Tag: Mourinho

A Conversation With…Phil Schoen

Phil Schoen and Ray Hudson have thrilled U.S. audiences with their La Liga commentary for many years. As a team, they have been prolific in their art and undoubtedly have become the voices of La Liga Stateside. Whether you are being dazzled by the brilliance of Barcelona or wooed by the tenacity and strength of Real Madrid, Phil and Ray paint a picture so beautiful, you wished every single game lasted longer than 90 minutes plus injury time!

In A Conversation With Phil Schoen, we talk about the current financial state of La Liga and also discuss the emergence of Jordi Alba, the talent of the Spanish national team, Ronaldo, Messi, Tito Vilanova and we even manage to squeeze in a little Guti and Ibracadabra. Phil also comes with some exciting news about where his voice will be heard next season! Grab a sangria and enjoy the conversation.

Lightning won’t strike twice…

If you are a football romantic, then Andre Villas Boas to Tottenham could end up being one of the potential feel good stories of the new season. If you are a skeptic, then every single sign says Villas Boas will crumble more than an England player during a penalty shoot out.

The former Chelsea and Porto manager certainly has a point to prove on his return to the Premier League. His failure at Chelsea leaves many unanswered questions about his overall ability to manage a team at that level. Many would argue winning the treble with Porto is easier than winning the Premier League with Chelsea. Either way, there is an evident gulf between the two leagues but surely people can respect winning the treble at any level is quite an achievement.

The biggest question about Villas Boas returning to the Premier League will be whether or not he has learned from his serial mistakes at Stamford Bridge. Can he man manage veteran players at a high level of the game? Does he have the ability to park his ego aside both tactically and with the UK media? Ego and arrogance can hurt anyone in life, but in sports, it can destroy an individual or team if it’s not projected in the right way.

What do I mean by that? Jose Mourinho is probably one of the most arrogant people in all of sports. But his arrogance also has a twist of tongue n’ cheek. It has a comedic value and element that makes him likable. Plus when you can back-up your arrogance with winning in every country you’ve ever managed, it makes it all the more acceptable doesn’t it?

Andre Villas Boas arrogance made him an immediate hate figure with the UK media. He didn’t endear himself to them. He wasn’t as smart as Mourinho in terms of winning them over. He came across as bitter, snobby, superior and bitchy most of the time. He believed he was above everyone and eventually, he paid the ultimate price for his immaturity and naivety during his brief spell in England.

Had Andre Villas Boas been winning on the pitch at Chelsea, nobody would have complained about his ego, arrogance, brash style or tactics. He probably would have been labeled as a no nonsense boss who takes a tough stance on players and doesn’t care who he enrages in the pursuit of winning. So was it more about the Chelsea players not responding to his style of football or his personality? Clearly the Porto team he led to a treble responded well to both. Just ask Hulk and Falcao about their experience at Porto and in particular, Falcao, who enjoyed an emphatic record-breaking season in front of goal playing for Villas Boas.

The Chelsea players didn’t see him the same way as people did at Porto. Relationships broke down early, results were poor and the team was inconsistent. Granted the 5-3 loss to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge was more about woeful defensive tactics than players not putting in the effort. However, the manner in which the Chelsea players performed away to West Brom last season was completely unprofessional. By then, the relationship between manager and players was toast and the players showed how they felt about Villas Boas on the pitch. It was without question one of the most unsavoury and deliberately negative performances of any top team during the 20 year history of the Premier League and Andre Villas Boas did nothing but help the players cause. He even put the final nail in his own coffin after the Champions League debacle in Napoli. Leaving veterans like Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard out gave the players more ammunition that this guy had no clue or idea what he was doing. There was no turning back.

