2015/16 English Premier League

[Gatsby]

When I once read someone describe existence as a Sunderland fan as equivalent to "screaming constantly into a pillow for 9 months a year" I thought he was exaggerating.

[Halie Satanus]

Had to listen to the game on the radio today. Sounded like the lads haven't quite come back from the holidays and ran out of steam by half time, at the end we we're holding on for dear life. Wenger seems to think we can get a lead and throw on Arteta and Gibbs to hold out, if he keeps doing that it's going to be a long long season. Coq played a blinder but it sounds like teams have sussed he's more blood and guts than controlled holding player, not a bad thing but against shrewder opponents he's going to take a lot of bookings. If only the transfer window were open so Wenger could get in someone with a bit more nous..

[snuggans]

what a wake-up call for Chelsea, the absence of the Eva effect is having its consequences. #BringBackEva

[Petrucci]

What a awesome way to start season. 1 point in two games.

[Gatsby]

Mourinho's post match interview was hilariously deluded.


The thing about Mourinho is that when he wins (or draws against any half decent side) its all about his tactical genius and his system and organisation and how he controls games. When he loses, its individual mistakes: Terry is scapegoated for the Aguero goal and he then throws Ivanovic under the bus for the 2nd and 3rd goals.

You can look at almost any goal in any match and find an individual who could have prevented it: the fact is that Mourinho's whole set up was totally stale and inadequate, against an opponent who had 1 new transfer on the pitch (against Chelsea's 2 so he cant say its because he needs players) and they were totally outplayed.

He then insists his defensive alterations worked when they led to Chelsea letting a 1-0 loss develop into a 3-0 demolition.


Really dont think that Mourinho will stay past next season. He might win this season but he cant keep the goods coming consistently at one club. In England it seems like people have worked out how to beat his bus parking, like the rest of Europe.

[Petrucci]

Pretty harsh comments on Mou IMO.

[Gatsby]

Perhaps I'm ranting a little but I feel my points are valid.

It just irks me because all of his antics and disrespect and lack of class is always justified under the pretext of his need to protect Chelsea and deflect attention.

He totally unfairly punished his medical team after the Swansea match (in which 2-2 was very flattering to Chelsea), but still one could say he successfully deflected attention from his player's under-performance.

Now today he is totally outwitted by Pellegrini and his team is very poor largely thanks to clear tactical weaknesses like Ivanovic being pitted against another pacy winger having been clearly skinned by Montero last week (btw good luck to him against Bolasie and Zaha next week), Fabregas clearly struggling as a DM, Ramires on the right wing, etc. etc. and once again he insists there was nothing wrong with the tactics or the selection, but his team lost because Terry is too slow to deal with Aguero and Ivanovic made two mistakes, otherwise he was totally in control!

And now nothing can be said but that all of his antics are to deflect attention not from his club (which he had made a national laughing stock with the medics fiasco) or his players (as he openly criticised two of his most reliable stalwarts in his interview) but to distract attention from the fact that tactically Mourinho has been out of ideas since the middle of last season. He crawled over the finish line and he has no idea how to revitalise his team without another transfer splurge. To him, the club means nothing, his most loyal players mean nothing, his whole persona is just a charade to make sure that nobody notices his glaring errors and that his reputation as the world's best coach (despite not achieving anything spectacular since his treble/spending orgy in 2010) is not too badly damaged before he can engineer a move away to wherever the next big gold rush is for a few years.

Edit: some say that Mourinho is not being given much of a war chest because Abramovich wants to be prudent until the Bridge can be redeveloped; he wants results based on moderate spending and youth development.

Why did he bring Mourinho back then?

To be fair Baba might make a fairly big impact. He can play on the left and provide an actual wide option and Azpi can revert to his natural position, letting Ivanovic operate as another CB option. But then, he had Filipe Luis last year (who is twice the player Baba is) and still he stuck with the awkward combo of Azpi-Ivanovic.

[Ybbon]

Yeah, just watched highlights on MotD and Chelsea were probably lucky to lose only 3-0, Begovic made some cracking saves especially in the first half.

[Mary The Quene]

Ivanovic is playing so badly...........

[Halie Satanus]

Having seen the highlights. City were just better than Chelsea, a lot better. Still expect city to dip mid season especially if they get injuries to Aguero or Kompany...

[Gatsby]

Btw to counterbalance my self righteous ranting I would like to hold my hands up as I said a few weeks back that City were a declining team and would be the weakest of last season's top 4.

