The European football thread

**Goofle** · 12-20-2012, 05:03 AM

Crazy times.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 12-22-2012, 02:35 AM

Valladolid vs Barca at 17:00 GMT and Malaga vs Real Madrid at 19:00 GMT. Should be interesting.

No Bundesliga now until the 16th of January either, bloody winter breaks.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 12-22-2012, 02:43 PM

Barca win 3-1. Madrid losing 3-2 away to Malaga now, Casillas dropped by Mourinho. Rumours of player power in the dressing room and Casillas being the leader. Mourinho won't be there next season.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 12-22-2012, 02:51 PM

16 points the difference now. Title over for Madrid.

**Goofle** · 12-22-2012, 10:15 PM

Mourinho only stays at a club three years max. He's an average football manager that uses his amazing tactical/motivational skills to great effect, then leaves before anyone realises he actually knows very little about football compared to the greats.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 12-23-2012, 04:52 AM

Interesting. What would you say a good manager has that Mourinho doesn't?

Man management, tactics, media skills, transfers are all areas he excels in imo. I think he's a great manager.

**Goofle** · 12-23-2012, 07:48 AM

He doesn't know how to create a team. He is unable to make a team play great football. His transfers are simply a matter of signing obvious great footballers. Doesn't develop players/make them better. No sustainability.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 12-23-2012, 08:25 AM

Chelsea played great football from 2004-2006 when he was there imo. It is true that style isn't his priority, winning is his priority. He is a master at that. His CV doesn't lie.

Although you say he doesn't develop players and his transfers aren't that good, Drogba? Lampard? Carvalho? Cech?

**Goofle** · 12-23-2012, 10:35 AM

He didn't develop any of them, they just naturally played their game and improved/settled in as time passed.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 12-24-2012, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goofle11

He didn't develop any of them, they just naturally played their game and improved/settled in as time passed.

How do you mean 'developed'?

Because a player like Walcott for example was at Southampton until he was 16, now he's at Arsenal and is 23. Southampton fans would say they developed him and Arsenal fans may say Arsenal developed him. Likewise with a player such as Ronaldo at Sporting/United/Real Madrid.

I think, in the proper sense of the word, only Barcelona 'develop' players. It's almost like they have a factory and keep mass producing them, thanks to La Masia. I remember when Pep made the comment about Barcelona having players better than Wilshire in the B team and people got annoyed but it's probably true.

I would say, Mourinho definitely had a hand in Lampard and Drogba's games excelling to they level they got to, but it depends what your interpretation of 'develop' is.

12-22-2012, 02:35 AM	#32 (permalink)
~~Cuthbert~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Black Country Posts: 8,827	Valladolid vs Barca at 17:00 GMT and Malaga vs Real Madrid at 19:00 GMT. Should be interesting. No Bundesliga now until the 16th of January either, bloody winter breaks.

12-22-2012, 02:43 PM	#33 (permalink)
~~Cuthbert~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Black Country Posts: 8,827	Barca win 3-1. Madrid losing 3-2 away to Malaga now, Casillas dropped by Mourinho. Rumours of player power in the dressing room and Casillas being the leader. Mourinho won't be there next season.

12-22-2012, 02:51 PM	#34 (permalink)
~~Cuthbert~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Black Country Posts: 8,827	16 points the difference now. Title over for Madrid.

12-23-2012, 04:52 AM	#36 (permalink)
~~Cuthbert~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Black Country Posts: 8,827	Interesting. What would you say a good manager has that Mourinho doesn't? Man management, tactics, media skills, transfers are all areas he excels in imo. I think he's a great manager.

12-23-2012, 08:25 AM	#38 (permalink)
~~Cuthbert~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Black Country Posts: 8,827	Chelsea played great football from 2004-2006 when he was there imo. It is true that style isn't his priority, winning is his priority. He is a master at that. His CV doesn't lie. Although you say he doesn't develop players and his transfers aren't that good, Drogba? Lampard? Carvalho? Cech?