That, and the players they had at the time all aligned with an approach based on defending and counter attacking. Lampard always played best as an AM behind the striker, Terry was never fast enough to risk exposing him with an attacking midfield, and in Makelele they had perhaps the best holding midfielder of all time. When you inherit players like those, it would be the height of naivety to try and be expansive and attacking - if you play full on SAF style attack then Makalele will be out of the game half the time and Lampard will have no space. Much better to do what Mourinho did which was put a top class defender alongside Terry, get a big beast of a striker to hold it up in attack, and get a couple of pacy players to run off him and make the space for Lampard. Likewise, at Real when he inherited a team with a core of Alonso, Ronaldo and Benzema it was always going to be a case of building a more attacking side, and scoring over 100 goals as a result. Ultimately Mourinho has always been a pragmatist - he will take the best approach he feels will win games based on the team he has. Although that does raise questions about how attack minded he would be at Utd, given how thin we are up front at the moment and the presence of both Carrick and Schweinsteiger in midfield.
Didn't Chelsea score record number goals in one of the league campaigns? Then they had free flowing style last season. Of course Mourinho parked the bus when he played top teams but that's not reflective of how they played across 38 games. I personally prefer that to gung-ho bs football that's more or less based on toss of a coin.
Jose does not play free flowing football, unless he has a decent team, thats why Chavbus are called Chavbus
That was under Ancelotti. Mourinho's side scored a decent number of goals in both his spells, certainly more than we have done for the past two seasons, and look like doing this season. The main difference is that Mourinho's Chelsea built from the back much more effectively that we do right now - Mourinho actually had an effective strategy to score goals unlike LVG who seems to have no idea how to use our defence as the basis for any form of attack.
The loss today just brought Jose closer to Manchester. No need waiting for Pep unless he has committed to come in the summer. Then have Giggs as interim.
Would Jose leave London to move to the North West? I would expect that he's got his eye on the Arsenal job sometime in the future as Wenger's reign seems to be crumbling.
By what name would the masses call the Messiah - the specially chosen one/eventually chosen one/no other one ...
We won't be signing Jose I believe but at least we know he wants the job... Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon told Sky Sports News HQ on Monday he believes Jose Mourinho would have been the best option to replace Benitez. "People were very unhappy when Ancelotti was sacked," Calderon said. "He [Benitez] wasn't the first option, and the main problem is the president doesn't know which coach to choose. "Zidane was a great, great player but he's been coaching for only two years. So perhaps it's too much to give him the responsibility of Real Madrid. "It's his best option [to get Mourinho]. I think for Mourinho it's a difficult moment to decide, but I'm sure the president has offered it to him. Maybe Mourinho is waiting for Manchester United, it's been his main aim."
It would be gentlemanly of you to inform the Chelsea board of this, it may make it easier for them to forget him
Sacking Ancelotti was madness by Real. Appointing that useless table serving **** was even more insane. He was way out of his depth at Real. I doubt Mourinho would go back. He's waited his whole career to manage Manchester United, why tie himself into another contract now?
If one or two papers are to be believed Woodward approached Ancelotti in November to sound him out about taking over in the Summer. That would pre date much of our worst form - god knows what Woodward is thinking now.
Agreed, It was also madness by Chelsea. Our only league and FA cup double and a record number of goals. Then he gets sacked because he finishes 2nd to a City side who had spent a bajillion pounds the next season. Didn't agree with his sacking at all. Roman was ****ing nuts! Scrub that, it was United who beat us to the title the following season Fergie power.
You finished second to a United side whose big summer signings were Chris Smalling, a Little Pea and Bebe.
Yeah I remembered when I just posted it. No accounting for Fergie power though, he could take a Sunday league side to the FA cup final.
Moyes is coming back!! UiR will commit suicide http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/footba...bc_sport&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport