The Mourinho Thread: Should he stay or go? | Sacked

[Andersons Dietician]

I find it weird that last season or the season before I recall being in a thread about how we had the best defence in Europe and I said then that it wasn’t as good as the stats made it look and it was more due to how Jose had us playing with just flooding bodies back. Inevitably this led to being jumped on by the usual suspects saying I was speaking rubbish and that my “agenda” was showing.

Now the same people are whipping out the he has had to play this way because our defence is like Swiss cheese. The way I see it yes some of those defenders aren’t good enough currently, I’ve seen Lindelof be better and so has Bailly, both need work but Smalling has basically been the glue holding it together however that doesn’t excuse how poor the football has been by the rest, it’s clearly coaching or lack of. He needs to pull his finger out and this past week he has looked like a polition out on the campaign trail. The only thing missing is kissing a newborn baby and opening up the Jose centre for under privlaged kids. It all seems very much from the club, players and Jose they are in a damage limitation mode.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

The Spurs performance was naive from a manager that is just not comfortable playing the game this way, and I struggle to see why so many got so giddy about it, imo Jose would be far better reverting to type now and just getting results playing his way, which I expect tomorrow, and fair enough if he does.

He is not the only problem, and deserves some credit for sure, but he is just never going to work.

One of the problem people have with him is “reverting to type” seeing him attempt what he did was like a breath of fresh air.

 

[Water Melon]

I find it weird that last season or the season before I recall being in a thread about how we had the best defence in Europe and I said then that it wasn’t as good as the stats made it look and it was more due to how Jose had us playing with just flooding bodies back. Inevitably this led to being jumped on by the usual suspects saying I was speaking rubbish and that my “agenda” was showing.

Now the same people are whipping out the he has had to play this way because our defence is like Swiss cheese. The way I see it yes some of those defenders aren’t good enough currently, I’ve seen Lindelof be better and so has Bailly, both need work but Smalling has basically been the glue holding it together however that doesn’t excuse how poor the football has been by the rest, it’s clearly coaching or lack of. He needs to pull his finger out and this past week he has looked like a polition out on the campaign trail. The only thing missing is kissing a newborn baby and opening up the Jose centre for under privlaged kids. It all seems very much from the club, players and Jose they are in a damage limitation mode.

I salute you Sir for speaking the words of truth.

 

[rooney2009]

I don’t actually dislike him but I just can’t see what He is trying to do or build,He just seems to be making it up as he goes along

 

[Kapardin]

We showed all those last game , quick passing, 1-2, chances, what more do you want? The players left their shooting boots home unfortunately. Fred was very very good last game linking defense to attack. He created chances for Lukaku, Pogba, played defense splitting passes to start counters and what not. We haven't been playing at that intensity and when you start to do it you get these half baked performances until it ingrains in our players. Spurs just took their chances and our defenders were incapable of getting the basics right.

We weren't good in the first half. We were quicker than usual and pressed, but it was still all over the place, the only reason we created some chances was because Spurs were a bit hesitant, understandably so considering their record at OT isn't good. We basically did the bare basics in the first half and that is being hailed as a masterclass of attacking football because we haven't seen anything remotely like it for quite awhile.

Fred showed he can be a good footballer, but he has not been coached to utilize his skills properly. Individually he looked fine, but was completely out of sync with the rest of the team with respect to what he was doing for the most part.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

The Spurs performance was naive from a manager that is just not comfortable playing the game this way, and I struggle to see why so many got so giddy about it, imo Jose would be far better reverting to type now and just getting results playing his way, which I expect tomorrow, and fair enough if he does.

He is not the only problem, and deserves some credit for sure, but he is just never going to work.

I think those words will sum up his United career. A manager hired based on unrealistic expectations. High risk football and a focus on youth development, rather than signing ready-made stars. Whatever good he has achieved at United has been mainly by going against the script and reverting to type. Makes you wonder why the feck he was hired.