Despite Villas Boas unsuccessful time at Chelsea he has been given the opportunity for redemption and he will have to earn it. The sports universe does love a comeback and if he leads Tottenham to glory, it will be an incredible story. If Villas Boas can learn from his rookie errors, he has the talent and belief to make a team successful. Like every other manager (other than Carlo Ancelotti), Villas Boas had to live in the shadow of Mourinho. He suffered more than any other manager from “Mourinho Syndrome” because he was Mourinho’s boy during the Special One’s time at Chelsea. Despite returning to the club as a man, people still saw him as whatever he was before. A bit like the Secretary who makes it as an Executive but many people still see her as a secretary. It’s hardly fair is it?

The good news for Spurs fans is that the White Hart Lane dressing room is not like the Stamford Bridge dressing room. Regardless, Andre Villas Boas does bring a stigma with him and he will still have to win over players like Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and future superstar Kyle Walker. Players talk. Players from opposing teams are mates. Tottenham players have read and heard a lot about what happened at Chelsea. Hopefully they will focus on Villas Boas success at Porto and not the tidal wave of disasters at Chelsea.

If there is one man whose neck is on the line even more so than Villas Boas if things don’t go well it’s Daniel Levy. The Tottenham Chairman has taken a huge risk with this appointment. Bringing in a younger manager with a tarnished reputation to follow in the footsteps of a hugely popular man like Harry Redknapp who changed Tottenham’s fortunes is more risky than investing in today’s stock market. Levy is willing to take his chances with Villas Boas in order to build Tottenham into a global brand. He will definitely have more patience than Roman Abramovich and perhaps he sees this as a very similar situation to when Chelsea initially drafted the Special One as their man.

It will be a fascinating situation to watch. Who isn’t already excited about Tottenham v Chelsea next season? Something tells me Andre Villas Boas will have success down the Lane and that this time around, lightning won’t strike twice…

The Damned Truth…

I watched The Damned United again last night and couldn’t get something out of my head.

Footballers, managers and celebrities in general are always so afraid to speak their mind to the media. And why would they when it could cost them a major dip in popularity or affect their bulging brand. Cash is king these days and image is everything, but that doesn’t make it right. Or does it?

Even with the power of social media, the moment a person in the public eye Tweets something that is deemed uncouth, the apologists appear in abundance. It was a little different back in the day.

Engrossed in my second viewing of The Damned United, I started to ask the same question over and over again. Would the historic interview on Yorkshire Television between Brian Clough and Don Revie happen in today’s football world? Absolutely not. And then it hit me like a bolt of lightning.

How interesting would that format of interview be today with every Chelsea manager Roman Abramovich has sacked? That’s right. How fascinating would it be to have Ranieri, Mourinho (left by mutual consent means sacked), Grant, Scolari and Ancelotti on a panel going back-and-forth about relationships with players, the owner, transfer dealings and life at the Bridge overall? Could you imagine the skeletons that would come out of the Chelsea closet? Football fans would definitely give hard earned dollars to watch that type of Pay Per View event.

Yes everyone has multi-million and billion dollar brands to protect. But aren’t we all tired of the superficial explanations and excuses from managers, players and executives? Aren’t we all tired of the usual sound bites furnished to the media when something controversial happens professionally or personally for someone in the public eye? There are times when the truth will set you free. Just ask Andy Petite of the New York Yankees who simply admitted to using steroids and was left alone by the media, unlike his hero Roger Clemens who denied, denied, denied and faced perjury charges.

Clough was fearless with the media. He was unlike anything anyone had seen before. And the closest thing I believe we have to him in the modern game is Mourinho. The more I watched the film unfold the more I thought about Mourinho and how at least he has the balls to say what he thinks, regardless of the consequences. Sometimes I understand one needs to massage the truth. But isn’t it best to be as honest as you can be, especially with fans? We will respect you more for it.

I wish more managers and professionals would follow the Clough model to some degree. Sure he could be an arse and unnecessarily controversial. But he was mostly like a teddy bear with a shotgun and when he pulled the trigger at least you weren’t covered in bullshit bullets. Roy Keane would vouch for that. That’s why today’s game needs Mourinho. His character is what makes him The Special One. And like Clough, he just so happens to be an exceptionally talented manager too.

