Captain wrote:

Humble Rex wrote:

It was a reckless challenge by Pepe, but since he actually hit the ball, and never touched Cuntves, it certainly wasn´t OVER the ball. A yellow card for sure, but that is it.

The ref decided the outcome of the tie right then anf there.

If Alves didn't move his leg, it could easily have been broken.

Biggus wrote:

Great! so we're all agreed, Barcelona are cunts and Wenger has to go.
Is this the dawning of the age of Aquarius or what!

We need a new manager to argue over.

I heard an interesting interview with Sid Lowe the other day (English, Spanish-based journo). He said that a number of the Madrid players have been moaning all season that Mourinho doesn't really do any tactical work offensively. I think Mourinho's talent is organising a team defensively and a getting inside players heads, but I dont really see him as some tactical genius. He's generally very practical and by the numbers.

It's been obvious since Chelsea. Their more flamobyant players were never happy playing under him and they had some significant talents at the time.

His record shows that whatever he is doing is succesful. Players that are winning things are generally happy...

The two big tests of his managment style left, imo, are to;

A) get the better of this Barcelona team with Madrid-he has the players and budget, but can he get the most out of their attacking players?

and

B) build a team long term, see if his methods survive working with the same group of players year on year and re-building if it's not working.

Humble Rex wrote:

His record shows that whatever he is doing is succesful. Players that are winning things are generally happy...

...except for those that couldn't wait to get out of stamford bridge I suppose. Strange that.

Remind me, who are these flamboyant players you are talking about that wanted away from Chelsea under Maureen?

You serious?

Robben, Duff, Wright-Phillips, Crespo, Shevchenko, Kezman, Joe Cole...

I could carry on but it would be stretching it as I did say flamboyant. The point is that Mourinho's special brand of man-management has as much capability of spectactularly back-firing as it does producing results; particularly over an extended period if the evidence is to be accepted. He's certainly no Wenger or Ferguson despite the bullshit that we're spoon fed.

Useless Kezman, over-the-hill Shevchenko and donkey Wright-Philips?! Joe Cole is a stretch but I´ll give you Robben. I KNOW you are joking when you are calling Damien Duff flamboyant!

There will always be players that suit a manager less well for different reasons. Maureen´s teams have always scored plenty of goals despite focusing on defensive stability first. Players wanting out and a manager wanting to get rid of players he finds less useful is not the same thing. All the players you are mentioning were mostly bit part players under Maureen. He just didn´t rate them very highly.

As for the "happy" part there will always be players that are not content with a bit part role. If you get to play and you are succesful and winning things I doubt many players will complain.

Mourinho alienates more players than practically any other top manager and there is a reason. You can choose to ignore it if you want, I don't care.

I wish Wenger would alienate a fair few players. Almunia is top of the list... Why care very much about players you don´t believe in?

Mourinho alienates players, fans, the press, owners, chairmen, referees...

He managed 3 full seasons at Chelsea, which I think is his longest stint at any club, and by the fourth season things were starting to fall apart.

Humble Rex wrote:

I wish Wenger would alienate a fair few players. Almunia is top of the list... Why care very much about players you don´t believe in?

You said Duff was rubbish but he was instrumental in Chelsea's record breaking season. Robben? Same. Both left under a shadow. Gallas? same. Joe Cole? Severely disillusioned.

Come on man, it's clear for all to see. Ignore what players I mentioned if you want to, that's your look out and it's cool but those four in particular were important first team players who couldn't wait to get away from the man despite the trophies.

The only manager who comes close to Mourinho in upsetting players is Capello and he is also a successful coach with a good record of being moved on before his 'influence' runs too deep. There's a pattern there if you choose to acknowledge it.

Gallas is mental. Oh, he was also played out of position mostly. Listen Capi, you may have a point about certain players wanting to leave. Does Maureen demand more than some can take? I don´t know and, in the end though, who cares when you get results? Wenger seems to be treating our lot of pampered millionaires more than fairly mostly and look where we are.

Most managers in world football struggle to win the prem. Alot of them do it with dignity and class.

wanting mourinho would seem like a case of going from extreme to the other..

Humble Rex wrote:

I wish Wenger would alienate a fair few players. Almunia is top of the list... Why care very much about players you don´t believe in?

If dropping someone from the squad for 5 months, and then again in favour of a retired goalkeeper isn't alienating them, then what is?

Bit of a bizzare thing to look for from a manager anyway.

kamikaze wrote:

wanting mourinho would seem like a case of going from extreme to the other..

You say that like it's a bad thing Kami. :hmm:

I used to be the biggest Mourinho advocate, but no more. His record is enviable, but his attitude is rubbish. Surely, despite our desire to reverse this barren spell, we still value sportsmanship and dignity