Mourinho - the honeymoon's over!

jojojo

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Well that was fun.

Rumbles in the press turned into something a little nastier after Madrid's 0-0 draw at the weekend. The worst goalscoring start for a Madrid team in more than 20 years and two goalless draws is their average for a season, not a month. You can imagine the editorials.

So today, things were a little tense at the pre-CL press conference. Pedro Leon got dropped from the squad, according to some rumours for talking too much to the press. After the third question on why Leon had been dropped "Because I didn't want him in the squad for the game" - Mourinho announced, "You'd think we were talking about Zidane, not someone who was playing for Getafe last month."

When they asked him again - Mourinho walked out.

He also said that Benzema's starting tomorrow.
 
"You'd think we were talking about Zidane, not someone who was playing for Getafe last month."

Ouch, that can only be described asbad manmanagement.
 
:lol: fair play Mourinho.

I can imagine Fergie reacting similarly if he was asked the same question 4 times.
 
Chrisjn_ said:
"You'd think we were talking about Zidane, not someone who was playing for Getafe last month."

Ouch, that can only be described asbad manmanagement.
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Maybe so, but Leon's performance was enough to try the patience of a saint which Mourinho is far from. His crossing was diabolical and his impact minimal so I can see why Mourinho would drop him from his squad.

The only complaint I would have is that Benzema should be with him in the stands let alone starting. He's been poor so far.
 
Chrisjn_ said:
"You'd think we were talking about Zidane, not someone who was playing for Getafe last month."

Ouch, that can only be described asbad manmanagement.
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It does for Leon, but it also makes others not want to be at the end of that sort of comment. Works in some environments, don't think it will at Madrid.

Same goes for the "everybody hates us" siege mentality, that won't work for Madrid, they are used to being media darlings, not the opposite. Real fans already look up in arms in the Marca blogs, and Mourinho being Portuguese won't do him any favours either.
 
WireRed said:
Maybe so, but Leon's performance was enough to try the patience of a saint which Mourinho is far from. His crossing was diabolical and his impact minimal so I can see why Mourinho would drop him from his squad.

The only complaint I would have is that Benzema should be with him in the stands let alone starting. He's been poor so far.
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Hmmm, I'd have said Leon was the best thing that happened to Madrid (when he came on as sub) at the weekend. Benzema has looked sharp in his last couple of appearances as a sub, and is worth a start if only to mix things up a bit.

Mourinho's comment on Benzema as starter, "Benzema and ten more. If I was a football reporter, I'd want to know who was being benched - not talk about a player who isn't in the squad."
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Worst goal-scoring start in 20 years? After spending all that money?

Hehe. Gotta love hubris...
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worse than that is, their matches are just boring as feck, their fans have whistled the team more than once

I once thought Capello's Madrid was the most boring I've seen but this one makes that look like Barcelona or something

Jose has to really pull a rabbit out of the hat and fast, not one of his Chelsea teams or Inter ones were THIS boring, andit doesn't add up because they have more attacking flair than any of those teams now.

It's all just bizaare, it might be the first time in his career Mourinho is completely lost for words
 
Oh dear. This is what happens when a president is deciding on players to buy. Pedro Leon was definitely one of those.

And its funny really because they look a better team with his natural width down the right. But he's not famous enough to start over Di Maria.
 
jojojo said:
Hmmm, I'd have said Leon was the best thing that happened to Madrid (when he came on as sub) at the weekend. Benzema has looked sharp in his last couple of appearances as a sub, and is worth a start if only to mix things up a bit.

Mourinho's comment on Benzema as starter, "Benzema and ten more. If I was a football reporter, I'd want to know who was being benched - not talk about a player who isn't in the squad."
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Apart from the clever through ball for Higuain in the last minute, nearly every Madrid attack broke down because of Leon's poor delivery/final pass.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Worst goal-scoring start in 20 years? After spending all that money?

Hehe. Gotta love hubris...
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I know. I'm pretty sure even I could make a team with Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema etc in it reasonably exciting, but they're not scoring that much, and if you ask me that's a major fail on Mourinho's part. All those millions and they can't score.
 
