Mourinho - the honeymoon's over!

It was nothing of the sort. Admittedly I only watched the second half but they conceded chance after chance and only the width of the post stopped them going a goal down before Di Maria finally scored (a goal which should never have been allowed because Ramos handled the ball in the build-up) It was also an incredibly mundane display of football from Madrid, bearing in mind the talent at Mourinho's disposal. Dull dull dull. I guess you can expect that from a team under his management but the defensive frailties were a bit of a shock tbh.

It might have been an encouraging result but it certainly wasn't an encouraging performance.

Encouraging result was what I meant, we've not seen wins like that from Madrid very often since 2004, they've been woeful away from home in this competition, and obviously that needs improving if they're to have any chance.

How often do we go away from home though, and play dull football? Play to stop the opposition from playing and hoping to nick a goal? We're very good at it, there's no-one better, and I have no complaints. We could play much better football away from home in the CL than we do, especially with the talent at our disposal, but that's not how you go about winning Champions League titles. Mourinho more than mosts knows this, having won 2 already.
 
Esmufc loves Mourinho so much he watches every Madrid game now, bless, he has never defended anyone including people from United as much. Madrid are playing good football in some games according to him, in complete contrast to what the Spanish media and Real fans are saying. Why do you love him so esmufc? Why don't you support Madrid until he comes here?

I don't watch Madrid every game, I try and watch them and Barca as much as i can though.

I don't love Mourinho, I admire him as a manager and respect what he's achieved already in his managerial career considering the man is just 47. He's a fantastic manager with a brilliant charisma and personality to match.

How many Madrid games have you watched this season?
 
I watched two of their games in which they scored no goals and were pretty dire. I've seen enough of Chelsea. Porto and Inter game in the past to know what Jose is all about.

Are you going the respond the the two statements I made?

How come you have never defended a United player or Manager as much as Mourinho? Also how come you're defending the quailty of football they are playing despite the Spainish public and Madrid fans disagreeing with you?

I'm not trying to erm attack you but I think you're love for Mourinho is a little odd.
 
I watched two of their games in which they scored no goals and were pretty dire. I've seen enough of Chelsea. Porto and Inter game in the past to know what Jose is all about.

Are you going the respond the the two statements I made?

How come you have never defended a United player or Manager as much as Mourinho? Also how come you're defending the quailty of football they are playing despite the Spainish public and Madrid fans disagreeing with you?

I'm not trying to erm attack you but I think you're love for Mourinho is a little odd.

I don't really understand your first point, I'd say I've defended Berbatov a hell of a lot in the past though. And why would I need to defend SAF?

I'm not defending the quality of football, I just don't think it's as bad as some are making out. It's not the best, but you can't expect a new manager to come in along with a bunch of new players and for them to hit the ground running.
 
Yeah, Elvis does seem a bit infatuated with Mourinho. He's been vehemently defending him in the Mourinho threads I've seen anyway.

I just think he gets a lot of harsh stick, and I'm also pretty certain he's going to be our next manager, so I show an interest.
 
I don't really understand your first point, I'd say I've defended Berbatov a hell of a lot in the past though. And why would I need to defend SAF?

I'm not defending the quality of football, I just don't think it's as bad as some are making out. It's not the best, but you can't expect a new manager to come in along with a bunch of new players and for them to hit the ground running.

Just two questions, in the main do you think Jose plays negative football? And would you like watching negative winning football week in week out despite what United stands for?
 
Just two questions, in the main do you think Jose plays negative football? And would you like watching negative winning football week in week out despite what United stands for?

Fergie has played negative football many times. What United "stands for" is winning...Unless you live in la la land with your fingers in your ears imagining we've been playing like Playstation football for the last 4 years. Personally I hate time wasting keep ball in the corner when we're only a goal up, that's not what United stand for, but it happens every single time we're one up ...We haven't played great attacking football regularly since 06/07 and haven't been a great, fluid, attacking side since the early 00s...That whole argument is complete nonsense. Buzz words and memories.

I actually agree with elmo, Mourinho gets unwarrented stick when things aren't going his way (which is rarely)...Stick almost any other manager wouldn't get after FOUR GAMES. Try talking the same shit about SAF four games into a new season, let alone with a new club and see you get laughed at...and rightly.
 
there's been a lot of cosying up between Sir Alex. and Jose and I'd say his influence is more important than Sir Robert's. I'd be interested in Sir Ryan's views though

:)

for me, Jose's recent comments that he couldn't take the Liverpool job but "can't say why" sealed it for me.
 
