This is where we do diverge in opinion. I don’t even think Mourinho counts as a football manager, if the criteria is that you have to play football. I can’t think of a manager in my lifetime who has consistently produced the absolute quality of dull football that he has. That, together with the fact that as a man he is a ****, keeps him of any list. To win La Liga with Madrid and then be sacked because of pressure from the fans because of the way you have won it, really takes some doing, but the special one managed it.
Good point and I take that back - with an apology. He won La Liga in his first season, in the way you suggest. Obviously takes time for him to assert his playing style! It was his failures in the following two season, coupled with his rather ‘direct’ style that earned him the opprobrium (come on, just the use of that word is a plus isn’t it) of the supporters.
Because Mansfield Red has been battering me, I’m going to pick on you instead. Would you like to revisit the comment “spent 27 years there dominating everywhere...”
Its an interesting question how Pep, Mourinho, Klopp or Ferguson would compare to the great managers of the past - Shankly, Clough. Paisley, even Alf Ramsey who took Ipswich from Div 3 South to League Champions or Bobby Robson....
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/pep-guardiola-lucky-not-sacked-22558879 Great column by Paul Merson and totally agree. He's lucky to still be in a job as he keeps failing despite spending more money than any other boss.
Keeps failing? He's had one bad season, in which his team still finished second and he still won a trophy. Prior to that he won the prem two seasons in a row and won another two league cups and an FA cup. You could argue he's recruited poorly in defence, however, I would hardly class his time at city as a failure.
In relative terms, he has failed. He's been unlucky to come up against Klopp in the league, but the Lyon, Monaco and Spurs teams which knocked his out of Europe are financial middleweights. No Champions League semi-final in a period when Monaco, Ajax, Lyon, Leipzig, Roma and Spurs have all managed to reach one, and a defence which will probably not improve so long as he puts midfielders in there and not proper centre-backs. Merson is in general a dribbling fool, but I too have been surprised Guardiola has held onto his job.
mourninho’s teams have played some great football. The record breaking Madrid team as already mentioned but before then - his first Chelsea team with lampard, duff, Cole, drogba, robben. Inter team with Zlatan and Wesley sneidjer. Only last few years he’s been really dull at Utd and spurs
I can maybe buy the argument he's failed in Europe but to suggest he is lucky to keep hold of his job is bonkers to me. One bad season, in which one of their key players was missing for the majority of it. If Klopp didn't win the league or champions league next season I doubt many would be suggesting he should also lose his job.
I hate Liverpool, but Klopp's net spend is nowhere near that of Guardiola. Guardiola can pretty much buy whoever he wants. His boardroom acolytes from Barcelona were already there prior to his arrival. Without Messi, he has done nothing in the Champions League. Sure, he smashes up regularly Watford, Huddersfield or Burnley in the league, but I imagine his remit was to win in Europe. He's got form for being dismal in the Champions League even prior to his arrival at City. I consider him to have fallen into the same trap Mourinho is unable to extricate himself from. Dogmatic football - stacked defence in the case of Mourinho, no defence at all in Guardiola's - and other teams have worked out how to play against him. He hasn't learned. The fact he's just spaffed £40million on an inferior version of Stones shows he hasn't learned.
It's a fair comment regarding net spend. However I'd also argue that Pep has had more success at city than Klopp has a Liverpool. If he has a similar 20/21 season to the one he had this year then I can understand why some may then suggest that he needs to go. However, its way too early for that.
There should be an analytical tool to analyze money spent/player skills and attributes/improvement of players/points won or trophies won. I wonder how various managers/coaches would do
Not for me. Klopp’s won a European cup. Until City win one they won’t be seen as one of Europe’s elite & the owners wont be happy. Pellegrini & Mancini were winning leagues for City, Pep was brought in to win the big one. As harsh as it seems unless he wins one his time at City will be seen as a failure.
he’s a great manager. Hope he rediscovers his mojo. I didn’t like the way he treated that sexy physio though at Chelsea