At least I put Aguero in my fantasy football team.

[Knight of Heaven]

It just irks me because all of his antics and disrespect and lack of class...

Ah! i understood that from the first post is very obviously bias againts Mourinho.

i didnt see the match so i cant talk about what went wrong, but Mou isnt unbeatable, never was, and i tought by now people would took what he says publicly with a grain of salt. he just a character.... if you think he is something you should see Jorge Jesus....

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

At anycase im not without bias..... since im eternaly gratefull to Mourinho, for what he did with Porto, but still, i think there is a lot of exageration about him as midia is concerned in England. ( In spain was even worse).

Really dont think that Mourinho will stay past next season. He might win this season but he cant keep the goods coming consistently at one club.

Get real, no one can. And that is more true in the case of premier league... Still earlier to see how things will play out for Mou and Chelsea.
Wenger doesnt bring the goods for decades, and is still manager somehow.... what you say is relative... to begin with. But its the usual rethoric of a non Chelsea supporter. ( I mean its the usual rethoric of Rival suporters of any club anyway) For decades i have been hearing of the demise of Porto and its decline in Portuguese football from rival suporters. Even years before Mourinho time and those arguments are more underlined when Porto loses, naturaly.... The hard truth is you dont know how this things will play out, no one does. Its one of the beautifull things of Football.
Btw mourinho teams, werent always with the parking bus, i also think that doesnt define acurately Chelsea tactics all the time imo.



About the Eva incident, i must be of the few that actualy think both sides of the story have valid reasonable points.
Still Mourinho didnt pulled a "Guardiola", and had the Doctor fired after a defeat....

[Gatsby]

Wenger may not have won a league in yonks, but he sacrificed his prime years as a manager to help see his club through a period of wholesale modernisation and stadium transfer, and sustained Arsenal's status as a top European club with almost no investment and a massive focus on youth development.

Wenger may not have been able to what Mourinho has done given the same resources, but you can bet your boots that Mourinho would never have been able to do what Wenger has done, and he won't do it at Chelsea. He will leave having failed to properly bring through a single youth player and Abramovich will find someone else to see them through any redevelopment of Stamford Bridge.


In 80 years Arsenal fans will sit inside Wenger's legacy with Arsenal, Chelsea fans will look at a line on their Wikipedia page at Mourinho's legacy with Chelsea. Di Matteo will be more fondly remembered, and that's the really funny thing. He achieved something 10x as special as anything Mourinho can hope to do with them, and that's even with all the crap he spouts about how much he loves Chelsea.

[Knight of Heaven]

Wenger may not have been able to what Mourinho has done given the same resources, but you can bet your boots that Mourinho would never have been able to do what Wenger has done....

You cant be serious. Or you simply dont know his historial. Besides his more recent past.

He will leave having failed to properly bring through a single youth player and Abramovich will find someone else to see them through any redevelopment of Stamford Bridge.

I understand that is your wish. But as much as you wish it doesnt make it true by default. And he never brought a single youth player? what the hell are you smoking man?

In 80 years Arsenal fans will sit inside Wenger's legacy with Arsenal, Chelsea fans will look at a line on their Wikipedia page at Mourinho's legacy with Chelsea. Di Matteo will be more fondly remembered, and that's the really funny thing. He achieved something 10x as special as anything Mourinho can hope to do with them, and that's even with all the crap he spouts about how much he loves Chelsea.

I realy cant speak for Chelsea fans or the future, truly i dont. Can you?

Btw mourinho did to Porto and inter what Di matteo did for Chelsea...actualy he did a lot more in Porto, it wanst just the champions league either... it was everything. And Uefa cup a year before that....


As i said in earlier post, you arguments are the usual Rival supporter rethoric, there is nothing new here its meaningless rant.
Mind you i dont support a specific English club, but either you like it or not Mou is a historical figure for Chelsea regardless of what will happen in the future.

And you talking about wenger, im not sure what is so briliant that he acomplished... besides staying in a Big English club for a long, long time and wining very litle.
I certainely dont think Wenger as Mourinho superior. Even though i greatly respect the man, and his history. But i think he have became outdated over time.
Financial issues isnt always an excuse, a long time has passed already... And some interesting things were acomplished... but still no premiership title over 10 years. That simply doesnt happen anywhere else in a club of the magnitude and responsability of Arsenal. No matter how good you are, anyone else would be sacked already, wich i dont think wenger is that good to begin with. i mean he is no Sir Alex Fergusson thats for sure.

