Tag Archives: Jose Mourinho

Romelu Lukaku’s career will remain in the northwest of England. Though a transfer to Chelsea was seemingly nailed on for the Belgian, a twist towards Old Trafford has led Everton’s dominating striker to join up with his good friend Paul Pogba and former boss, Jose Mourinho. Whatever went on in the background to secure the deal is as good as irrelevant now; Manchester United have got their man and Chelsea are floundering in the market once again.

Antonio Conte might be furious, the Italian may even consider walking out of the club, but Chelsea cannot afford an internal crisis or post-mortem right now.

With Diego Costa edging towards an Atletico Madrid return, Michy Bathsuayi out of favour, Tammy Abraham on loan at Swansea and Bertrand Traore sold to Lyon, Chelsea’s line-leading options are perilously short. Lukaku’s signature was a matter of when, not if, until Mourinho swept in to snatch his man and the once Special One has potentially delivered a knockout uppercut to the club he once called home.

All is not lost for the Blues, mind, and here are FIVE players who can give them hope…

Being a backup goalkeeper is a strange life. Some players build an entire career on being happy to be second fiddle. Up and down the footballing world there are players who accept that they will never be first choice at their club. At the top level, they are usually treated to a few cup outings throughout the season so they remember how to stop the ball if they are ever needed on a regular basis.

Those outings extend if the club continues to succeed; at least they do most of the time. Some managers revert to their ‘number one’ once the latter rounds appear, but it seems increasingly common that managers continue to twist with their backup rather than the supposedly safer alternative.

David Ospina is in line to start for Arsenal in the FA Cup final in the same week Sergio Romero was preferred to David de Gea in the Europa League final. Both of the South American goalkeepers are exceptional backups, though neither have the slightest of chances of superseding de Gea or Petr Cech. Reputation holds for a long time as a goalkeeper.

Ospina will leave Arsenal this summer, while Romero remains firmly in de Gea’s shadow with Manchester United destined to sign another goalkeeper should the Spaniard finally return to Madrid. Their careers are unorthodox, and unlike any other position in football. Ospina has 77 caps for Chile, Romero has 87 caps for Argentina, yet they had a combined four Premier League appearances this season.

They each enjoyed their cup berths, with Romero collecting 12 matches in the Europa League and Ospina playing eight in the Champions League. The role as second choice is not as clear cut as it is at other clubs, but is this really what these two talented, experienced internationals envisaged their career to be?

They are superb assets for Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho. Both are unruffled by tense situations and have proven themselves to be up to more than an acceptable standard. Neither, though, can truly fill fulfilled by a campaign of being so obviously a secondary option as this, however much professionalism they show.

In a summer when Asmir Begovic is set to leave Chelsea and Willy Caballero has left Manchester City, goalkeepers may just be realising their own value. Caballero, Begovic, Romero and Ospina would walk into the majority of European teams, maybe contributing on the pitch will take priority over fledgling cup outings.

Manchester United face a huge battle to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and they need a victory against Chelsea to boost their chances. Fortunately, they have a strong squad and this side should be good enough to take all three points.

GK: David De Gea

Widely considered to be the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, David De Gea has been an ever-present figure in a Manchester United side that have conceded just 24 goals during their league campaign- a number only Tottenham Hotspur can better.

Absent last week through injury, although some reports have indicated Jose Mourinho kept him out of action for other reasons, the Spaniard will return to the Manchester United line-up for Saturday’s crucial clash with Chelsea and he’ll have to be at his best.

The game is being shown live on Sky Sports on Sunday afternoon (4pm kick-off UK time) and you can get a NowTV day pass and watch the game for just £6.29 with our fantastic 10% off a day pass offer.

Manchester United’s transfer charge this summer could see them eye a move closer to home, with a sensational report being reported in South America.

As reported by Metro, Chile’s ‘El Show de Prensafutbol’ claims that Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has contacted Alexis Sanchez over the phone to try and persuade the 28-year-old to move to Old Trafford this summer.