MrsGiggs said:
I know. I'm pretty sure even I could make a team with Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema etc in it reasonably exciting, but they're not scoring that much, and if you ask me that's a major fail on Mourinho's part. All those millions and they can't score.
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is not Mourinho's fault, Ronaldo and Higuain are missing five goals per match.
 
MrsGiggs said:
I know. I'm pretty sure even I could make a team with Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema etc in it reasonably exciting, but they're not scoring that much, and if you ask me that's a major fail on Mourinho's part. All those millions and they can't score.
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It's not that simple. They are virtually a team divided in terms of their linking of the lines and fluidity. It's virtually 6 players in one half and 4 attackers left to their own devices in the other half.

Mourinho will get them going, of that there is no doubt IMO. If they give him the time required he'll get them to start functioning as a unit but it'll take time for his philosophy to get bought into by every member of that ego packed squad.

It took him a full season to mould Inter to his satisfaction and I'd not be surprised to see it take at least as long as that with Madrid. He's got the defence sorted, now he needs to address the issue of getting them to play as a team rather than a set of two. It might take months on the training ground and a few new faces to get it the way he wants, he could do with shipping out a few midfielders and replacing them and he has already demanded a striker of some substance ASAP.
 
WireRed said:
It's not that simple. They are virtually a team divided in terms of their linking of the lines and fluidity. It's virtually 6 players in one half and 4 attackers left to their own devices in the other half.

Mourinho will get them going, of that there is no doubt IMO. If they give him the time required he'll get them to start functioning as a unit but it'll take time for his philosophy to get bought into by every member of that ego packed squad.

It took him a full season to mould Inter to his satisfaction and I'd not be surprised to see it take at least as long as that with Madrid. He's got the defence sorted, now he needs to address the issue of getting them to play as a team rather than a set of two. It might take months on the training ground and a few new faces to get it the way he wants, he could do with shipping out a few midfielders and replacing them and he has already demanded a striker of some substance ASAP.
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would Jose be given that time though?, unlike in his first season in Serie A, he's not up against a team like Barca that drop points once in a bluemoon
 
Give him time, player's do not change their philosophy overnight. Getting players to come around to the Mourinho way of thinking probably takes a good while.
 
Boss said:
would Jose be given that time though?, unlike in his first season in Serie A, he's not up against a team like Barca that drop points once in a bluemoon
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That's the big question. If Madrid stay patient(a big IF) and supply him with the players that he identifies to strengthen the squad, then he'll deliver success.

He can still win the championship and CL this season but I think the time to judge Mourinho is next season(that's if Perez can withstand the tumescent football they are producing at this moment in time).
 
WireRed said:
That's the big question. If Madrid stay patient(a big IF) and supply him with the players that he identifies to strengthen the squad, then he'll deliver success.

He can still win the championship and CL this season but I think the time to judge Mourinho is next season(that's if Perez can withstand the tumescent football they are producing at this moment in time).
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man if there's one thing Perez can't stand it's shit football

this must be tearing him up inside
 
I believe he will, usually the key to La Liga are the derbies but this year it is shaping up a little different. It looks like Valencia will be a tough cookie. It's only early days and they aren't that far off the pace(they are only a point off Barcalona). Barca's defence has always looked shaky yet gotten away with it but this year thy look like they might get exposed. It's all a little premature, you'd swear they were 10 points off the pace. One of Mourinho's greatest assets has been getting the results while still winning a team around to his way.

Also Mourinho will do the double over Barca this year!
 
Boss said:
Madrid was not going to score before Pedro came on, they didn't look like it at all, it's just a scapegoat which makes me feel sad for the lad
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I don't believe for one moment that Leon got dropped because of his 30 minutes against Levante. He improved the team. The gossip runs that Mourinho has been complaining about too many dressing room leaks (about half time talks etc). On Sunday the press thought Leon could be a starter against Auxerre - on Monday he gets dropped completely - the speculation is that Mourinho has decided it was young Leon who talked.

Oddly enough a lot of Mourinho's problems seem to be coming from trying to play a 4-4-2 which actually looks like a 6---------2-1(Ozil)-1(Higuain) on the field. They've only let in one goal this season, and Casillas has had nothing to do, but that front 4 of Madrid have been hopelessly out numbered in attack. I reckon they'll drop an attacker, go to 4-3-3 and start scoring - just like they did last season.
 