Surely it’s time to let the honest voices sing, or the game will be damned. Don’t we all want the truth? Or was Colonel Jessop right all along? Maybe the masses can’t handle the truth…

Did Inter Milan park the bus..?

Football really is a funny old game. Whether you win, lose or draw, as an owner, manager or player, at some point, what you say or how you play can always come back to haunt you. Always!

Just a few seasons back when Jose Mourinho was manager of Chelsea, he made this comment following a Premier League game against London rivals Tottenham. “As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal. I would have been frustrated if I had been a supporter who paid £50 to watch this game because Spurs came to defend. There was only one team looking to win, they only came not to concede – it’s not fair for the football we played.”

With Inter Milan’s heroic victory over Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League this week, you could easily point the finger at Mourinho and his Inter team for parking their bus in front of the Catalan goal at the Nou Camp. You could also say that fans were upset his team was so defensive and that they didn’t come to play real football against the world’s prettiest team. You could say Mourinho did to Barcelona what Tottenham did to him. But would you? Was this really a case of parking the bus, or was it purely a defensive master class planned by the Special One and executed by his loyal army of men?

If you read the media reports in Italy, Mourinho’s team played like heroic gladiators on the night. If you read the media reports in England, it’s evident how the British game misses Jose since his departure from the Premier League. And if you read the media reports in Spain, Inter’s play was negative and “park the bus like” and Barca were the unlucky heroes after dominating on the night. Isn’t it great how we can all see things so differently? But don’t you think that even as rival football fans we should give credit to the opposing team when we witness something truly amazing?

For me, it wasn’t a case of parking the bus, it was truly a case of tactical mastery. And as we said in a post earlier this month when Inter Milan beat Chelsea, Jose Mourinho is still very much the Special One. Perhaps we would have viewed Inter Milan’s approach differently if they had kept 11 players on the pitch. But when you go a player down and you are winning the tie by 2 goals, there’s no need to gamble. There’s no need to chase the game. You just defend. And that’s what Inter Milan did. And their organization, their timing, their positioning…it was all just so impressive. It wasn’t a case of parking the bus and hoping for the best. They wore Barcelona down. They had the tactics and the will to win. The red card changed the game.

Busquet’s beahviour was disgusting. The way he had one eye on the referee while rolling around like a girl was grotesque. Motta should definitely know that in the modern game if you touch a player’s face like that you could be sent off. But the manner in which Busquet reacted was truly unsportsmanlike. As talented as Barcelona are, it’s this part of their game that makes them unattractive. They get away with it and the media doesn’t give them a tough time about it. Lots of acting, rolling around and poor behaviour overall. Following that incident, I found myself rooting for Inter Milan even more. And I think the sending-off gave the Inter team even more determination to win.

Even Lionel Messi couldn’t do anything in that game and despite Barca’s dominance of possession, they couldn’t break down the Inter defense because of the incredible organization and discipline. Pique finally got the goal that gave Barca hope, but the game was already lost in the second half in Milan. And all Mourinho had to do at the Nou Camp was not give anything cheap away by gambling unnecessarily. They played their game to perfection and shockingly, for a defensive performance by one team, it was still compelling and thrilling to watch.

When the final whistle reverberated around the Nou Camp, Mourinho exploded into a celebration like we’ve never seen before. It was even crazier than his leg slide across the pitch and his running down the touch line. This time around he ran onto the pitch with his finger firmly pointing in the air. You could see how much this all meant to him. How much he wanted to win this game. In fact, he wanted more than just a victory. He wanted to dot the “I” and cross the “T.” He wanted to show Barcelona they made a mistake about him. He wanted to prove he could beat the best in their own back yard. And he did. And Victor Valdes could do nothing about it!

Mourinho will continue to beat the best in their own back yard. Why? Because he is the best. He’s special. And when his career is over and he’s sitting in his favourite chair looking back, he will have an abundance of trophies from each of the major footballing countries. And he will probably have a World Cup winners medal with Portugal too. Only one question remains and we asked it a few months ago. Where will he go next? Wherever he goes, fasten your seat belts and get your popcorn ready, because as T.O. says “it’s going to be a show.”