That said, it’s fecking bonkers to expect him to play risky football with the absolute dross we have in central defence. Fergie’s attacking football was almost always reliant on two world class central defenders at the back. Do we’ve have even one CB that fits that description in our squad?

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

One of the problem people have with him is “reverting to type” seeing him attempt what he did was like a breath of fresh air.

But it's not him, did you really expect him to change his whole approach all of a sudden, and if so be good at it? it's bollocks, he is what he is, and should stick with it, and to hell with what people think.

 

[Santoryo]

I find it weird that last season or the season before I recall being in a thread about how we had the best defence in Europe and I said then that it wasn’t as good as the stats made it look and it was more due to how Jose had us playing with just flooding bodies back. Inevitably this led to being jumped on by the usual suspects saying I was speaking rubbish and that my “agenda” was showing.

Now the same people are whipping out the he has had to play this way because our defence is like Swiss cheese. The way I see it yes some of those defenders aren’t good enough currently, I’ve seen Lindelof be better and so has Bailly, both need work but Smalling has basically been the glue holding it together however that doesn’t excuse how poor the football has been by the rest, it’s clearly coaching or lack of. He needs to pull his finger out and this past week he has looked like a polition out on the campaign trail. The only thing missing is kissing a newborn baby and opening up the Jose centre for under privlaged kids. It all seems very much from the club, players and Jose they are in a damage limitation mode.

Very true. Especially the part about damage control and doing things for camera now.

It's quite funny seeing him sucking up to fans now when last year he almost held some contempt toward them and couldn't wait to shush them as soon as he felt vindicated in that Tottenham home game.

For his sake he better come up with the goods soon otherwise things will only get worse and his blatant act and show for cameras won't be enough to buy him more free sympathy

 

[ash_86]

We weren't good in the first half. We were quicker than usual and pressed, but it was still all over the place, the only reason we created some chances was because Spurs were a bit hesitant, understandably so considering their record at OT isn't good. We basically did the bare basics in the first half and that is being hailed as a masterclass of attacking football because we haven't seen anything remotely like it for quite awhile.

Fred showed he can be a good footballer, but he has not been coached to utilize his skills properly. Individually he looked fine, but was completely out of sync with the rest of the team with respect to what he was doing for the most part.

You accept we were quicker, pressed and created chances. Was it perfect? of course not. How can it be perfect when we have just started to do so? You all cry for a change the way we play day in day out but wouldn't give it time or give credit when due? This is not football manager or fifa and players arnt robots to instantly program them. Last season we beat them at OT without breaking a sweat. In fact beat all the 19 teams. What prevents Jose from going with the same tactics? Why does he want to suddenly start pressing teams? Recognize the change. Give it time people.

 

[Cloud7]

I find it weird that last season or the season before I recall being in a thread about how we had the best defence in Europe and I said then that it wasn’t as good as the stats made it look and it was more due to how Jose had us playing with just flooding bodies back. Inevitably this led to being jumped on by the usual suspects saying I was speaking rubbish and that my “agenda” was showing.

Now the same people are whipping out the he has had to play this way because our defence is like Swiss cheese. The way I see it yes some of those defenders aren’t good enough currently, I’ve seen Lindelof be better and so has Bailly, both need work but Smalling has basically been the glue holding it together however that doesn’t excuse how poor the football has been by the rest, it’s clearly coaching or lack of. He needs to pull his finger out and this past week he has looked like a polition out on the campaign trail. The only thing missing is kissing a newborn baby and opening up the Jose centre for under privlaged kids. It all seems very much from the club, players and Jose they are in a damage limitation mode.

Smalling was regularly called one of, if not the best CB in the league by many posters on here, from Vangle’s time onwards. I’m fairly sure if someone were to check, you would see the same people who were claiming that, are now the ones who say the defense isn’t good enough.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

I think those words will sum up his United career. A manager hired based on unrealistic expectations. High risk football and a focus on youth development, rather than signing ready-made stars. Whatever good he has achieved at United has been mainly by going against the script and reverting to type. Makes you wonder why the feck he was hired.