Boss said:
man if there's one thing Perez can't stand it's shit football

this must be tearing him up inside
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I think after the embarrassing last few years trophies are on the mind more than the beautiful game, the interesting aspect of this of course is when/if Mourinho wins them trophies what then? Capello anybody?

Edit: Actually that is a little bit of bullshit because after Christmas Capello's Madrid played some nice football.
 
jojojo said:
I don't believe for one moment that Leon got dropped because of his 30 minutes against Levante. He improved the team. The gossip runs that Mourinho has been complaining about too many dressing room leaks (about half time talks etc). On Sunday the press thought Leon could be a starter against Auxerre - on Monday he gets dropped completely - the speculation is that Mourinho has decided it was young Leon who talked.

Oddly enough a lot of Mourinho's problems seem to be coming from trying to play a 4-4-2 which actually looks like a 6---------2-1(Ozil)-1(Higuain) on the field. They've only let in one goal this season, and Casillas has had nothing to do, but that front 4 of Madrid have been hopelessly out numbered in attack. I reckon they'll drop an attacker, go to 4-3-3 and start scoring - just like they did last season.
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very true, good analysis, I think it could be Higuain to take the plunge for some reason
 
Mick1991 said:
I think after the embarrassing last few years trophies are on the mind more than the beautiful game, the interesting aspect of this of course is when/if Mourinho wins them trophies what then? Capello anybody?
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he was sacked mainly for his Shit football, Emerson and Diarra in midfield was absolute criminal by Capello
 
After Christmas they played some good stuff Boss, it was a combination of things but in effect he was used to win a trophy and then shipped out because of his approach to the game and the fact that he was bursting the bubble of the Galactico era with his interviews.
 
Mick1991 said:
After Christmas they played some good stuff Boss, it was a combination of things but in effect he was used to win a trophy and then shipped out because of his approach to the game and the fact that he was bursting the bubble of the Galactico era with his interviews.
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Fair play, so far I'd watch that Madrid over this one evey day of the week, even when Emerson was getting whistled out of the stadium!
 
There were similar threads on here and similar complaints (fighting with Italian media) from Italy and Inter fans when he was at Inter. They all thought he'd lost the plot and laughed at him being the so called special one.

And then there was his big final feck you to everyone in Italy and his critics outside. He won everything there was to win.

He'll come good. In that respect he's a bit like Fergie. He'll almost always have the last laugh.
 
Kevin said:
There were similar threads on here and similar complaints (fighting with Italian media) from Italy and Inter fans when he was at Inter. They all thought he'd lost the plot and laughed at him being the so called special one.

And then there was his big final feck you to everyone in Italy and his critics outside. He won everything there was to win.

He'll come good. In that respect he's a bit like Fergie. He'll almost always have the last laugh.
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In his second season, after coming up short on his promises the first time around. If like with Inter, in his first season he doesnt take Madrid far in the champions league or win the league, he will not be given the chance to come good in year 2.
 
Ekeke said:
In his second season, after coming up short on his promises the first time around. If like with Inter, in his first season he doesnt take Madrid far in the champions league or win the league, he will not be given the chance to come good in year 2.
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I'll bet they'll keep him around longer than the previous 10 managers, he's a star himself. Unless he's had enough himself and quits.
 
Boss said:
he was sacked mainly for his Shit football, Emerson and Diarra in midfield was absolute criminal by Capello
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And they yet looked better than the current shower of shite :lol:

Last years team was really good. Pellegrini was quite unfairly sacked. Mourinho will do well to match Pellegrini's La Liga performances of last year
 
Madrid fantasizes of Barcelona football.They're dreaming to combine great football and trophies but only truly exceptional teams can do it
 
kouroux said:
Madrid fantasizes of Barcelona football.They're dreaming to combine great football and trophies but only truly exceptional teams can do it
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They do, but they don't admit it.

They said last season they liked their more direct way of playing but it's all nonsense really. Not that they didn't play some superb stuff last season, don't get me wrong.
 
kouroux said:
Madrid fantasizes of Barcelona football.They're dreaming to combine great football and trophies but only truly exceptional teams can do it
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They had a period during the Galactico era in which they were, IMO, far more spectacular to watch in attack than Barca.
 
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