[Gatsby]

Are you saying that Mourinho could stay at a club with no money for 10 years with offers from bigger clubs coming in for him? And you ask what am I smoking?

What youth has Mourinho brought through at Chelsea? He played Loftus Cheek a bit when the title was wrapped up, then berated him in the pre-season and now he will be lucky to get a look in in the League Cup. And most managers don't have a Vitesse to develop all their youths for them.

Yes Mourinho will probably be a legend for Porto, but managing one of the top 2 in a two-team league is hardly a bear pit for a new manager. They've won another UEFA Cup and like 5 more league titles since he left. Plus it wasnt their first CL win like Di Matteo's was for Chelsea.

The UEFA Cup win was more famous for the rampant cheating he had drilled into his side and he then had possibly the easiest champions league run in history, the only real challenge being Man U, who he shaved by with last gasp wonder goal. Otherwise that Porto team was clear favourite against all it faced. One of the most overrated achievements in football. He took a team with Deco and Carvalho past La Coruna, Lyon and Monaco.

As for the treble I concede its a great achievement. However Mourinho was allowed almost unlimited freedom to bring in players, domestically it was in the wake of Calciopoli and a hopelessly outmatched Roma were the only serious competition in Italy. Jupp Heynckes and Guus Hiddink must wonder why people care so little about their trebles compared to Mourinho's.

Look its obvious that Mourinho is a source of national pride to you, like Fergie is somewhat to Scots, and I don't want to get drawn into a big debate, but I just think he is dreadfully overrated. His achievements are remembered well out of context, his faults are overlooked or excused ceaselessly, and he flopped on the biggest stage of all at Real Madrid. 5 years ago he was in the discussion for best manager in the world, but right now I don't see him at all above the crowd of Simeone, Enrique, Allegri, Ancelotti, Klopp, Emery or Guardiola. That's what I think, and its not based on a knee jerk reaction to Mourinho's personality; I'm quite aware of all he has achieved, and I'm also aware of how he achieved it.

[Halie Satanus]

And you talking about wenger, im not sure what is so briliant that he acomplished.

I'd be embarrassed for you but you're doing a pretty good job on your own..

[Gatsby]

I'd be embarrassed for you but you're doing a pretty good job on your own..

Be easy, for Mourinho fans if an achievement cant be translated into a little blue hyperlink at the bottom of Wikipedia page it didn't really happen. Oh, and football started in 2002.

To leave a club in a better state than you found it is an alien concept.

[Knight of Heaven]

I'd be embarrassed for you but you're doing a pretty good job on your own..

What an unecessary spitefull comment.

Be easy, for Mourinho fans if an achievement cant be translated into a little blue hyperlink at the bottom of Wikipedia page it didn't really happen. Oh, and football started in 2002.

To leave a club in a better state than you found it is an alien concept.

Arrogance and ignorance isnt pretty..... dont be like that.

I have been folowing Mourinho carreer since it started in benfica, earlier then 2002 btw. I remember it very well, and Benfica at the time, was in a worse shape then Arsenal ever been... Both financialy, and "politicaly" Its admistration was in shambles. And as short lived it was, he put that ( worst benfica team ever in its history most likely) Playing football of great quality, without ever loosing in the fixtures that Mourinho was able to play with that team in that season.
He also later on did the best result in history ever of União de leiria a small Portuguese team that was new to the first Portuguese league. He reached the 5th place, that Leiria was never able to attain again. And UEFA qualyfying round. A feat União de leiria never was able to do again. This was before he went to Porto.

Yes Mourinho will probably be a legend for Porto, but managing one of the top 2 in a two-team league is hardly a bear pit for a new manager. They've won another UEFA Cup and like 5 more league titles since he left. Plus it wasnt their first CL win like Di Matteo's was for Chelsea.

Yes, but without Mourinho i wonder if Vilas boas was there in the seat to won that Europa league in 2011 in the first place... or that Porto would be the club it is now as international projection goes...
You know Porto when Mourinho went to manage it, was in a 3 year long crisis without winning a thing.... And mourinho changed this drasticaly, in the folowing seasons.

Porto was such a top club ( as you claimed) in that moment in Portugal that in those 3 years one of the premiership titles went to Boavista.... Ever heard of that team? right...