Fergie has played negative football many times. What United "stands for" is winning...Unless you live in la la land with your fingers in your ears imagining we've been playing like Playstation football for the last 4 years. Personally I hate time wasting keep ball in the corner when we're only a goal up, that's not what United stand for, but it happens every single time we're one up ...We haven't played great attacking football regularly since 06/07 and haven't been a great, fluid, attacking side since the early 00s...That whole argument is complete nonsense. Buzz words and memories.

I actually agree with elmo, Mourinho gets unwarrented stick when things aren't going his way (which is rarely)...Stick almost any other manager wouldn't get after FOUR GAMES. Try talking the same shit about SAF four games into a new season, let alone with a new club and see you get laughed at...and rightly.

Quite right.

Wasn't it Spalletti who said United were the most Italian side he'd ever seen (after we'd turned them over ... again!)?
 
Fergie has played negative football many times. What United "stands for" is winning...Unless you live in la la land with your fingers in your ears imagining we've been playing like Playstation football for the last 4 years. Personally I hate time wasting keep ball in the corner when we're only a goal up, that's not what United stand for, but it happens every single time we're one up ...We haven't played great attacking football regularly since 06/07 and haven't been a great, fluid, attacking side since the early 00s...That whole argument is complete nonsense. Buzz words and memories.

I actually agree with elmo, Mourinho gets unwarrented stick when things aren't going his way (which is rarely)...Stick almost any other manager wouldn't get after FOUR GAMES. Try talking the same shit about SAF four games into a new season, let alone with a new club and see you get laughed at...and rightly.


I have said this many times Mockney, alot of posters dont seem to get it; or maybe some of them would have rather us draw a stunning 7-7 match today in Valencia than sneak out a 1-0 winner in a hard fought boring shit match...
 
Just two questions, in the main do you think Jose plays negative football? And would you like watching negative winning football week in week out despite what United stands for?

In the main, no I do not. The problem is a lot of people who are criticising his football are going back to his last 12 months at Chelsea as a basis for that. Pogue himself has admitted he barely watched Inter, yet tells us all Mourinho's football is extremely boring, dull and negative. How does he know if he doesn't watch it regularly? He's probably seen Inter in the CL, in which they play pretty much exactly the way we played last night. But when we do it we're efficient and it's necessary to win, when a Mourinho team does it it's boring, boring, boring. But we don't mind playing like that so long as we win, do we?

I watched Inter probably around 15-20 times last season and very few times did I find them boring. They have a very good side, a very disciplined side but a side that knows how to play football. Against Milan for example they were outstanding, even when down to ten. I think it was a game v Sampdoria in which they played very well in too (Though it did take a last minute goal to win).

So no, 'on the whole' I do not think Mourinho plays negative football. It's just a lot of people on here only see his teams in the bigger games, and in the bigger games teams will adopt a more cautious approach. If teams had watched us only in the CL these last 3 years would they be all that impressed? There's perhaps a handful of games you could pick out and say, "That was a great performance.", but there aren't many.

That sort of answers your second point aswell. We've had some enthralling games this season, but only because our defence has been woeful. I'd rather have beaten Fulham, Everton and Bolton 1-0 and sit at the top of the league than have had 3 (very exciting) draws.

And Mockney's right in saying the last time we played consistently good football was 06/07, and even at the back-end of that season we were poor. We didn't score a goal from open play in the last month, and we kind of scraped past the line. 07/08 we were mixed, 08/09 we were pretty dire, 09/10 we were mixed again, this season we've done very well, from an attacking sense.

Fair enough if you don't like Mourinho, he's a love/hate character really, and I have no problem with that. My problem at the minute is he's being judged after 7 games, 7 games! Jesus Christ it took Sir Alex 6 years to really get United going. You wonder if in this day and age if he'd have even been given half of that.

Even with the quotes from Sir Bob?

Yes, of course a lot may change between now and when Fergie stands down (End of this season if we win a PL or CL).
 
5-0 so far, despite some misplaced passes, this is the best they have played all season

Knew it was only a matter of time before they clicked in the attacking department, too many quality players not to.

He's sorted out their defence from day one and so the more time he spends with the players there, the bigger the threat they'll become in La Liga and Europe.

He's too good a coach and they are too good a squad to be kept down for long although it'll still be a while longer before they are totally his Madrid.
 
They are playing an utterly woeful team though. When they start putting in performances away from home we'll know more.

