Has Mourinho declined?

Just half kidding....I don;t know much about football but how come such a team can win the premership one year and be bottom next? Is it because Mourinho's "italian" tactics of defending no end suddenly don't work anylonger? Bad spirit in the team? change of key players?

Frankly it is a bit of a mystery. Quite similar in a way when Ferguson retired. How come the very same team (same players) could not produce the same level without Ferguson?

Firstly I think Chelsea began last season playing great; but to be honest they were playing above themselves; in the second half of last season they were closer to their actual level- not playing that well.
Frankly Man City had a better team last season (and now too), and it's only because Mourhino was in charge of Chelsea that they won the league last season.

This season Chelsea have dramatically dipped. Difficult to say exactly why; but I have my theory-
Mourhino is a great manager, and when the team is behind him, he creates an incredibly intensity with a 'us vs the world' mentality. However when players in the team are suddenly starting to get a bit annoyed with Jose... his arrogant personality means relationships can easily deteriorate further.
So I believe for whatever reason (maybe Jose was just a bit too grumpy, or his treatment of the club doctor); something triggered, and then the players stopped giving their all for Jose.

DONALD TRUMP wrote:....
Mourhino is a great manager, and when the team is behind him, he creates an incredibly intensity with a 'us vs the world' mentality. However when players in the team are suddenly starting to get a bit annoyed with Jose... his arrogant personality means relationships can easily deteriorate further.

Yep. so to me the edge relies on a very fragile factor. Unlike Barca which has talent in depth.

So I believe for whatever reason (maybe Jose was just a bit too grumpy, or his treatment of the club doctor); something triggered, and then the players stopped giving their all for Jose.

Maybe but surprised players would put their career at risk by playing with less motivation.

Tenez wrote:
Yep. so to me the edge relies on a very fragile factor. Unlike Barca which has talent in depth.  

Yes indeed, but Chelsea are nowhere near Barcelona.

You may not like Mourhino, but he's a winner.
He won the Champions League with Porto which was a huge shock; then won the league with Chelsea; then won the CL with Inter which was beyond incredible, he did ok with Madrid by knocking Barcelona off his perch but had similar problems to this season (player power is huge there, and Perez made executive decisions on transfers which wasn't suited to Mou), and then he did well again last season with Chelsea by winning the league despite Man City being a much better team.

He is a tactical genius, but has an abrasive style that as you said can prove fragile if the egos of the players get in the way.
If Chelsea could sack 11 players, and keep Jose they should have probably done that, but it's practically impossible.

So I believe for whatever reason (maybe Jose was just a bit too grumpy, or his treatment of the club doctor); something triggered, and then the players stopped giving their all for Jose.

Maybe but surprised players would put their career at risk by playing with less motivation.

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It's not like they'd intentionally go out to lose, but when you're on a bit of a bad run, have huge expectation (for me over expectation as they played above themselves to win the league last year), and your motivation and intensity even drops a little, that could result in the deterioration we have seen.

You must ne an aesthete. You are are always siding with the good looking boys.

Again I don;t know much about football but his style is very much like Nadal, Murray and Djoko....it's all about "not losing" rather "winning".

Tenez wrote:You must ne an aesthete. You are are always siding with the good looking boys.

No, I side with Eva Carnerio on this count.

Tenez wrote:
Again I don;t know much about football but his style is very much like Nadal, Murray and Djoko....it's all about "not losing" rather "winning".  

He's very pragmatic, and very astute tactically. Not always amazing to watch, but probably better to watch than Man United under Van Gaal now where they have 75% possession but no cutting edge when it comes to creating actual chances.

Jose lost the dressing room apaz over his handling of firing the Dr.

Anywho he always gets gazillions to spend and he never ever gives the youth game time wherever he has been.

I doubt it was over the doctor (that's just something the media keeps banging on about because a female was sacked).  The players are just overpaid prima donnas and didn't like his management style.  Got tired of him and decided to cry.

Metaphoically speaking, I am from Barcelona (Fawlty Towers  ) , but doesn't money do funny things to people?

And of course, Arsenal for the title!

ps
I can't believe I used to be into footbal once upon the time...
What a waste of time that was!

I must say I find it weird to support a team. Was never my thing.