That said, it’s fecking bonkers to expect him to play risky football with the absolute dross we have in central defence. Fergie’s attacking football was almost always reliant on two world class central defenders at the back. Do we’ve have even one CB that fits that description in our squad?

Because he was there, just like LvG was, we have no real approach, and no doubt when Jose goes we'll do the same all over again, but he still needs to go, more so now he seems to have abandoned what made him successful.

 

[hn4manunited]

Because he was there, just like LvG was, we have no real approach, and no doubt when Jose goes we'll do the same all over again, but he still needs to go, more so now he seems to have abandoned what made him successful.

I disagree that it was just because he was there we as a Club was on a slide. We needed someone like him to win something while going through a rebuild of a disastrous state of a squad. He is well known to be a good squad builder. We also needed someone to come in to get us back into somewhat of a stable top 4 contender. If we have the ability to rebuild the squad from scratch , he would have done it. He obviously was hired to rebuild the team step by step over a several year period while stabilizing the ship. People who complain about finishing 2nd has really short memory. My guess is nothing will ever satisfy those fans.

 

[fellaini's barber]

Wonder if he would have still been our manager had Guidetti scored that goal putting us out of the Europa. Finishing 6th, no champs league, doubt the Carling cup would have saved him.

That was the game I turned and wanted him out. We were horrendous.

 

[CM]

Wonder if he would have still been our manager had Guidetti scored that goal putting us out of the Europa. Finishing 6th, no champs league, doubt the Carling cup would have saved him.

I sometimes wonder that too. Everyone cited it as evidence we could still be successful under him but even that was by the skin of our teeth against some very ordinary opposition.

 

[Kapardin]

You accept we were quicker, pressed and created chances. Was it perfect? of course not. How can it be perfect when we have just started to do so? You all cry for a change the way we play day in day out but wouldn't give it time or give credit when due? This is not football manager or fifa and players arnt robots to instantly program them. Last season we beat them at OT without breaking a sweat. In fact beat all the 19 teams. What prevents Jose from going with the same tactics? Why does he want to suddenly start pressing teams? Recognize the change. Give it time people.

15 year olds can run and press too. Doesn't mean its' perfect. The point I am making is that it didn't seem like a culmination of 2 years of management reaping results in the form of a clear sense of direction with respect to style of play. Nor did it feel like the start of a new direction. It is simply a result of the manager being unable to decide what style he must adapt and that resulting in a mess. It was not a style that Jose either favored or wanted on a consistent basis, it was simply something he felt was needed for the one game.

We are not going to play that way in all our games, nor is it sustainable because the manager does not know how to execute it properly. Heck, it wasn't even done properly in the first place. The fact that a bunch of highly paid players struggle to get the basics of pressing and positioning correct is on the manager alone, and no-one else.

Last season, we had 12 teams battling relegation at one point. Getting 81 points while Liverpool threw away the league to focus on CL really doesn't indicate progress. Did Arsenal progress after finishing 2nd in the Leicester title winning season despite Spurs being the second best team for 3/4ths of that season? That's pretty much the nature of our second place finish. It isn't sustainable if there isn't a clear vision on the pitch, and that's being foreboded by our start this season.

Yes, we had a great record against the Top 6 last season. Credit to Jose for that. So did LvG, and he won a cup too. Doesn't mean they don't deserve to be sacked or are/were doing a good job.

That was the game I turned and wanted him out. We were horrendous.

Wow, you were early. I sympathized with him because I felt he had misjudged the strength of the team prior to his appointment, and his signings by and large seemed to have an impact. Then, Bailly regressed, Pogba looks disinterested, Martial regressed, Lindelof never got started, Alexis has been a disappointment and in general, there has been no clear vision on the pitch. I think Sevilla was a turning point for me.

Even now, I don't want him out. Give him 4-5 more games to prove himself, as he still is a manager with a respectable pedigree and we can afford that. That is more than the time he deserves in reality, but he should get that. If by that time we are in a dire situation, we should sack him and hire a new manager to play catch up and get into the Top 4/ensure our CL campaign goes well.

