José "The Special One" Mourinho

[bandiera]

View attachment 5649

Don't think this is a fair graphic when Pep's coaching career began in 2008 (discounting Barca B), while by that time Jose's first spell at Chelsea had already come to an end.

There are too many factors that can affect this stat. Inflation, short term inflation within the market itself, quality of the directors, relationships of the club with agents, expectations from the owners, financial means of the club, ability of the club to attract players, etc. etc.

But it shouldn't be too surprising to see that Mourinho has spent a lot of money over his career and this shouldn't be interpreted as a blip of any sort. He has overseen comprehensive rebuilds with sky-high expectations in his first spell at Chelsea, at Real Madrid, his second spell at Chelsea, and at United too. That's reflected in the total number of players that Mourinho has signed. While I can't remember the last time a coach like Ancelotti who is fantastic in his own right has overseen a rebuild; his first spell at Milan perhaps? But then again they had a quality DS like Galliani, they profited off of our mistakes, and then we're comparing player values in the early 00s to player values today.

I mean, Jose's most impressive accomplishments are his UCL wins with Inter and Porto, which were hardly based on superior financial muscle alone. So I think it would be wrong to describe Mourinho as a "higher spending" coach than Pep for example, whose expenditures account for 67 vs 104 new signings, despite the fact that his coaching career is 7-8 years shorter than that of Mourinho.

 

[vitomins]

Mourinho spent almost half a billion on only 10 players at Man United haha....crazy to think about.

 

[brehme1989]

The beauty here is that coaches get blamed for spending money when it's never them that negotiate prices or in some cases even set transfer targets.

 

[wera]

....

Sure, it's not that I don't agree with all that. Especially the Pep argument holds strong, he is the worst as far money goes at City.

I would've put this list here no matter where Jose was in the top10. It's just an interesting list, that's all.

 

[wera]

I'd like to thank MVD and Glass box for not attacking me because I posted a picture.

 

[Bluenine]

Mourinho became the fastest coach to win 50 games in Serie A in the 3 points per game era. He did it in 77 games. He is also the fastest coach to win 50 games in Premier League (in 63 games) and La Liga (in 62 games). Thats quite a record!

 

[Universe]

Guys, bumping for this.

An exciting chance to have your opinion or a quote published in a book about Mourinho. Not much time left so please contribute as below.

Thanks

Hi guys.

Hoping this won't get buried in the current mess that is this club but we have some interesting news. We were contacted by an author writing a book on Mourinho. He wanted to add some fan opinions to his book and reached out to us directly.

This is an open invitation for anyone to share any stories or a bit about their feelings on Mourinho during his time at Inter. Let's please keep it fairly compact (don't want to inundate the guy with a hundred essays) and relevant to the following specific topics:

1. Most memorable moments

2. Any brief tactical analysis or interesting tactical tidbits, particularly regarding the biggest CL games

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

I'll go first:

1. When Milito scored against Chelsea at home. I was apprehensive as we'd previously exited the round of 16 three seasons in a row, failing to score even a single goal in the past five knockout games against Man Utd, Liverpool and Valencia. When Milito turned John Terry and buried it in the bottom corner just 3 minutes into the game, it felt like a curse had been lifted. I can not overstate the feelings of joy and relief in that moment.

2. Going to Stamford Bridge and deploying some hyper-attacking 4213 formation out of nowhere. Up until then, we'd mainly played the 4312, even in Europe so I wasn't expecting that at all. Also in the second leg against Barca, people like to mythologize Eto'o playing as LB etc. but to be completely fair, we played Chivu in Pandev's position so we started with 5 defenders on the pitch

3. I expected a scudetto and to go further in the CL. Was bitterly disappointed with the way we exited against Man Utd in 08/09 and to be honest I wasn't expecting us to win it in 09/10. I don't think I truly believed that we could go far until we beat Chelsea.

4. Still fond of the guy - to an extent. I think, unfortunately, and given recent results, that he's guilty until proven innocent (in terms of being finished at the top level). Would I take him back? Almost certainly not if other options were available. I'm happy to leave those two glorious years in the past as one of my best memories.

 

[Strale]

1. Most memorable moments

I agree, Milito's goals vs Chelsea liberated me. Up until that very moment my doubts, intertwined with trauma, were deep and consuming me are we mediocre or not. But, how he scored, when he scored, the roar from the stands...from that moment on I felt ready to watch us unafraid vs anyone.