Two-time Copa America winner Alexis is facing an uncertain future in North London, as he rapidly approaches the final 12 months of his contract with no progress of an extension being made- and reports widely suggest he’ll move on this summer.

Whilst there is a wealth of interest in the Premier League, Arsenal would naturally prefer to sell their star-man to a side elsewhere in Europe- although that could be difficult if Alexis decides he wants to stay within English football.

How likely is a deal?

As mentioned, Arsenal will be determined not to sell to a direct rival and will likely block any move for Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United. On top of that though, it’s difficult to see where exactly Alexis Sanchez would fit-in at Old Trafford.

Mourinho’s side already boast the talents of Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard out wide, whilst Marcus Rashford has often been deployed on the wings this season and the Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for Antoine Griezmann, who could also be deployed out-wide if United stick with their current formation.

Money is not a problem for the Red Devils though and Arsenal would likely earn a club-record sum for the sale of Alexis Sanchez, although it may not be worth it if the South American starlet was to wear the colours of United on a weekly basis.

Who else is keen?

The report also mentions interest from Manchester City, as it states Pep Guardiola has also held talks with Alexis Sanchez. On top of that, Chelsea are also heavily interested in the services of the South American- but Arsenal will still attempt to block any transfer to a Premier League rival.

Elsewhere in Europe, Serie A leaders Juventus are keen on bringing the former Udinese man back to Italian football, whilst oil-rich Paris Saint-Germain want to make the Chilean their star signing- having failed to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic last summer.

There has also been talk of a potential move to Bayern Munich, where Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are approaching the end of their careers, whilst a reunion with Jorge Sampaoli at Sevilla has also been mentioned- although the former Chile boss is unlikely to remain at the Andalusian side for too long, having been linked with Barcelona.

Manchester United currently trail in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season and have work to do if they’re to achieve their goal. For Jose Mourinho’s side to be successful, they’ll have to do these five things.

Win their games in hand

Manchester United may currently be outside of the top-four but they have control over their fortune, as they have two games in hand over fourth-placed Liverpool. Therefore, United need to ensure they use this to their advantage and return from both fixtures will full points.

It won’t be easy, especially as they face rivals Manchester City in one of those games, but the Red Devils need to ensure they emerge victorious in that match as it will give them a real boost- putting them right behind their cross-city rivals.

Their over game in hand against Southampton, which is yet to be arranged, will also be a stern test but it’s another game where a win is necessary.

Manchester United are on the verge of completing an astonishing deal for Jose Mourinho’s prime transfer target this summer.

Manchester Evening News reports that Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann is set to swap the Spanish capital for the North West of England this summer in a stunning deal worth £86m- which would put the French striker in the same bracket as world-record signing Paul Pogba.

Jose Mourinho is keen to land Griezmann’s services this summer and sources close to the French international indicate that a move is on the verge of completion- as Atletico are powerless to stop their star-man from leaving if his €100m release-clause is met.

Griezmann’s arrival would signal another major statement of intent from the Red Devils, who splashed the cash last summer to bring the likes of Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Old Trafford, and it would kick-off another summer of spending for Mourinho as he builds a new-look side.

How would he fit in?

Manchester United would have an abundance of attacking force with Griezmann’s arrival, as the Red Devils already boast the likes of Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. However, captain Wayne Rooney is likely to leave.

With Ibrahimovic turning 36 next season, the Swedish striker is also not a long-term option for Mourinho and Griezmann’s arrival would ensure that the Red Devils have a top-class striker ready to take the mantle when Ibrahimovic inevitably moves on.

It could trigger a change in set-up for United though as Griezmann would likely play alongside Ibrahimovic up-top, forcing Anthony Martial into a wide-role with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the other flank- which would hand United a sensational attacking line.

There is questions of what it would mean for Marcus Rashford though, as the England international would find opportunities increasingly difficult to come by. However, with Ibrahimovic likely only having another year left, the position is there for Rashford to grab in the future.

Would it be a world-record deal?

It’s unlikely that Manchester United would have to surpass the world-record fee they paid Juventus for Paul Pogba last summer, which came to £89m, as Griezmann’s release-clause of €100m equates to around £86m- £3m short than his compatriot.