 

[ash_86]

The point I am making is that it didn't seem like a culmination of 2 years of management reaping results in the form of a clear sense of direction with respect to style of play

Jose is not admired for style of play . He's admired for being a winner and he won against every single opposition reaching the highest point tally since SAF retired. We were reaping the rewards of his management by coming runners up

Nor did it feel like the start of a new direction. It is simply a result of the manager being unable to decide what style he must adapt and that resulting in a mess.

Have to disagree with this. Jose knows what style will get him results. As i pointed out he did exactly that to win against these lot last season. He didn't have to go pressing like this to achieve results. We could've played like we played against them last year and would have had a good chance of winning or drawing. The change in the way we played clearly indicates that he wants to make our team quicker, attack well and play good football. That is a change in direction.

We are not going to play that way in all our games, nor is it sustainable because the manager does not know how to execute it properly. Heck, it wasn't even done properly in the first place. The fact that a bunch of highly paid players struggle to get the basics of pressing and positioning correct is on the manager alone, and no-one else.

Agree with you on not all the games are going to be like this. The take away is that the manager is trying to induce a change not against some relegation fodder but one of the best teams known for pressing and it was positive(atleast to some of us). This shows that 1) The players are still playing for him 2) The style which was criticized for all season could change for better. The pressing wasn't perfect but as i pointed out earlier its not a On/Off switch the players can do and stop doing. THey will get better when its done more times.

Last season, we had 12 teams battling relegation at one point. Getting 81 points while Liverpool threw away the league to focus on CL really doesn't indicate progress

What a ridiculous argument. Would you point fingers at city and say they reached record points because 12 teams were battling relegation at one point? You'd be laughed out. If you cannot see the progress after best point tally since SAF retired ,then i cannot help you.

Did Arsenal progress after finishing 2nd in the Leicester title winning season despite Spurs being the second best team for 3/4ths of that season? That's pretty much the nature of our second place finish

That's the difference. We were second best team for most of the season. If we'd dropped out of second plays it would've been unfair because we were the second best team in the league.

Yes, we had a great record against the Top 6 last season. Credit to Jose for that. So did LvG, and he won a cup too. Doesn't mean they don't deserve to be sacked or are/were doing a good job.

Never finished this high under LVG nor beat all the teams and the playing style was even worse during LVG. Jose dosen't deserve the hate for getting us second.

 

[George The Best]

I really believe Jose was right to emphasise finishing 2nd last season was one of his greatest achievements. The squad was dire compared to those assembled by City, Pool, Spurs and Chelsea. Yes, he had a hand in that, but how much given the deviciveness that seems to be going on at the club? But yet he got us to 2nd, albeit a distant one but still above Pool, Spurs and Chelsea. Let’s be honest, the Woodward out campaign will never succeed, but it may bring the owners and management to their senses when it comes to next summers transfer window. For now it’s a slog to finish top 4. I still think, and hope, that Jose will still be here by then - as I can’t see anyone out there that is available and better able to take this club forward.

 

[SteveJ]

Third-season syndrome: how José Mourinho slumped at Madrid and Chelsea

Poor results on the pitch reflected the Portuguese’s increasingly fractious relationships off it, and it seems to be happening again at Manchester United
By Sid Lowe and Dominic Fifield

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ourinho-real-madrid-chelsea-manchester-united

 

[Fully Fledged]

We have to win today. That is all that matters at the moment.

 

[SwansonsTache]

We have to win today. That is all that matters at the moment.

It is actually quite telling that we are even discussing the option of not winning against Burnley. As United with the amount of invests we've done under current management it should be more of a formality.

 

[Fully Fledged]

It is actually quite telling that we are even discussing the option of not winning against Burnley. As United with the amount of invests we've done under current management it should be more of a formality.

It should be but then so should the Brighton match.

I'll repeat that we need to win. It would keep us within 4 points of City and 6 of the dippers.

 

[Red00012]

Must win game on so many levels league position , players owe us a performance , Jose needs a performance , shut the media up for a few days and going into a pointless international break with some sort of confidence after a bad start to the season.

