Football

dan

Something that's struck me in the last few weeks is that everyone is talking about Chelsea stagnating, but that arc is pretty normal for a Mourinho team.
No-one in the media seems to ever spot the trend that Mourinho's teams always start the season with a bang, playing dynamic flowing football and then gradually regress to this niggly bus-parking stuff. Especially in the Champions League.

It strikes me as a bit disingenuous when everyone comes out with all this vitriol after a performance like that - what did you expect?>

Because the majority of those in the media think we're fucking stupid with their gush, gaffaw and batted eyelids at his every word. When he shows breathtaking hypocrisy how often is he called out there and then? This is disingenuous. The excitement shown on his second coming was nauseating. They were happy to talk about his success (rightfully) but rarely discussed the dive formation employed for Porto's CL win or the negative stuff Inter played essentially waiting for the opposition to make a mistake...ALL boring suffocating football.

Yes, there is more than one way to skin a cat; but they've found an oil well and have the money to cherry pick the best of the current La Liga champions/CL finalists at a whim, they have the draw to gazump rivals for prospective players in the middle of their medicals yet decide to play Stoke football is exactly the reason why so many are happy to see them crash and burn. Atletico playing like that is understandable but not the OG oil well. That is disingenuous.

His seeming distrust of skillful players is plain to see....How many silk players have flourished under his tutelage or even maintained their curve?? YJC? Willian? Modric?? Maybe this is the source of vitriol. Managers like Ancelotti, Rafa and Di Matteo brought the club some neutral love. St Jose desperately seeks it but only finds respect.