They've played 3 away games, winning 1 of them. Whilst they've not been convincing away from home they've been solid in defence but uninspired in attack. It reminds me a lot of Chelsea in 04/05, they weren't very good at all until around October (When Robben returned from injury), and then they really pushed on.
 
They've played 3 away games, winning 1 of them. Whilst they've not been convincing away from home they've been solid in defence but uninspired in attack. It reminds me a lot of Chelsea in 04/05, they weren't very good at all until around October (When Robben returned from injury), and then they really pushed on.

What does Mourinho's record at home stand at now? Even more ridiculous given the different clubs it is with.
 
What does Mourinho's record at home stand at now? Even more ridiculous given the different clubs it is with.

139 games unbeaten now. 38 with Porto (Won 36, drew 2), 60 with Chelsea (Won 46, drew 14), 38 with Inter (Won 29, drew 9) and 3 (Won 3) with Madrid.
 
I actually think there's a few people on here who have started watching every Madrid game this season, purely because Mourinho is in charge.

How very odd.

I've just about come to term with player fanbois but this manager fanboi phenomenon is weird as feck. All the more so when said manager has never and might never manage Manchester United. Bizarre.
 
I actually think there's a few people on here who have started watching every Madrid game this season, purely because Mourinho is in charge.

How very odd.

I've just about come to term with player fanbois but this manager fanboi phenomenon is weird as feck. All the more so when said manager has never and might never manage Manchester United. Bizarre.

Yeah, football fans watching football. Who'd have thought!
 
139 games unbeaten now. 38 with Porto (Won 36, drew 2), 60 with Chelsea (Won 46, drew 14), 38 with Inter (Won 29, drew 9) and 3 (Won 3) with Madrid.

that's absolutely insane, Barca have the best chance of ending it this year, el clasico should be very interesting with the contrast of styles, last years was a dissapointment,both times
 
that's absolutely insane, Barca have the best chance of ending it this year, el clasico should be very interesting with the contrast of styles, last years was a dissapointment,both times

The last few have been disappointing. The last great one was the 6-1, before that the 3-3 (Before the ref ruined it by sending off someone - can't remember who).
 
The last few have been disappointing. The last great one was the 6-1, before that the 3-3 (Before the ref ruined it by sending off someone - can't remember who).

3-3 was in 2006/07, the ref decided to send off Oleguer (the guy with the beard, what ever happened to him anyway) before half time, Messi scored a hatrick and scored in the last min, that was a fantastic game
 
I actually think there's a few people on here who have started watching every Madrid game this season, purely because Mourinho is in charge.

How very odd.

I've just about come to term with player fanbois but this manager fanboi phenomenon is weird as feck. All the more so when said manager has never and might never manage Manchester United. Bizarre.
What's the need for that Pogue? The Barca game got posted about with people praising Messi, and then it happened with the Real game. These are teams a lot of people who like football watch.

How can you just come across 'player fanbois'? People have always had their idols and always will. It's good to have an idol growing up. A lot of people here are very young.
 
Catch many Real Madrid games last season, did you?

I don't think you've missed one in 10/11.

Not last season no, I was at my student halls and couldn't get Sky Sports there. And I detest watching football on streams, so didn't tune in to many. Managed to catch a couple of the El Classico's in the pub.

I watched plenty of them and Barca in 06/07, 07/08 and 08/09 though. Is that OK?
 
I'm enjoying La Liga this year. Last year we didn't get La Liga so this year I'm making sure I watch as much as I can.
 
a few games in and neither Barca or Madrid are sitting on top of the table :eek:, Spanish football is making progress all round it seems
I'm just enjoying the fact that I can watch it. Given that the best players ply their trade there it was criminal for me to not be able to watch it.
 
What do you find odd exactly?

First, that you seem absolutely convinced Mourinho's the next United manager. Second, because of this you've decided to start watching every game his team plays and resolutely defend any criticism of him, on any level. How will you feel if we offer anyone else the job instead?
 
First, that you seem absolutely convinced Mourinho's the next United manager.

Why is that odd? I'm not alone in thinking this (Check the odds from the bookmakers for our next manager, most if not all have Mourinho as the favourite).

Second, because of this you've decided to start watching every game his team plays and resolutely defend any criticism of him, on any level. How will you feel if we offer anyone else the job instead?

I've not watched every game. I didn't watch every Inter game, I haven't watched every Madrid game.

And it depends who we offer it too.