 

[The beautiful game]

As critical as I have been of him, I really respect this, very classy move by him.

he never ceases to amaze me - he will do anything to get sympathy from the gullible fans.He has one card to play and that is to get the fans to feel sorry for him whilst telling everyone about his past achievements.

You can bet that Charlton and Ferguson aren't buying his bullshit - so expect him gone sooner than later unless he performs a Houdini act on the field.

 

[Kapardin]

Jose is not admired for style of play . He's admired for being a winner and he won against every single opposition reaching the highest point tally since SAF retired. We were reaping the rewards of his management by coming runners up

He's not a winner with us. LC and EL credit have run out due to 2 years of mediocre tactics and man-management. Secondly, it's not even that he doesn't have a style of play, when it's more that we are a mess. He's the highest paid manager in the world and 2 minor cups is not being a "winner" with us.

Thirdly, Jose teams at Real and Chelsea did have identity. It's just that his United team doesn't. Wrong to say he doesn't have a style of play at all.

What rewards? Arsenal finished second too once, was that progress for them?

Have to disagree with this. Jose knows what style will get him results. As i pointed out he did exactly that to win against these lot last season. He didn't have to go pressing like this to achieve results. We could've played like we played against them last year and would have had a good chance of winning or drawing. The change in the way we played clearly indicates that he wants to make our team quicker, attack well and play good football. That is a change in direction.

He doesn't even know his best XI yet, what makes you think he knows what to do to get results? At the moment he is doing whatever he feels in the vain hope shit sticks.

If this amateurish, awkward pressing for 30 minutes is what you define as quick, exciting football, then the standards are low.

Agree with you on not all the games are going to be like this. The take away is that the manager is trying to induce a change not against some relegation fodder but one of the best teams known for pressing and it was positive(atleast to some of us). This shows that 1) The players are still playing for him 2) The style which was criticized for all season could change for better. The pressing wasn't perfect but as i pointed out earlier its not a On/Off switch the players can do and stop doing. THey will get better when its done more times.

He really wasn't. He was just trying to do something different after the Brighton loss and it backfired horribly. It's like asking Simeone to play Pep-ball, it won't ever work.

The reality is that Jose at the moment, is trying to figure out what to do to get misfiring players like Sanchez, Pogba and his leaky defense to do better. Hence he is trying out things he didn't do for the past 2 years -- like asking them to press. He's getting desperate, that's all there is to it.

And in between the idea of playing Herrera as a CB was his own ego coming in the way, trying to show Woodward how hard-done by he is without the CB signing he wanted. Every bit of selection and tactics is founded on wrong approach.

It has nothing to do with wanting to develop a long term style of play.

What a ridiculous argument. Would you point fingers at city and say they reached record points because 12 teams were battling relegation at one point? You'd be laughed out. If you cannot see the progress after best point tally since SAF retired ,then i cannot help you.

But it's true. Even the likes of Everton were extremely poor. WBA, a usually frustratingly solid mid table team, were relegated (never mind we lost to them too...). It was an unusually weak league last season apart from the top 6. That's why we reached 81 points. If we had teams like Wolves or Fulham last season, I think we would have suffered a bit more.

I'd point fingers at City as well. While they were incredible, this weak league did contribute a bit to their 100 points. A normal strength league and I'd have City at 85-90 points and United at 70-75.

Let's see what City do this season.

That's the difference. We were second best team for most of the season. If we'd dropped out of second plays it would've been unfair because we were the second best team in the league.

Chelsea were creeping up on us and imploded. As it is, their slow start which placed them marginally behind us at 3rd was due to a lack of motivation for Conte as he battled his board. They downed tools in the second part of the season and yet beat us in the FA Cup!

Arsenal -- no explanation required.

Liverpool -- They were horrendous defensively for the 1st part of the season until they signed VvD in January. Post-VvD, they were easily the better team and were close to catching us when Klopp decided he should focus on CL and started resting players.

Spurs -- Only team that we actually did better over the course of the league season.

