Mourinho still getting his players to cheat

[Fernandinho]

Yes, compared to his rivals in the Portuguese league he had what you would call a competitive advantage.

However he won the CL with them in 04 and on that scale, no, they were relative minnows. He did get extremely lucky - United should've knocked them out but had a legitimate goal ruled out for offside when it wasn't, and then with the last kick of the game and Porto going out, Tim Howard dropped a clanger and Porto scored. I remember it well - I was there, in with the in-breds, ready to explode with joy. I vividly remember seeing Mourinho go sprinting down the touchline. I loved him that day, my first encounter with him.

He had a crap load of quality in that squad but? Bosingwa and Deco came from that team didn't they? And I am sure there are others which you win inevitably name now Do you know if he had anything to do with bringing that squad together or he just got lucky with a good team full of young potential...?

[Shaggy]

Deco and Carvalho were already there, I'd be lying if I said I could remember anything else.

[Fernandinho]

Shaggy can't remember every single detail about a club who won a CL in the last 10 years. You must have been smoking a lot that year...

[Craig_H]

Yes, compared to his rivals in the Portuguese league he had what you would call a competitive advantage.

However he won the CL with them in 04 and on that scale, no, they were relative minnows. He did get extremely lucky - United should've knocked them out but had a legitimate goal ruled out for offside when it wasn't, and then with the last kick of the game and Porto going out, Tim Howard dropped a clanger and Porto scored. I remember it well - I was there, in with the in-breds, ready to explode with joy. I vividly remember seeing Mourinho go sprinting down the touchline. I loved him that day, my first encounter with him.

Come on Shaggy, which team wins the CL without getting lucky?

Our win wasnt short of the odd bit of luck along the way

[Shaggy]

I knew someone'd mention that - I was going to caveat the point with "I know everyone needs a bit of luck on the way" but I forgot to put it in and couldn't be ****ed with editing it afterwards.

[The Birdman]

The only thing wrong about what Mourinho did was for it to be so publically blatant, if he is the genius people say he is then surely he would have thought about all the permatations before the game and issued the instructions in the dressing room where it wouldn't have been so bloody obvious.
I remember deliberatly getting booked in a league game 13 years ago to time a suspension 'properly' so I'm 100% sure it still happens all the time.

The problem with what he did was it was so public and obvious

[Fredo]

Mourihno's tactics smacks of nothing really progressive anyway. Put 10 pumped up players behind the ball, defend like the riot police is charging at you then nick a goal. High fives to everyone after the match, what a great manager I am.

[Drago]

Mourihno's tactics smacks of nothing really progressive anyway. Put 10 pumped up players behind the ball, defend like the riot police is charging at you then nick a goal. High fives to everyone after the match, what a great manager I am.

Yip it's that simple. So if Hodgson could just pump his players up he'd be as good as Mourinho. Same tactics you've just described anyway.

[Fredo]

Yip it's that simple. So if Hodgson could just pump his players up he'd be as good as Mourinho. Same tactics you've just described anyway.

That's what they did when they defeated Barca in last year's CL final.

[Drago]

That's what they did when they defeated Barca in last year's CL final.

One game. You don't win league titles if you don't have a hell of a lot more then that in your locker.

[Shaggy]

That's what they did when they defeated Barca in last year's CL final.

That wasn't the final but it was a crime against football. 24% possession, 0 shots on goal, 0 shots on target. There's going away from home and being solid and looking to keep a clean sheet, and then there's that - no interest in going forward or scoring a goal. Basically no attempt to engage in a game of football. I've seen Greece "parking the bus" (ironically a phrase coined by Mourinho when he got all upset that Spurs tried to get a 0-0 - the nerve), I've seen us do it in Europe - we've all seen most teams shut up shop at some point. But that was something else, the single most cynical and negative display I've ever seen.

[Fredo]

Yep, that wasn't the final.

But generally I think Mourihno's teams are even more negative than what Rafa was blamed for. The advantage he had was a more settled team with more world class players, who could change a match. Lampard & Drogba at their peak, Essien etc ... At Madrid, he's not too shabby on that front either.

I am not belittling his achievements, but it's important to level the debate a bit. Good manager undoubtedly, but genius and demi god, **** no.

[Vermilion]

Yep, that wasn't the final.

But generally I think Mourihno's teams are even more negative than what Rafa was blamed for. The advantage he had was a more settled team with more world class players, who could change a match. Lampard & Drogba at their peak, Essien etc ... At Madrid, he's not too shabby on that front either.

I am not belittling his achievements, but it's important to level the debate a bit. Good manager undoubtedly, but genius and demi god, **** no.

If he was that good he'd be confident in his and his teams ability to get results anywhere by playing attacking football.

[Craig_H]

Mourihno's tactics smacks of nothing really progressive anyway. Put 10 pumped up players behind the ball, defend like the riot police is charging at you then nick a goal. High fives to everyone after the match, what a great manager I am.

For someone who has a bit of nous, you dont half sound like an idiot sometimes

33 goals from 12 games hardly equates to '10 behind the ball' tactics.

[Craig_H]

Yep, that wasn't the final.

But generally I think Mourihno's teams are even more negative than what Rafa was blamed for. The advantage he had was a more settled team with more world class players, who could change a match. Lampard & Drogba at their peak, Essien etc ... At Madrid, he's not too shabby on that front either.

I am not belittling his achievements, but it's important to level the debate a bit. Good manager undoubtedly, but genius and demi god, **** no.

Clearly you are.