2. Any brief tactical analysis or interesting tactical tidbits, particularly regarding the biggest CL games

I'm not really familiar with tactics in general, but the balls and huge "fuck you" to all tiki-taka fanboys at the time by "parking the plane" at Camp Nou was, I assume, infuriating for opponents and consequently a source of joy for me.

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter

I intensely disliked Mancini, so Mou was more than welcomed. I felt he was using us to restore his rep, not unlike Lukaku, but it didn't bother me for a second.

My expectations were long-term success, squad building etc, not any particular title or CL. The exact opposite happened, and it was fantastic.

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

Always kept an eye on his career after he left. And while my nostalgic feelings are fading away, I still feel enough residual attachment to make me interested in his career. I still feel Inter was his biggest achievement.

 

[rfU]

1. Most memorable moments
2nd leg versus Barcelona, I was so nervous I couldn't even watch the last 5 minutes, but when I tuned back on,

Only time I ever teared up watching a game

2. Any brief tactical analysis or interesting tactical tidbits, particularly regarding the biggest CL games
Tactics were 100% about winning, whatever it took, no matter how ugly, winning was all that mattered.

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter
Expected him to take off where Mancini left. Wasn't a fan of his signings (Quaresma and Muntari).

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years
I defend him with every ounce of my being, against the critics and the detractors. Not an easy job given the results and lack of success.

 

[Puma]

1. Most memorable moments

My most memorable moments are not from team play that took place on the pitch. They are mostly concerned with off the pitch moments during or after games. For me, the return match in Barcelona when we played with 10 men and won the tie is one of my most memorable moments. The post-match celebrations were special as the team knew they were on the cusp of immortality. I will not forget when Mourinho and our players were celebrating and Barcelona literally tried to dampen the mood by putting the sprinklers on after the game. It was symbolic because Barcelona tried to put out a fire and burning desire in our coach and players that could not be extinguished.

The other memorable moment was the match against Sampdoria where we played with 9 men and still managed to get a result. I remember watching that match, the overly harsh calls and thinking, with reference to the referee and FIGC, "They are literally trying to fuck us". In that match, Mourinho made the handcuff gesture and if I am not mistaken, was fined and banned from the sideline for three matches. Many quotes followed that game which I care little for. But getting a result and the handcuff gesture really summed things up as we had not fallen apart despite the harsh refereeing and playing with nine men. Mourinho's gesture was against the Juventus System and is something I will never forget because he summed up how many Interisti, and perhaps the whole of Calcio felt at the time.

And lastly, the embrace and tears outside the Bernabéu with Materazzi after winning the Champions League. That embrace and the tears shed were poignant and captured the respect between coach and player and vice versa, the gratefulness that they each had knowing they had relied on one another during the Triplette. The tears: tears of joy, the tears of friends and the tears that come with saying goodbye.

2. Any brief tactical analysis or interesting tactical tidbits, particularly regarding the biggest CL games

When Motta was sent off against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Mourinho was forced to reshuffle the team to the extent that Samuel Etoó was required to put in a defensive shift on the left flank. To see a player that is not accustomed to playing that position, applying himself and putting in the hard yards for his club and teammates was great to watch and long stands in the memory.

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter

After our failings in the Champions League with Mancini, I felt we needed a coach that would help us take the next step. When Mourinho was appointed, I was happy an optimistic and knew that he was more than capable of helping Inter to progress in the Champions League. I remember the first photographs that were taken when he arrived at Appiano Gentile as well as his first media conference in fluent Italian when he said "Ma io non sono un pirla". In those early days, I remember many Interisti, myself included, hanging on his every word. I knew we had a coach that oozed character and was Special.

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

This is a difficult question for me that is conditioned by the manner in which he decided to leave Inter.

I may be in the minority, but I felt the manner in which he chose to leave was not honoring of the club and our players. One thing that really stands out for me is when the team returned to celebrate at the Meazza, they did so in Mourinho's absence.

When I look back on those celebrations, they are tinged with sadness. I think that it was a special time for the club and its supporters to enjoy and feel that Mourinho's departure to Real Madrid, to an extent overshadowed the achievement in the sense that one of the main proponents of the Triplette was not there to celebrate with us nor would he be at our disposal the following season. It hit home at that time that we would not be starting a winning cycle where Inter became a major protagonist in European football. Despite winning the Champions League and the Tripllete, there was still an element of sadness that he jumped to Real Madrid without so much as a second thought and I do not think that I have forgiven him for that.