Griezmann’s signature would certainly be right up their amongst the biggest fees in football history though and Manchester United would offer stunning wages in a deal to the Frenchman- with Rooney’s likely departure alone freeing up around £300k-a-week.

Whatever United spend would likely be recouped in sponsorship deals and shirt sales though, as Griezmann’s popularity worldwide would boost United’s bank account and add to the list of world-class players plying their trade at Old Trafford.

Manchester United were the highest spenders in the Premier League last summer but Jose Mourinho’s side are still short of competing for the major honours, having spent the majority of the campaign in sixth position.

Arsenal’s decline has seen the Red Devils rise to fifth, four points behind Liverpool with two games in hand, but Manchester United will be aiming for bigger and better things next season; as they eye a push for league glory and look to mount a challenge in the Champions League.

To achieve those goals, Mourinho will have to spend heavily to improve the squad once again this summer and there’s likely to be a host of holes in the squad that need filling- as the likes of Wayne Rooney, Luke Shaw and Michael Carrick are all likely to leave Old Trafford.

United have cash in abundance though and spending cash won’t be an issue for the Red Devils though and this potential XI looks phenomenal.

With Manchester United on a good run of form going into the second half of the Premier League season, Jose Mourinho might be looking at bringing in some January additions to the squad. Here are three transfers that the Red Devils could complete in the next seven days.

1) M’Baye Niang

Jose Mourinho has reportedly already had a bid turned down for the AC Milan star, but could return in an attempt to make a January swoop for the forward.

It has previously been reported that the Manchester United boss is on the lookout for a long-term replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and has his eye on Harry Kane in the summer transfer window should Spurs finish outside of the top four.

However, looking into the more immediate future, Mourinho is ready to take a gamble on this AC Milan forward according to Il Giornale, who has struggled to hit top form this season, having not scored in his last eight appearances for the Italian outfit.

Niang looked to be on a good run of form at the start of last season, but his season was ended early after a car crash, and has never returned to top form since. Obviously Mourinho feels that Niang can hit top form once again at United.

As the long season of English football starts to affect Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Niang could come in and provide some backup, but can also influence games from the wider areas. As I have mentioned, Mourinho has already had a bid knocked back, but with a strong second bid, and contract extension talks stalling, Niang could become a Red Devils players in the very near future.

Much has been made of a potential move launched by Manchester United for Benfica centre back Victor Lindelöf, who could, eventually, be joined by defensive counterpart Nélson Semedo in a historic double swoop.

The latest murmurs surrounding the multi-million-pound operation, however, suggest any hope the Red Devils may have had of gaining the Sweden international’s signature may have been dampened.

At the heart of the deal’s supposed collapse is the public dispute between Benfica and Lindelöf’s former club, Västerås, over alleged fees owed in his initial transfer to Portugal, although José Mourinho may also have had a hand in United turning their backs on a £42 million transfer. Just how accurate might that decision be?

Beyond the media storm surrounding Renato Sanches in Lisbon last season, Lindelöf proved to be equally as impressive and pivotal to Benfica’s run en route to the Liga NOS title last season, as he capitalised on injuries to first-team centre-backs to forge a stellar partnership alongside Jardel for over half a season.

The 22-year-old tasted defeat just five times in 45 games since breaking into Benfica’s XI, three of those coming in the UEFA Champions’ League against Napoli (2x) and Bayern Munich, with FC Porto and Maritimo also claiming rare victories against the Swede.

With 22 clean sheets under his belt, Lindelöf picked up “The Iceman” nickname for his composure and calculated interventions that has seen the defender gain just five yellow cards in the last 12 months.

Additionally composed and exemplifying qualities that fall within the modern-day ball-playing defender template, his talents didn’t go unnoticed by his national team when earning the call-up for Euro 2016, and now it appears Man United have followed suit in attraction to his traits.

Up against his United counterparts, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, none of the aforementioned options to Mourinho have completed as many successful passes (51.71 per game), or indeed successful forward passes (47.21 per game) as Lindelöf in their respective league competition.

