcement of my idea that the manager needs to make his players perform at their best.

If you are comparing this season to last season then you should remove yourself from this thread. The team is clearly better than what they produced last season.

Then again, how many of those games against the top 4 side did Pogba feature in? Ibra & Pogba missed the away games against Arsenal, Man City & Spurs last season.

How then can you judge him in the games he didn’t get to play? I think some of you guys are getting too giddy with this City side. Yes, they are playing fantastic football but remember this is a marathon, not a sprint!

 

[Fracture90]

It’s a new day Let it go, guy.

Let go of?

 

[Fracture90]

I don't buy into that whole "board didn't back him up financially" story at all. It is the same board that gave near unlimited funds to both Moyes and LVG before him, same board that have broken the world record transfer fee to sign Pogba on Mourinho's request and the same board that gave 35y old Ibrahimovic 400k per week. Same board splashed 40 million on each of the Bailly and Lindelof whom were both hugely unproven at that point.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Guys can we stop calling him Paul?

Btw I miss David, Ryan and Roy. What great played they were.

 

[Ban]

Nothing in my post remotely looks like calling for his head, you are making all that up. You have not answered the question I asked in that post. We can't buy 5/6 players in one window? Who made that rule? Not every player out there cost $90m. Or is there a rule stopping us from selling the average players in the squad too? Both managers have had time to assess the the squad and figure out what they needed to do their job. Pep decided he needed better fullbacks,wingers etc, Jose is cool with the likes of Fellaini,Lingard and and was pretty smug about it at the beginning of the season when we were trashing shit teams left and right. I know City overdo it on the spending but people should stop making this stupid excuse for Jose about how he was handed this shit squad he has no power to do anything about, because some of of this shit players are his favourites. The question I asked is,if we hired Pep, do you honestly feel he'll be having to use fullbacks like Young and Val for any reason after 2 seasons? Do you feel Lingard would still be playing for us? Do you believe that Fellaini would have been 'very important' to him. The answer is no!. People keep going on about how he has to 'manage the squad', he's not at Burnley and its his second season ffs

I didn't say it was you who called for his head.

Who made that rule? Nobody made that rule, United has the money but not that kind of money. You said it yourself, City overdo it with spending to the point they're thinking about adding yet another FB just because Mendy got injured.

Sure not every player is 90 mil so what's the solution buy 5, 6 average players or 2, 3 very good ones?
I didn't say Jose was handed a shit squad, did I? Just that fixing everything isn't possible in 2 windows. I'm not saying that as an excuse.
People compare everything too much with City and what would redcafe darling Pep do or not do. If he wasn't handed the money to buy absolutely everyone he wants some of the numbered players would stay in the club, despite the fact he apparently can do no wrong right now.

 

[Treble]

I've posted stats in another thread about work rate. I'd like to see stats about Chelsea when they won the title in 14/15 but United are currently bottom of the distance covered table and 15th re: sprints. This isn't the work rate required to win the league or something big.

Season 15/16 City were flying in the first games and won 5 from 5 without conceding a goal. But they were 19th in the distance covered table. And you know what? They barely made the top 4. Work rate matters. There is no miraculous way to win big things without running/sprinting enough.