Do you think Mourinho’s celebration was over-the-top? Did Inter Milan park the bus…?

What’s up with Europe’s big boys..?

Rafa_Benitez_280x39_921611aThe Champions League is proving to be really weird this year people. Barcelona struggled to beat a team that sounds like a really delicious sandwich. Liverpool need to get their prayer mats out and hope for a miracle. Bayern Munich do not look like German giants. Inter Milan are not so special. Real Madrid really need Ronaldo back. And Manchester United should look into cloning Rooney 10 times, despite moving closer to the knockout stages.

Did one of you rival fans put something in their nutritional beverages? Or could it be the clocks going back? That always messes with one’s alignment. Whatever the problem is, these teams need to snap out of it and fast.

Bordeaux, Arsenal, Sevilla, Juventus, Lyon, Chelsea, Fiorentina and FC Porto are looking the best thus far in the competition. Arsenal and Chelsea have been regular cast members in the Champions League group stages. And if you are a player, manager, executive or fan of either of these clubs, you have to believe you have a great shot at winning Europe’s greatest prize, especially when you look around and see the big boys struggling.

I’m sure the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan will make the knockout stages. That’s not what’s in question. What’s in question is how they are playing. Real Madrid should really be beating this particular AC Milan team. They’ve been poor in the Italian league and nobody really thought they were the AC Milan of old when the season started. Ronaldo has been sorely missed by Real Madrid, but after buying so many expensive and quality players this summer, are Real Madrid really a one man team?

Inter Milan were lucky to have walked away with a win against Dynamo Kiev. The Champions League is the piece of silverware the club wants badly. You can see the reflection of the Champions League trophy in Jose Mourinho’s eyes as he observes his team from the touch line. Schevchenko almost came back to haunt the man who didn’t really give him a chance at Chelsea. But a couple of last gasp goals from Milito and Sneijder saved the blushes of Mourinho and his men. And what’s happened to Eto’o since his move from Barcelona to Inter Milan?

Manchester United – although sitting comfortably at the top of their group – just don’t seem to be the same team this season. The loss of Ronaldo has been far greater than even the genius of Sir Alex Ferguson could have imagined. They fought back once Rooney came on as a substitute. But what if Rooney gets injured? What then? Where will their inspiration come from? It’s tricky times at Old Trafford. The amazing thing about United is they are drawing or winning and not playing their best football. They don’t warm up to their sublime best until December/January. The question is, do they have the talent to shift into their usual 5th gear this season?

Liverpool are a mess. Alonso is another player who left for Real Madrid in the summer and Liverpool have not recovered. Aquilani could be the answer, but we just haven’t seen enough of him yet to compare. Voronin and Lucas are not the answer. Benayoun, Kuyt and Torres are the only players that are trying to make an impact and difference on the pitch. Carragher has been a disaster all season and with Gerrard being injured, they don’t have that final driving force in the midfield to make things happen going forward. I don’t like to talk about people losing their jobs, but Benitez is one bad result away from losing his.

Of course this could all change next week and that’s the beauty about the game we fans love! What do you think of the European giants struggling in the Champions League? Which team is looking the most dynamic for you? Is it possible that a Lyon, Fiorentina or Sevilla could win the Champions League? Did you drink wine or beer when watching the games this week?

The Penalty Gods punish Arsenal…

zeus-greek-mythology-687267_1024_768They say you reap what you sow. And the Gunners can tell you it’s true. Not even a Godly strike from Arshavin could save Arsenal. They lost to Manchester United in a game they absolutely should have won. They gave away a costly penalty and some might think it was the Gods punishing them for Eduardo’s dive against Celtic earlier in the week. Were the Penalty Gods trying to put the world right at Old Trafford on Saturday? Did Arsenal deserve at least a point for their efforts? Will they bounce back in their next game against Manchester City? Do you think Wenger could play up front after showing his water bottle kicking skills?