Only Bailly with 1.64 tackles won per game beats the rumoured United target, whereas it is Chris Smalling who is the only defender to lose out fewer times than the man lauded for his precision when defending. Although he’s some way off the top with a statistical register of 1.71 interceptions per game versus Bailly’s 2.82, the Swedish star does mix in well with Rojo’s 1.80 and Jones’ 1.75 score, both second and third ahead of Lindelöf.

Blocks made by the defenders paint a similar picture, with Bailly leading the way with 0.45 made per game to Lindelöf’s 0.36, but there’s one fact the core stats don’t highlight and that’s the degree to which the defenders in question are exposed to the threats of high-quality attacks.

Lindelöf has, undoubtedly, emerged as top performer for Benfica, but this has all come in a visibly inferior league. One shouldn’t have to remind many of the below-par figure that was ex-Liverpool and Sunderland centre-back Sebastian Coates, the same man who now, at the same time as Lindelöf, leads by example as one of the Portuguese league’s most consistent players at the back.

Likewise, Manchester City’s £32 million flop, Eliaquim Mangala, was totally imperious for much of his three-year-spell in Portugal when starring for the then champions FC Porto, meanwhile memories of the Frenchman in the blue half of Manchester weren’t as fond as his record deal promised.

A common attitude within the realms of Portuguese football sees most sides outside the traditional top four of Benfica, Sporting, Porto and Braga opt to “park the bus” and time-waste from the first minute as if it were the last when facing a big boy. In turn, that limits the pressure that key defenders like Lindelöf, Mangala etc. are subjected to, thus making it very tricky to truly judge the qualities that they possess.

It’s a decision Mourinho will undoubtedly continue to mull over, with the rumour mill still at its birth. In the meantime, the recent pairing of Jones and Rojo has stabilised the ship at Old Trafford, with Smalling still to return to the first-team, one would assume, following a lengthy foot injury.

The investment made in Bailly appears to have been a good one, and despite international duty making him unavailable for the best part of a month during the African Cup of Nations, United still have the versatile Daley Blind to fall back on.

And so for all the promise (and doubts) hanging over Lindelöf’s shoulders, just how necessary to Man United is the £38 million-rated man?

Jose Mourinho’s start to life in Manchester hasn’t gone exactly to plan. The Red Devils are already eleven points below Premier League pace-setters Chelsea, who extended their winning streak with a 2-1 home win over Tottenham on Saturday.

Mouinho’s men sit in sixth place in the top flight, and the Portuguese coach could be looking to plan a massive squad overhaul in January and the proceeding transfer windows, some players leaving, and some coming in. Here are ten players that could leave Old Trafford in the New Year according to Manchester Evening News.

1) Bastian Schweinsteiger

The midfielder has struggled for first team minutes, and has virtually been frozen out of the Jose Mourinho setup since he arrived at Old Trafford. The World Cup winner has become extremely frustrated with his treatment this season, and could seek a move away from England.

Schweinsteiger did however return to the squad in the Premier League 1-1 draw with West Ham on Sunday. Sky also say that he could in fact start in the same fixture but in the league cup tonight. Chicago fire are reportedly interested in his services, and could make the move there over the January window.

2) Memphis Depay

The £26m signing has failed to make a big impact since his arrival at Old Trafford, and that can mostly be put down to the lack of first-team minutes, particularly this season. He has appeared just four times for the Red Devils in the Premier League this term, not creating a single chance, but he has just played 42 minutes.

Depay has not been the preferred choice in the Europa League, playing just 65 minutes in that competition this season. There are still a few clubs that would quite happily make use of the services and talent of Depay, and United might look to cash-in.

Press the navigation for the rest of the list…

Jose Mourinho made one fatal tactical error on Saturday in the lunchtime kickoff against Arsenal, and it was one that in my opinion ultimately cost United the three points.

United needed to send a statement out to the rest of the Premier League after a poor start to the season, and a win over Arsenal would have been the perfect way to do that. And his side looked like they would secure the three points at Old Trafford, a venue in which Arsenal have not won in ten years.