You can discount the fact that we finished above Chelsea and Liverpool as anomalies due to the above. Look at what's happening this season.

This jargon of "we finished second" is getting tedious. It is quite similar to extraneous circumstances which helped Arsenal to 2nd in Leicester's title winning season.

Never finished this high under LVG nor beat all the teams and the playing style was even worse during LVG. Jose dosen't deserve the hate for getting us second.

Read above. 2nd is not progress. And no, I don't hate Jose. But if he doesn't show a modicum of improvement in the next 5 games, he should be sacked.

 

[Lyng]

he never ceases to amaze me - he will do anything to get sympathy from the gullible fans.He has one card to play and that is to get the fans to feel sorry for him whilst telling everyone about his past achievements.

You can bet that Charlton and Ferguson aren't buying his bullshit - so expect him gone sooner than later unless he performs a Houdini act on the field.

Unless you have some telepathic connection into Jose’s mind, I think it’s very unfair to write of him talking to the disabled fans as trying to win us over.

 

[el3mel]

he never ceases to amaze me - he will do anything to get sympathy from the gullible fans.He has one card to play and that is to get the fans to feel sorry for him whilst telling everyone about his past achievements.

You can bet that Charlton and Ferguson aren't buying his bullshit - so expect him gone sooner than later unless he performs a Houdini act on the field.

Have you ever heard a thing about a word called "humanity" ? There're some things more important in life than fecking football.

 

[Judas]

I’m less Jose out then I was a few days ago, maybe because I know he’s not going anywhere and I really don’t think he’s totally to blame for the mess we’re in.

 

[kouroux]

So in a nutshell nothing is Jose's fault? I'm sure he'd agree..

Some of the comments on that feed.... I mean wtf is wrong the world when a good gesture like what he did is supposed to have a hidden purpose

he never ceases to amaze me - he will do anything to get sympathy from the gullible fans.He has one card to play and that is to get the fans to feel sorry for him whilst telling everyone about his past achievements.

You can bet that Charlton and Ferguson aren't buying his bullshit - so expect him gone sooner than later unless he performs a Houdini act on the field.

feck off. Who the feck are you to know his true intent?

 

[Z1L3]

Jose spent much more money and having much worse squad than Poch?Squad is bad. Who's fault?
And you said Martial had his best season under Jose? How do you rate his performance under Van gaal?
and Lingard, Rashford? Young player keep developing, It makes sense when a player is better at age 23 than at age 21. I don't think you should give credit to Jose for these two young player.

All of you guys who keep thinking that Rashford, Lingard, and Martial are good players are a part of the problem. The board thinks the same and they won't let Mourihno sell them.

Lingard is at least useful because he puts in a lot of effort and is a team player. Martial is a poor man's Balotelli, and Rashford will forever be one of those guys "that never reaches his potential" (when actually he already did).

You keep moaning about Mourihno while at the same time demanding that he delivers results with one hand tied behind his back.

 

[Hitchez]

I still think Jose helped initiate this negative vibe around the club by his constant moods and sulking.

Precisely. I honestly did not think there was a lot to be negative about at the start of the season until Jose opened his mouth. Once Jose ignited the spark the media took it from there.

 

[SirAF]

he never ceases to amaze me - he will do anything to get sympathy from the gullible fans.He has one card to play and that is to get the fans to feel sorry for him whilst telling everyone about his past achievements.

You can bet that Charlton and Ferguson aren't buying his bullshit - so expect him gone sooner than later unless he performs a Houdini act on the field.

*facepalm*

 

[Janson]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Waiting for someone to say he did it to make himself look better.

Edit: Oh wait, someone already did.

 

[MoBeats]

He’s going to get the full-season until it’s impossible to get top 4 or it gets completely ridiculous like his final season at Chelsea. Look at how long we stuck with that utter clown LVG. He won’t walk like he did the first time at Chelsea.

LVG won the FA cup.

 

[Che Guevara]

Mourinho must never go toe-to-toe with the media. He will never win that battle, especially when results are not going his way. He must just remain focused on the team and turn things round.