As i said you dont seem to know what you are talking about.

The UEFA Cup win was more famous for the rampant cheating he had drilled into his side and he then had possibly the easiest champions league run in history, the only real challenge being Man U, who he shaved by with last gasp wonder goal. Otherwise that Porto team was clear favourite against all it faced. One of the most overrated achievements in football. He took a team with Deco and Carvalho past La Coruna, Lyon and Monaco.

Your point being? it was an atypical Champions league season... where smaller clubs were able to eliminate European Giants. Teams like Monaco, Deportivo, and Lyon and Porto were capable to eliminating those giants, for us was man utd ( we faced real in group stage too btw). It is only natural Porto of Mourinho would end up facing those clubs, since the European giants werent able to pass trough those teams acording to your opinon..... And oh!!! btw Carvalho and Deco? they were Porto players before mourinho got there... Deco was playing for Porto since 1997.... it was Mourinho that turned this players into winners like it or not..... so dont give me that .
Maniche an ex-benfica player, after Mourinho left benfica, he used to train in Benfica B, mourinho got him for Free, and put him in his Porto. He made that player carreer basicaly. Mourinho is not as overated as you think, he transformed that losing Porto team, into a legendary team, and did the same with a Losing cripled Inter team. He might have been losing qualities by now i dont know, its hard to judge like that since its a different context to begin with. He left this teams, champion teams. What happened after wasnt his responsability. Likewise in Chelsea.

The UEFA Cup win was more famous for the rampant cheating he had drilled into his side

It became famous for that? dont think so... first time i heard it.. Well For the Celtic fans maybe. Even if there isnt a reason to. Imo.

And even so, i couldnt give a , Porto has been robbed for decades in champions league and other european competitions. im so used to it, that achanging in pace is welcomed regardless.

Look its obvious that Mourinho is a source of national pride to you

Nope not realy. Im just Gratefull for what he did in my club. And i never seen Porto playing like that again. By far the best Porto team and football play of the last 30 years if not more.

Are you saying that Mourinho could stay at a club with no money for 10 years...

You are exagerating. It was no money. It was less money. And i think given the Premier league context, that aint changing anytime soon. Even if Arsenal aparently is one of the richest clubs in england... and 7th place in the ranking of the most richest club in the world.... dont give the no money argument, 10 years if not more passed in the meantime. But i understand it does give for a juicy scapegoat, clubism pride and all.

[Halie Satanus]

What an unecessary spitefull comment.

And you talking about wenger, im not sure what is so briliant that he acomplished.

When you talk utter bollocks expect derision.. This is the premier league thread, you don't support a PL team but come here to chat any way, which is fine until you start to throw around ignorant horse dung and admit you don't know what you're talking about.

So a quick history lesson on a manager in the premier league and his record as a premier league manager and achievements of his time as a premier league manager.

FA Premier League (3): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04
FA Cup (6): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15 - A record.

2004 season UNBEATEN - Not done in English football since Preston in 1889. Preston played 22 games that season. Arsenal did it with 49.

Oversaw and had a major influence on the move from Highbury and the building of the Emirates stadium. The stadium cost in the region of £450m + . Taking into account the redevelopment of the entire Holloway area surrounding the stadium. Much of the land around there was previously a dump (literally, a dump) with few shops/businesses and no social housing. The redevelopment created 1000's of new jobs in the area and added 100's of low rent flats and student accommodation.

Hasn't finished lower than 4th in 19 years, much of which he managed with considerably less money than those who finished above Arsenal and with the constant issue of having to sell big name players during the move from Highbury.

To say Wenger will be remembered as a Legend at Arsenal is an understatement.

[ccllnply]

And while not really relevant in my opinion, can we add that almost all Wenger has done has been with the height of dignity and love for the game. Always trying to play attractive football and develop his club.

It's funny that England's highest league is just like it's grassroot and underage set ups where winning at all costs in the present regardless of how it effects you in the future. Where clubs aim to be the best team in the country and just hope for success elsewhere, an atmosphere that led Wenger to be criticized for not winning a trophy for a few years despite being probably the most consistent PL team overall. It got to the point where it seemed as if people would have been happy if they didn't reach CL quarter-finals just so they could win a League Cup, which is ridiculous.

If there were more people like Wenger in England then PL might actually have a better chance of putting it up to the European giants instead of constantly being underdogs.