It took a while for United to break through a resilient Arsenal back line, but Wayne Rooney found space in the box and pulled the ball back to Juan Mata, who stayed cool to fire the Red Devils ahead midway through the second half. It looked like it was going to be a perfect display from a Jose Mourinho point of view.

The midfield of Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera along with the defence of Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia all managed to keep Arsenal’s danger men quiet throughout most of the game. Alexis Sanchez had minimal impact, and we saw very little of Mesut Ozil, who failed to have a shot on goal or create a single chance. Arsenal were extremely ineffective going forward.

Despite this, and that fact that Arsenal had created next to nothing for most of the game, Mourinho decided to apply his trademark tactic and sit back and defend what he had. We could see a distinct change in the setup with just under ten minutes to go, United just sat back.

This allowed Arsenal more time on the ball and in the end it was two Arsene Wenger substitutes that did the business for the Frenchman. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain beat his man down the right and delivered a delightful cross towards the back post where Olivier Giroud was waiting to nod the ball past De Gea and snatch a late point for the Gunners.

In the end, it was not that United being unlucky that cost them the three points like Mourinho claims. It was the fact that Mourinho instructed his team to sit back in the latter stages of the game. Arsenal offered nothing going forward, not even on the break up until that point. If Mourinho had kept things the same, I am certain that the Red Devils would have walked away with a 1-0 win and all three points.

Will this error make Mourinho change his ways? I very much doubt it. Have your say in the comments section below.

With Manchester United playing so poorly, many are wondering why Henrikh Mkhitaryan has not been playing for the team more.

The Armenian cost the club more than £20million, and was deemed a bargain at the time considering he was named Bundesliga Player of the Season last year - ahead of the likes of Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski, David Alaba and Aubameyang. His talent was there for all to see last season, with the playmaker managing double figures in both Bundesliga goals and assists. But Mourinho thinks he isn’t good enough for the club yet…

“He has to do more. It’s as simple as that. We have big expectations in the club,” Mourinho said, when asked about Mkhitaryan.

Big expectations? Fair. But a lot of the players are not living up to those expectations and I think it is unfair to single out this new signing for criticism - he’s barely had a chance.

“We have big expectations at this club, lots of players for these positions and he has to play better than Mata, Lingard, Martial – he has to play better than them. It’s as simple as that.” Mourinho continued.

Are those three players playing well? Mata has had some good games this season but you cannot say that the other two have been playing at a high level.

“Every manager wants to win matches, every manager in the world wants to play the players that he thinks can help the team more, and I’m no different.”

It’s a fair comment of course, but not in regards to Mkhitaryan. The midfielder was given 29 minutes in the Fenerbahce 2-1 loss, and in that time Manchester United managed to get a goal back. But he hasn’t had a real chance, with just 1 Premier League start and 3 sub apps - tonight was his first Europa League appearance.

On the other side of things - the likes of Paul Pogba are given chance after chance, without doing anything special and Mourinho has never uttered a bad word about him. At the end of the day Mourinho decided to sign Pogba and Mkhitaryan - but he’s treating one too nicely and one horribly - surely something is going on behind the scenes for this to happen?

Manchester United need productivity and Mkhitaryan is a specialist in that. Last season he created and scored goals for fun - surely Mourinho needs to give him more time in the starting eleven to adjust to the team and English football?

United fans - what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Life at Manchester United has not started ideally for Jose Mourinho. His side currently occupy 8th spot in the Premier League table, seven points off top spot, just ten games into the season.

United were again frustrated in the Premier League on Saturday, when they came up against an inspired Tom Heaton in a goalless draw that the Red Devils dominated from the start. With United needing to make ground on the leaders, and fast, here are three players that should feature regularly under Mourinho going forward.

1) Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick’s exclusion from the starting eleven at Manchester United in the Premier League is something that puzzles a lot of people. The 35-year-old has enjoyed just 13 miutes of Premier League football this season, and many feel that the former England international should be a regular starter for Jose Mourinho.

Last season, Carrick featured regulary for Louis van Gaal in his time at United, and acted as a pretty effective and strong shield in front of the defensive back line. Carrick played 28 Premier League last season for LVG, totalling at 1976 minutes played over the season.