Manchester United were exceptionally lucky to get a win against Arsenal. I know they came back and gave it a good fight, but in the overall picture of play, Arsenal made United look really average. The penalty decision was questionable and the own goal from Diaby was incredibly unlucky. Arsenal then had a goal disallowed in the dying seconds and again, you’ve seen them given. Rooney was brilliant. He is the spark for United. His passion drives the team and you can’t deny their never say die attitude. Rooney is the engine though. He is United right now. They need him more than ever. The Gods were certainly on the Red Devil’s side in this game.

Tottenham won again. You read that right people. Tottenham won again. What did they put in the juice down at the Lane? Surely they can’t keep this up can they? ‘Arry is doing a superb job so far this season. It’s a shame Modric will be out for 6 weeks. They say it’s a broken leg. What a blow as he’s been sensational. How will this affect Spurs? Lennon has been on fire in the last couple of games and deserves his England recall. Crouch helped change the game when he came on and he too deserves his call-up from Capello. Can Tottenham really win the League? Can they keep this up? Or will they be arguing about ketchup in a couple of months?

Chelsea look dangerous. They demolished Burnley. Remember, Burnley beat Manchester United last week. Interesting that, don’t you think? Chelsea look connected as a team. They look like they are playing for each other. They’ve maintained the spirit Hiddink recreated from the Mourinho days. Ancelotti has added his flavour to the mix and the Blues are looking good. Frank Lampard continues to impress for me. And it might be painful to hear because I know it’s painful to write but…Ashley Cole is having an incredible start to the season. What do you think of Chelsea?

Liverpool were lucky. The good news for them is they had a very average performance and still won the game. It was so typical of Gerrard to hit a winning goal the way he did when he was not really a factor throughout. This will help the team’s confidence and seeing Torres and Gerrard score will help. Not sure about the new signing Kyriakos. Let’s give the guy more time though. Carragher is a liability at the back. Rafa should stop acting with his heart and start acting with his head when it comes to Carra. He’s a good player to have on the bench. If Liverpool want to win, they need to fix their problems at the back.

Manchester City kept their 100% record alive. Adebayor scored again. Gareth Barry is the most impressive of their new signings. He has to be one of the best midfielder’s in the country. Let’s see how City do in the next few weeks when they meet Arsenal and Manchester United. They are doing well, but for me, they are not interesting yet. It was good to see Everton win. I think Distin is a solid signing for them. Villa won their second in a row so that will help them continue to build their confidence. Stoke are in 4th place! Go on Stoke!

What stood out for you this week?

Liverpool like Glen Johnson…a lot…

johnson_280x390_489834aLiverpool jumped into the transfer hot tub and closed the deal for Glen Johnson. They had to fend-off the advances of Chelsea and Manchester City , but eventually they got their man for 17 million pounds. Johnson will now need to find ways to spend his whooping 80,000 squids a week. Be sure to save a little a month Glen. You never know what can happen!

This is a superb deal for Johnson. Even Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admitted they paid over the odds for him. Only a couple of seasons ago he was banished to the Stamford Bridge sidelines by then coach, Jose Mourinho. And, after that dreadful period at Chelsea, he moved to Portsmouth where he rebuilt his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most talented right backs. 

The sometimes England international does appear to be back to his best now and he should add value to Liverpool next season. But it’s easy to play in a team like Portsmouth and look good. He was so lost at a big club like Chelsea, so will he have the oomph to show he belongs at a big club like Liverpool? Can he become an Anfield favourite or will he be back at Portsmouth by the January transfer window? Did anyone say Robbie Keane…?

Good luck Glen…

Inhale…exhale…Chelsea have a new coach…

FBL-ENG-ITA-PR-CHELSEA-ACMILAN-ANCELOTTINot that I want this to become a Chelsea blog…but news is news people! Carlo Ancelotti was today named as the successor to Guus Hiddink. Do you think Chelsea hired Ancelotti because he looks a little like Guus? Check out the picture of Guus with the F.A. Cup below and judge for yourselves. Perhaps the owner and executive team hired the Italian master so the players can feel “comfortable” with a familiar face in the dressing room! 