Admittedly, this post has made me nostalgic for the moments we all lived and shared in 2010. Today, I generally look at which team he is coaching and how he is going but my interest does not go much further. I feel that there might be a gap in mentality between Mourinho's expectations as a coach and the young and modern footballers he is coaching. Having said that, I feel that Roma is the perfect club for him at this moment. And that we will inevitably hear more about Mourinho as the season progresses.

I have fond memories of Mourinho and will never forget the crucial role he played in helping Inter win the Triplette. I also wish him well, but obviously, not when Inter meet Roma.

 

[brehme1989]

Finally, someone said it!

I'll add this one:

 

[Universe]

Great stuff guys, all great takes. Can we get a handful more?



1. Most memorable moments

2. Any brief tactical analysis or interesting tactical tidbits, particularly regarding the biggest CL games

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

 

[Jusef]

Mourinho’s tactical pragmaticism
I can’t remember against which team, but it was a home match, when Mourinho finally decided to do away with his 4-3-3 experiment and play the 4312 formation with Stankovic in the middle. For me this demonstrated Mourinho’s pragmatism to get the job done. Although he was admitting failure, which costed the club +30 million in transfer fees, he wasn’t going to insist on a system when he could gain a result.

In comparison to Rafa Benetiz who insisted on benching some treble winning players despite not getting the results or more recently Conte’s playing 352 formation despite not having the personelle to properly execute it. This is where Mourinho’s pragmatism makes him a successful journeyman and capable of managing a club like Real Madrid, something Conte may never have the chance to do.

Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

This ties into fourth question on why I believe he has something more than other managers; he is willing to adapt and not have the club and players adapt to him, which has brought him success and managerial opportunities.

I often wonder how someone like Conte would fair at Real Madrid. I like many decision makers at Real Madrid obviously considered, foresee the obvious hurdles on appointing someone like Conte. As discussed in this forum, Mourinho has often been willing to change it up to get the result, by playing less than his preferred set up.

I can never see Conte doing at least not materially something like Mourinho did, which was change direction to salvage a season. Some here will say that Conte is capable of adapting and played a 343 at Chelsea or a 424 at Juve but this is not enough.
Clubs with an established identity cannot change direction because a manager – who will likely not last for more than 3 years- wants to change the foundation of team to fit his tactics.

Mourinho “knows it doesn’t matter what’s underneath the hood, the only thing that matters is who’s behind the wheel”

Expectations of Mourinho when he first joined Inter
Main expectation of Mourinho was his ability to transmit his confidence into the squad, which was lacking at Inter at the time. I think he mentioned it a few times, the club needed psychological therapy more than star signings. He also brought with him an allure that allowed players and media to pay more attention to the club. I didn’t expect a CL trophy in his second year but also didn’t expect to be eliminated in the round of 16 in his first season. At least not in the manner that Inter was eliminated.

Final remarks
Mourinho is still a top manager, and other managers and players still highly regard him, despite the past it bullshit. I think his biggest mistake was taking the ManU job, which I believe he was vindicated for after he left. The fallout with Pogba and his request for a top defender were both issues that continued after he left-Pogba still has an ego issue and ManU spent big in brining in top defenders.

I think Mourinhos is not the manager that helps players develop but rather he is a manager that is capable of managing dressing rooms. As was often said by his former players, he is capable of making everyone in the team feel important and getting the best out of his players.

When I compare Conte’s Eriksen situation, I can’t help but wonder how Mourinho would have handled it. Eriksen was a model professional and was literally frozen out of the team because Conte wanted to dick around. Mourinho would never have treated a professional like Eriksen in such a manner and would probably have gotten the best of him much sooner.

 

[CafeCordoba]

1. Most memorable moments

Most memorable moments for me are all those tight Champions League victories like Dynamo Kiev, when Inter tied in the end and then grabbed the winner even later to secure the knockout qualification. Like the Chelsea matchup where Mourinho organized the team so well to absorb Chelsea's dominance. Like the epic Barcelona matchup with two completely different stories between the two legs. First one being a great demonstration of force and ability by Inter in Meazza and the second being the greatest suffering of all time, resulting in Mourinho provocatively running around Camp Nou pitch after the final whistle with sprinklers set on. The CL final match almost felt like a destiny, somehow it felt like Inter will just handle it, after seeing all those struggles to get there. And I'll never forget how he left, straight from the final, backdoor exit from Bernabeu with a taxi, embracing Materazzi with tears. End of a great, but short era.

