The Mistakes of a Special One

[Gerry]

Hi everyone! I decided to enter this forum and write something just now because I got exxxxtremely angry (once again) with my team's coach (Josè Mourinho, and the team is FC Internazionale Milan) because of some visible mistakes he (once again) committed today.

1) As you know, he loves to play with two wings and a single forward (today Balotelli and Figo + Crespo). Actually, he started with two forwards (Crespo and Balotelli), and Crespo scored after just 2 minutes. Since that moment, the team started only defending (and changing to that damned 4-3-3), for the whole first half: 1-1. The 2-1 for Inter was a genial invention of Balotelli, but no schemes or tactics seemed to be really thought by the mister. Once again (because of mistake 2), opponents scored a goal for the final result of 2-2.

2) The second mistake is the one I hate most: with the result of 2-1, Mourinho changed Muntari (a really useful and fit midfielder) with the unlucky and technically poor Burdisso, tho played with both Cordoba and Samuel in a defense with 3 centrals. The result? In the middle zone of the court Figo, Stankovic and Cambiasso were inconsistent, the team suddenly stopped playing (just that damned long ball, long ball...) and the opponents (Chievo Verona, who risks to retrocede) scored 2-2, with the left wing left alone within the area.

This mistake could be called the "danger-defender-bug", and was committed by Mourinho many times before (2-0 with Palermo, ended 2-2; 1-0 with a 10-men Juventus, ended 1-1), and something similar happened to Hidding in Chelsea - Barcelona, who taking out Drogba for Belletti pushed his own team all the way back...

Notice that Inter, when playing with a traditional 4-4-2 with Roberto Mancini won three championships in a row. You are the technicians, the tactical masters. My question is "Why Mou, WHY?".

Thanks to all, fellows

P.S: here you find two images, one of the starting formation, and one which presents the "danger-defender-bug".
1) http://www.4shared.com/file/10451157...9c/inter1.html
2) http://www.4shared.com/file/10451168...a9/inter2.html

[coach_rham]

Unfortunatly not every coach wants teams to floor opponents 10-0 by flooding forwards up the pitch. He has gone to Inter Milan to coach them and in my mind has done a fantastic job. The pressure that is continually forced upon him is a joke. One of the best managers in the professional game today. The thing is, you find a weakness, the aim is to improve so its no longer a weakness. Only 60% of tactics and instruction makes its way to the player from training and intructions. The other 40% comes from match practice. It may not be like and it may look bad but your team will benefit in the long run. It was only a few years ago, zonal marking was a big problem in English football. Foreign managers have come in, taught teams how to do it. However they still have to force the players to do it on the pitch. It leads to huge shocks and a few lost points. It was last season with Chelsea I remember where they were so poor at zonal marking. Finished well to the end of the season. Now this season is in full swing and they have the best defence and are the best team in the prem this season. Its all about team development. You will be made into a better team by a few dodgy results now. Management isnt easy!

[pcsoccer]

and how happy are you today? I bet he is GOD now! I dont think you will have him next season. 67% of the ball with BARCA and you win 3-1. He is a master and has proved this many times before. IT IS FOOTBALL THOUGH, if you were lucky enough to sit down with him I am sure he would explain what he did thoroughly. He would have a valid reason, be it OPO's weeknesses of exploiting your strengths. He is one of the FOOTBALL INTELECTS, MR FOOTBALL. Its the greatest game in the world and BRILLIANT that we dont all see it the same way. WELL DONE INTA

[Gerry]

Hi guys,

first of all, I have two things to say: 1) yes, I'm happier now , and 2) I was wrong.

The Mourinho-experience has been very important for Inter, and for Inter fans too. As he himself explained so many times, tactics is an important part of the game, but not the whole game. What made Inter what it is now is the fantastic mental work that Mou has done through the last years, and you see the results when Inter faces Barcelona, and reacts with anger and energy everytime the opponents score a goal.

The most common mistakes made by Italian fans (as I am) and media, is to consider a God the manager who wins, and an idiot the manager who loses, without caring if the opinions they have change every week. Mou will be remembered in Italy as a great communicator and trainer (as he is remembered everywhere he has been), and now I care relatively about the results he gets at the end of the year. He made Inter another team, and a greater one.

My previous post can be explained with my frustration. Now this thread should have another title.

Bye

[Gerry]

Hi everyone,

now that I have made clear my opinion and that I was so wrong, I have another question for you, a question that deals with Mourinho and communication.

I bet you all know at least something about the Italian context and football. In the last months so many football fans and football "experts" in the media attack Mourinho because "he isn't objective". Because, for example, he talks about scandals when an opponent team gets a penalty they don't deserve, and because he doesn't use the same words when this happens to his team. This is considered "unethical".

My question is: should we consider and evaluate from an ethical point of view what a trainer says during a press conference? Or is it just an example of PR-communication, where everybody tries to get the best possible from media coverage?