 

[Janson]

wtf is this post

Clever response there.

 

[T00lsh3d]

Third-season syndrome: how José Mourinho slumped at Madrid and Chelsea

Poor results on the pitch reflected the Portuguese’s increasingly fractious relationships off it, and it seems to be happening again at Manchester United
By Sid Lowe and Dominic Fifield

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ourinho-real-madrid-chelsea-manchester-united

It’s all eerily similar. Falling out with the board. Falling out with key players. Going to war with the media.
This was exactly the kind of shit people feared would happen when we hired him. We need to win today, big time.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Anyway, to the Mourinho in people who struggle to understand why people want him out. Why did you start watching or playing football and start following United? What United sides do you always remember when you look back fondly?

No child grows up and dreams of Mourinho style football. People play football because it's fun for them, they watch it for entertainment and fall in love with their clubs because they are either born into it, or grew up loving how they played. That's why football style will always be so important. That's why its imperative to be entertained. If everybody played like Mourinho, the amount of football fans in this world would dramatically decrease and it would not be the top sport in the world, because it would be so fecking boring almost every game.

Everyone here dreams of the day United return to playing great football and are at the top again. That sure as feck is not going to happen with Mourinho. So people want to move on as soon as possible and get someone in who gives them hope and reasons to be optimistic again.

Mourinho is pragmatic. Give him weak defenders and he will play a defensive team to cover them. Give him good defenders and he will play more progressively and more attacking. He still holds the record for most goals scored in one season at Real Madrid and his Chelsea team played attacking football the last time they won the league.

Your whole point is based on the myth that Mourinho football is always negative. It's only that way when he's not got the quality of players he needs.

 

[JSC]

We weren't good in the first half. We were quicker than usual and pressed, but it was still all over the place, the only reason we created some chances was because Spurs were a bit hesitant, understandably so considering their record at OT isn't good. We basically did the bare basics in the first half and that is being hailed as a masterclass of attacking football because we haven't seen anything remotely like it for quite awhile.

Fred showed he can be a good footballer, but he has not been coached to utilize his skills properly. Individually he looked fine, but was completely out of sync with the rest of the team with respect to what he was doing for the most part.

He's been here for 3 games....

 

[Joseunited]

We're in a mess, I can't see any signs of results improving.The relationship between manager and players is fractious.Go.

 

[WensleyMU]

Some rather strange arguments here from the (insert manager) out brigade. I'm not naming any specific manager because I sense it's a regular occurrence for some. Someone posted an article from The Guardian back in 2005 which I suspect a number of posters here supported. Sad really but hey ho, that's the mindset of a certain football fan I guess

How exactly is Mourinho not a winner with United? He has won two trophies, one of which being the only European trophy any English side has won in recent times. This isn't ancient history, it was a little over a year ago.

Then we have this arguement that "he's signed two centre backs so shouldn't get any more". Strange viewpoint imo. Guardiola has signed 6 defenders in his time at City, 4 centrebacks and 2 fullbacks. I think it's safe to say that in replacing his entire backline he provided the basis for which City were able to attack with freedom. How come Mourinho has to make do wity just 2, 3 including Dalot at right back?

Is it not logical to conclude that a strong defensive base is the foundation on which almost all great sides are based? For sure it's the basis of many of Mourinhos best teams, and it was certainly the basis of United under Sir Alex. So what's changed in that regard?

Few of the arguments made by the manager out brigade add up. Most are simply based on emotional nonsense from fans who, as stated above would depend any manager be sacked after a period of struggle. They unfairly compare us to those who finish above us, spend 100s of millions more, revamp entire squads on a whim or those who have achieved nothing in decades. This goes back well beyond Jose, van Gaal or Moyes. The last few years of Fergies reign had the same noises from a certain section of the fan base, and they reared their ugle heads before that, during any perceived low point for the club.

It's boring. Incessant whining, cries of "boycott", fantasy rewriting of history to suit agenda's. Give it a rest!