In Italy of course the famous handcuffs gesture and the other reactions in that Sampdoria debacle by the ref and the intellectual prostitution comment were the ones which have stayed in my mind.

2. Any brief tactical analysis or interesting tactical tidbits, particularly regarding the biggest CL games

Actually I don't remember too well the nuances of Inter's game, but I remember he tried the 4-3-3 in his first year which failed badly. He reset to 4-3-1-2 which didn't work in CL too well anyway (because of the lack of skill in the squad after Zlatan). After Zlatan left and Inter rebuilt the squad for 09/10 season, it felt like the machine worked so well. In Italy 4-3-1-2 was still used I guess but specially in CL the 4-2-3-1 with Eto'o as the winger was the key for success. Inter defended well and hit hard at the counters usually started by Sneijder who passed it fast to Eto'o, Milito, Maicon etc.

Anyway the great thing about Mourinho was he wasn't too stubborn when he realized when the stuff didn't work and he found a way to get it working. In Italy it was different than in Europe.

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter

It was so long ago but I guess it felt so good after Mancini era, which was in the end tainted with Europe fiascos, that Inter signed a true world class coach. I still didn't expect big success in Europe (like winning the CL) as the squad wasn't simply good enough in my books. After Zlatan left it really didn't feel like it but Mourinho brought that extra gear and the unity to the group which allowed them to parade till the end.

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

I still consider him a great man, always brings smile to my face when I see Mourinho smiling OR doing his Mourinho things like

As for the football, I think he has just hasn't keep up with the modern days. Too ancient ways of leading the team, too pragmatic, negative football for these days. Him returning to Roma feels okay, not a betrayl for Inter (like Milan, let alone Juve would have been) in my books. He might revive his career at Roma and I hope he does that because he's one of the greatest characters in football world for the past two decades.

 

[Universe]

Last 24 hours to get your takes in before I submitting these great posts to the publisher. Doesn't have to be super detailed, even short answers are fine.

 

[DARi0]

Might have gone under the radar, but Mou already started with his mind games by putting pressure on Inzaghi


Roma secured all three points in their Serie A opener against Fiorentina last weekend, but Mourinho believes the Giallorossi still need to develop.

“I complimented Italiano because we have been working with our new teams for less than two months.

“The same goes for many other coaches. Maybe it’s different for Inter because Inzaghi has a team that plays with closed eyes. We have a lot to do, there’s a lot of work to do for us.

“Even today, we trained on a situation that I didn’t like against Fiorentina. The lads are accustomed to another coach, that’s not a critic to Paulo, all the contrary, the next coach at Roma will face the same issues.

 

[thatdude]

1. Most memorable moments

Undoubtedly the most special moment that will live in my memory forever is Mourinho running through the sprinkler system at the Camp Nou. Victor Valdes tried to stop him but he just shrugged him off. No one was going to steal this moment, not sprinklers or

2. Any brief tactical analysis or interesting tactical tidbits, particularly regarding the biggest CL games

The big tweak Mourinho made during his second season only really took place after the January market. The signing of Goran Pandev allowed us to play a 4-2-3-1. Even though Pandev was really a support striker he was flexible and worked extremely hard for the team. The formation change allowed us to cover more of the pitch when defending and transition quicker on the counter with more bodies naturally ending in the opponent’s final 3rd.

The other interesting tactical decision was playing Eto’o as a right winger. Eto’o had played the majority of his career as a center forward. However his mobility in comparison to Milito’s meant he had to be the one to sacrifice, and boy did he ever. In the semi-final second leg against Barca he basically played as an auxiliary right back the entire match. I don’t think anyone but Mourinho could have gotten that out of Eto’o who is a very proud player to say the least. I also think the way he was forced out of Barcelona really motivated him to prove he could win it again with a different team. This season on and individual level was actually quite poor for him, as the following one when Benitez came in he requested to play higher up the pitch (no more right back) and as an inverted winger.

The stars had to align and players had to sacrifice a lot for the team.

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter

I honestly didn’t know a lot about him as a coach. I knew about him more as a famous personality. Obviously he was proven after his time at Porto and Chelsea. I think at that point we had all had it with Mancini so we were excited for something new.