Carrick managed to win a solid 60% of his aerial deuls over the course of last season, and 88.89% of his take-ons were successful. In addition to this, he made just over two interceptions per game.

Jose Mourinho has preferred the likes of Ander Herrera and Marouanne Fellaini to Carrick in the defensive midfield so far this season but with Ander Herrera facing a spell out suspended, this could be his chance to nail down a regular starting spot.

Following a 4-0 humiliation at Stamford Bridge on Jose Mourinho’s return, United host bitter local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

Eric Bailly picked up a knee ligament injury at Stamford Bridge, and therefore is out. He is joined on the list of absentees by Marouane Fellaini, also injured at Chelsea, and Wayne Rooney is a doubt. Here is the United predicted line-up to face City.

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

Many were left surprised yesterday that David De Gea did not make his way onto the 30-man nominee list of the Ballon D’or considering how many times he has saved United over the course of 2016. He should start here.

Defence: Matteo Darmian, Chris Smalling, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo

After conceding four at the weekend and falling apart, Jose Mourinho will be expecting a much changed performance at the back if they stand of beating Manchester City. With Mourinho unable to keep the core of his defence with Eric Bailly out, I think that Daley Blind will slot in alongside Smalling in the heart of the defence. That will allow Marcos Rojo to start on the left, with Matteo Darmian coming in for Antonio Valencia on the other side.

Defensive Midfield: Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba

To be perfectly honest, I think for Mourinho, Pogba is a little untouchable. I simply do not think that he will drop the Frenchman, but it must have crossed the Portugese manager’s mind at some point in the last couple of days. Ander Herrera has looked good for that last few games and weeks, but I think he will be rested, and this will be a good opportunity for Michael Carrick to impress Mourinho and give him a chance of breaking into the first team.

Attacking Midfield: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial

This attacking trio is much changed from Saturday. Mkhitaryan has hardly played for United since his high-profile £26m move from Germany, and this will be a good chance for him to perform if he starts against in the derby. Mata came on at half-time at Stamford Bridge, but had a minimal impact. Having only played 45 minutes he will still be fairly fresh ahead of Wednesday night. Martial has been in good form recently and could get his chance on the left.

Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Swede needs to start scoring, and fast. He has missed a lot of good chances over the course of the season, especially two decent headed chances in big games against Chelsea and Liverpool. Despite this I think that he will continue as a lone striker against Manchester City.

It may seem as though José Mourinho has a grudge match scheduled for every weekend these days, but this one is truly eye-catching. The Portuguese manager returns to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, only this time he’ll be sitting in the opposing dugout, as Chelsea welcome his Manchester United side.

Just how fractious Mourinho’s decision to join a competitive rival has been for his relationship with his former club remains to be seen, as both teams go head-to-head in what undoubtedly looks to be the main event this weekend.

We’re not sure whether there’ll be any love lost, be we think we may have a pretty good idea where the crucial three points may be won on either side. Here are the three key battles to look out for:

1 - David Luiz vs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

John Terry may well be on the brink of a return to the first-team after a spell out injured, but time will tell whether the Man United game comes too soon for the Chelsea skipper.

In his absence, David Luiz has deputised, somewhat unconvincingly next to Gary Cahill in the big games, and he could well find his stint in the starting XI extending itself for another week if Terry isn’t fit enough to start.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic often combats with the right-sided defender, in this case Gary Cahill, but it’ll be interesting to see if Mourinho instructs the big Swede to target his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate.

Contrarily, Chelsea may use Luiz’s knowledge on the fiery Swede when formulating a defensive duo in light of Terry’s potential return.

Manchester United’s performance on Monday evening has caused a lot of debate. They went to Anfield and met a team bang in form, and they came away with a point. A good result? Of course.

But where do we draw the line? I remember David Moyes calling Liverpool favourites for a tie between the two clubs during his brief spell in charge – it caused outrage. Yes that game was at Old Trafford, but what made people angry was his negative attitude and belittling of the club, the club that prides itself of being the greatest in the world. Has Mourinho, by setting out his team to get a point, not done exactly the same?

