17 Feb 2018 07:58:04
In the summer, we need to buy two combative midfielders. I watch our midfield consisting of matic (snail pace) and pogba (not a midfielder in a million years) and there's no one to drive the team on. No pace at all. Hence the whole build up is very slow. and lethargic. Also, retrieving the ball I non existent as the players are not aggressive enough.
Over to you Mr Grumpy.

1.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 09:28:10
Its well known a CM will be added in the summer, Mr Mourinho keeps reiterating that.

Hoping for two, an alternative to Matic and another one. Carrick and Fellaini will be gone, we need two at least.

We have been linked to Sergej M., Seri, Jorginho and Weigl recently, two of them will do.

2.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 11:53:24
The lack of aggressive pressing isn't just a personnel issue, it's a tactical one. Mourinho isn't someone who employs tactics similar to that of Klopp, Pep or Pochettino. I very much doubt he ever will be someone who sets his teams up in a similar way to thead managers.

Mourinho is a pragmatist to a fault at times. I think we have a few players such as Sanchez, Rashford, Herrera and others who would be perfect for a side who pressure the opposition immediately after losing the ball. However, others in the side aren't well suited to this. We could go and sign players from Spurs, Liverpool, Napoli and City who all relentlessly pressure opposition but under Mourinho they would not play in the same way. He prefers his teams to start putting pressure on the ball once they enter our half.

Undoubtedly in a few years the style of football that the other managers I mentioned try to implement will have been figured out and there will be a new style which everyone wants to copy, similar to how everyone wanted possession football a few years ago.

Ultimately I think Mourinho has failed to adapt his tactics enough over the past few years and people have worked out how to beat his low block and counter attack style. The one time I can recall him making a huge tactical change with us was against Chelsea last season. We played well that day but there hasn't been enough of these tweaks.

3.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 12:12:37
Rj
Interesting post that.

4.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 12:37:17
Rjmanutd, you hit the nail on the head there mate.
One of the most sensible posts I've seen recently.

Mourinho has his style, and it doesn't matter who we sign they drastically change that style.

We have seen something similar in the past, we have signed a couple of players from Dortmund who have struggled to adapt to our playing style, but at no point did our team try and adapt to their playing style. We have seen several Dortmund players in particular struggle when asked to play a different style.

Maybe we have to accept the team are playing as they are because that is how Mourinho wants them to play, and no shiny new players will change that.

5.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 12:49:46
Shappy
Exactly my man . I'm sure the team isn't playing as well as Jose would like but I'm not sure we are even trying to play the way many want us to .
And then get upset because x player isn't doing the same as a player in a different team . Playing a different position with a different role.

6.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 13:09:01
Defending and pressing starts from the front. A combative/ pressing midfielder is useless if the rest of the team aren't doing a job.

7.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 15:13:22
Cheers guys. I agree that it is probably true that regardless of who we sign we won't see a different style of football. I've been hoping we sign a passing midfielder like Jorginho and another CM like Milinkovic Savic. However, if Jorginho is left in a midfield 2 with Pogba or Matic etc then he will look like a poor player even though he isn't.

Tactically I'd like to see Jose be a bit more flexible but I can't see him changing too much now in his coaching career. I personally think he will move on to national management after leaving us, whether this be in a year or 2 or 5 or 6 years time.

8.) 17 Feb 2018
17 Feb 2018 23:26:22
I think mourinho realizes the slow build up cannot continue and will change to a more attacking system next year.