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

I still think he is one of the best coaches of all time. I think that he has become a bit misunderstood. Something really happened during his time at Madrid. It was the first time in his career he lost a dressing room. Since then he’s really had a tough time with man management. People tend to forget now how much of a players coach Jose was in the early parts of his career. The old Porto, Chelsea and Inter teams would have done anything for him. They all speak about him like a father and cried when he left. Since Madrid he hasn’t been able to find that bond with his players again. Perhaps it is generational, however I think it’s more then that. I think the situation in Madrid where the players turned on him and started leaking things to the press really hurt him. I don’t think he’s had the same charisma with his players since then. Even with that being said I still feel like he just needs the right club and group of players and he can get right back to the pinnacle of the sport. His job selection has just been terrible because he loves football to much to sit out for a year or two and wait for the best opportunity.

 

[brehme1989]

3. First opinions or expectations from Mourinho when he first joined Inter

I honestly didn’t know a lot about him as a coach. I knew about him more as a famous personality. Obviously he was proven after his time at Porto and Chelsea. I think at that point we had all had it with Mancini so we were excited for something new.

My first post on this thread said that Mourinho to Inter was meant to be.

I expected everything and he delivered. I don't recall expecting it within two seasons, or all in one. But I did expect the big one. It was just meant to happen. Mourinho's personality and Inter's identity are totally compatible, so yeah, it was pure destiny.

4. Feelings towards him now after 10+ years

I still think he is one of the best coaches of all time. I think that he has become a bit misunderstood. Something really happened during his time at Madrid. It was the first time in his career he lost a dressing room. Since then he’s really had a tough time with man management. People tend to forget now how much of a players coach Jose was in the early parts of his career. The old Porto, Chelsea and Inter teams would have done anything for him. They all speak about him like a father and cried when he left. Since Madrid he hasn’t been able to find that bond with his players again. Perhaps it is generational, however I think it’s more then that. I think the situation in Madrid where the players turned on him and started leaking things to the press really hurt him. I don’t think he’s had the same charisma with his players since then. Even with that being said I still feel like he just needs the right club and group of players and he can get right back to the pinnacle of the sport. His job selection has just been terrible because he loves football to much to sit out for a year or two and wait for the best opportunity.

This pretty much, but it is a generational thing a prevalent issue mostly in the Premier League where he's got three bad jobs in a row. Should have gone international management or on a sabbatical instead of that cursed Manchester United job. Premier League players in particular do not really care much about competitiveness, they're just there for the money, the fun and the evident lack of pressure that you find in other places. They're basically brats, there's no other way to say this. Obviously many of them are proper professionals, but playing football, which means playing for the win and the fans, isn't their priority. That's Mourinho's priority, so he's pretty much incompatible with PL football nowadays. He may find that with Roma's relatively weak squad, but it needs a lot of work to make noise in Italy and Europe. And he could find that in a few other clubs, including our very own. He just needs to reset his compass. And stop making bad career choices just because his family likes London.

 

[ADRossi]

For number two:

This isn't tactical, but it was always so impressive the way Mourinho handled the media. It's harder to manage and play in Italy than it is in England or Spain. But he always managed to find a way to relieve pressure on his players by making it all about himself. And I mean this in a good way. I was only in my early teens when he was at the club, but all of the big controversies I remember centered around Jose. And I think this allowed his players to perform with a certain freeness to them.

For number four:

The idiom "die a hero or live long enough to become the villain" is very applicable here. Jose left right before the biggest banter era in this club's history. It's impossible to think about the eleven year struggle that ensued without wondering how things would have been different, for both club and coach, if he stayed.

As a result, after ten years every Inter fan still holds him in high regard. His reputation has seemingly dwindled internationally because of his repeated poor career choices. He's the only person to blame for this.

The Pep revolution at Barcelona has also coincided with this "beautiful football" phenomenon where fans/players think they're entitled to win if they play the game the "right" way, and unfortunately that style is not how Jose operates when he's playing at his best. There are only certain elite clubs in Europe where you can play counter-attacking football and win approval, and Real and United are certainly not two of them.

Perhaps the best way to sum up my thoughts about him are this: when Conte left this summer my first thought was "why did Mourinho have to take the Roma job so early?"

 

[Nero Indigo]

Finally, someone said it!

I'll add this one:

these are my three best moments too. I still hate you Brehme