I think this is the problem we have with English football - we prefer fast aggressive football. So much so, that we will compensate tactical discipline. Fans will look at Mourinho and Benitez and call them boring - I see football in a different light. For me, the PL is one of the worst leagues (technically). It's certainly exciting but the standard of defending is truly shocking . Only Mourinho's Chelsea can stand toe to toe with top teams in Europe because he understands that good teams are built from the back, and he's been successful. Being able to defend as a unit is a skill and an art which is simply not valued in this country. I've mentioned before that the majority of the greatest teams in history have solid defensive units - Pep's Barca, Sacchi's Milan, Capello's Milan, Cryuff/Michel's Ajax.
It certainly was until relatively recently. We've produced some of the most turgid defence minded sides in history on these shores, only the Italians can claim to have bored more fans than we have Even the early Ferguson years at United were built on a solid 4-4-2 that attacked and defended as a complete unit, leaving little space between the lines. If you watched them from behind the goal they reminded me of a Roman battlion in their pomp, as their shape was always perfect.
It's funny because last year - I was very much all about how football should be entertaining and scoring goals. But had we drew against chelsea, when Mourinho practically offered us the draw - we would have been champions. And that one match changed my outlook on the game. Play to win. Not entertain.
Yup, everyone harks on about the Palace game but it was against a Chelsea side that was time wasting from the first minute that we lost it. It was naivety of the highest order imo. That said, I wouldn't swap the rest of the season.....it was like a breath of fresh air......it's just about horses for courses......hopefully, BR will have learnt from it
But that was a very poor tactical decision from Rodgers. He should have just mirrored their **** as ONE POINT WOULD HAVE DONE
Sums you up lad. Good football brings it's own joy, 90 minutes of it, instead of the fleeting bragging rights and the short lived joy of the final whistle when you won, after that it's lording it up over others, not something I am interested in, but I know you ****ing are Still, the final of a tourney is different, you do what you need to to win, Jose did that. Job done, personally I don't find anything wrong with Play it tight and see if we can grab a goal at the other end. Pragmatic, not tactical brilliance, not original, the difference is, Jose gets 300m teams playing like that and it works, he'd not be nearly as successful without the billions he's spent overall, and it must be in the billions now. In that contex how could you even compare Jose to any manager who has not had that kind of money to spend? I'll believe his brilliance if he manages Stoke and wins the PL after only spending 15or 20 million the summer before. From Porto to Chelsea 2nd time, he's had more resources available than any other manager in the league he's been managing in.
He won the Champions league with Porto with a team that, when he inherited it, was mid table. That earned him the right to play in the big league with big money......but having money is one thing, using it wisely and continuing to win is another. There are plenty of managers that make the step up but struggle. Has he outspent BR in his time back at the club? Has he bought cast iron certainties that can slot into his first team? The fact that he attracts top footballers tells you a story in itself. I rate him very highly. I don't always like his antics or his tactics but just about everything he does is to gain an advantage for his team and to win. It's hard to knock that.
Joining the thread late but you can say you like attractive football etc but you anti footballed your way to the final in 2004-2005 cl win. Rafa is as negative as Mourinho.