Chelsea have hired someone with real pedigree in Carlo Ancelotti. He has been hugely successful in his career as a player and a coach. Ancelotti arrives at Stamford Bridge following a mediocre season at AC Milan, but don’t be fooled…this man has won it all! The Italian Cup, the Super Cup, the World Club Championship, the UEFA Cup and Serie A. He is also part of an elite footballing group being one of only 6 players who have won the Champions League as a player and a coach. The most recent coach to do that was Pep Guardiola this year with Barcelona. 

Ancelotti is an interesting character too. I think he’ll live upto that character a lot more than Phil Scolari did. Some people say he’s as fascinating as Jose Mourinho. In order to manage a club like Chelsea or the “big four” in general, you have to have that something special. Hiddink had it, plus he also started to help erase the memory of Mourinho during his time with the Blues. If you look at Ancelotti’s successes as a player and coach, it appears he might be able to erase the memory of Mourinho completely in his first season. Unless he smokes during training of course and gives his players unnecessary respiratory problems to the point where they are unable to compete and have to forfeit their season.

Do you think Chelsea have made the right choice? Can you see them winning the title with Ancelotti next season? Do you think the Italian master will bring any of his ex-players with him from AC Milan? And will he be able to square-up to Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger?

Chelsea sack Scolari…

dunn_516x596_22280a-750654Chelsea have sacked Phil Scolari as their manager. After only seven months in the job, the big Brazlian is out and I for one am not surprised. This time, Roman Abramovich has got it right. Managing in the Premier League is very different to being an international manager. The job comes with such intense pressure and the daily grind is tough, tough, tough, even for a coach from Brazil. I laughed when Scolari said in a press conference, “you think this is pressure. No this is not pressure. This is such a small country, there is no pressure. Brazil is pressure.” Really Phil?

I was never enthused when Chelsea announced him as their new manager. They were much better off keeping Avram Grant who was at least building on what Jose Mourinho had done. But the owner chose to go with a big name and supposedly big personality. It failed miserably and towards the end, Scolari lost the owner, the fans and even the dressing room. When players start to complain about training methods and a lack of intensity, you know everything is about to implode. Scolari deserved the sack.

The first signs of trouble were when Liverpool ended their ridiculous run of games unbeaten at Stamford Bridge. Under Mourinho and even Avram Grant, you always had a feeling Chelsea could win a game even if they were a goal down. But that fire and drive was gone. The bravado was no more. He also lost at home to an under-achieving Arsenal team. And to be frank, Manchester United humiliated Chelsea at Old Trafford. He was unable to inspire his team to beat any of the elite four in the Premier League.

How much of Chelsea’s problems this season are related to Steve Clarke going to West Ham? He was a huge influence in the dressing room and on the training pitch. The players trusted him. You can never under estimate the value of an assistant coach built like Clarke. Wouldn’t it be interesting if Chelsea tried to prize Clarke and Zola from West Ham? Anything is possible in today’s game. Zola is unproven as a manager, but he is a Chelsea legend and together with Clarke, they could be the magic ingredient that leads the Blues back to their confident, arrogant ways.

For now, this might be a good thing for Chelsea. Anyone coming in as manager can only have a positive effect. Who’d have thought the morale would be so low under Scolar? The so-called “Mr.Motivator” didn’t turn out to be the Messiah they had all hoped for. And he never looked the part of being Chelsea manager did he? Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez always wear a suit when their team is playing. There is the odd occasion you’ll find them in a tracksuit, but that is rare. Jose Mourinho always looked the part as well. I was always taught that if you have been given the responsibility in an important role in your career, you should always look the part. And for a team that can boast to be located in one of London’s poshest areas, their manager didn’t present himself that way. He didn’t seem dressed for success from the beginning, and just like his tactics, Scolari always looked a mess. Down the King’s Road, that’s enough to give anyone the boot…