Go back to as recent as last season and you will remember Louis van Gaal – he had a spell where the club were getting the results, they were towards the top of the table (higher than where United are currently) but many of the fans were disgruntled at the poor football on display. They wanted to see great football. What we saw on Monday night was far from great and light years from entertainment. In fact, Manchester United had the lowest possession (34%) in their Premier League history – now that is pretty significant.

Many will fairly suggest that this was a one off game where United needed to avoid defeat due to already being behind their main title rivals. But history suggests this is no one off for Mourinho, and he will continue to play with these tactics when he feels necessary, which is pretty often. You can say United got a good result last night, which they did, but if it wasn’t for two marvellous saves from David de Gea it could’ve so easily been a different outcome. United very rarely looked like scoring, it almost seemed as if they did not want too. Is this what United fans really want? It’s not even about the result, it’s that Mourinho had literally no desire to win that game.

A point was deemed a good result, but with the amount of money the club has spent, surely they should be aiming to win every game, especially with a draw meaning United now sit 5 points behind joint league leaders Manchester City and Arsenal. Mourinho has literally had an unlimited budget to bring in who he wants and so far this team only sit 7^th in the league.

There’s a long long way to go, 30 games to be precise. I do wonder though, if United don’t win the league and they play football like this – will the fans manage to find more patience than they did for both David Moyes and Louis van Gaal?

I’m not attacking the club, but I’m genuinely interested – Manchester United fans, are you happy with your club being managed in this way in the long term? If it was an unknown manager doing what Mourinho did on Monday, spending the money that Mourinho has in the summer and you were sat in 7^th – would you be happy? It’s early days but surely this management style and level is not sustainable for a club like Manchester United.

Having spent £150m over the summer, Manchester United haven’t had a terrific start to the season that many expected them to have. They sit 6th in the Premier League table after seven weeks, and as we head into the October international break, Jose Mourinho may have one eye on the January transfer window. Here are three players he could potentially bring to Old Trafford in the New Year

1) Danny Drinkwater

The United defensive midfield may not look like it needs strengthening, with Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick, Morgan Schneiderlin and Marouane Fellaini battling for first-team places, but according to The Sun, Jose Mourinho wants to add to his midfield options with the acquisition of Danny Drinkwater.

The Sun claim that Mourinho is willing to pay up to £30million in order to land his January target, which would see the Englishman return to the club that turned it’s back on him just four years ago.

Drinkwater featured alongside N’Golo Kante last season in Leicester City’s title-winning season, and having seen Kante move to Chelsea over the summer, Claudio Ranieri won’t be keen on Drinkwater also leaving the club.

Mourinho is reportedly keen on making another defensive midfield signing not only to bolster his options in that area, but to also allow Paul Pogba to feature in a more attacking role in the midfield, implying that the Portuguese boss is not content with the current defensive unit protection of Ander Herrera, who has featured in that role for United this season.

Comparing the two, Danny Drinkwater has won more tackles than Herrera, winning on average just under three per game, with Herrera winning just 2.25 per game. However, Herrera makes almost two more interceptions per game, wins a higher percentage of total duels, makes more clearances, and just about loses less tackles per game.

Looking at those facts, is Drinkwater really worth the reported £30m investment?

Michael Owen has made a bold claim by stating that Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is not good enough to be a regular starter under Jose Mourinho. Owen is quoted by the Metro on BT Sport saying, he expects the former Saints man to start after the international break against Liverpool away from home, but says that he is not enough to be a regular in the starting eleven.

When speaking about United’s potential line-up at Liverpool, Owen said, ‘I think it should be Michael Carrick or Morgan Schneiderlin, although I don’t think he’s quite good enough to be a Manchester United regular’.

The midfielder may have only played five minutes of League football this season, but is Michael Owen right in saying that he is not enough to be a regular starter at United?

Back in July 2015, Manchester United paid £24m for Schneiderlin, hoping that he would be the next major replacement for the likes of Paul Scholes and the more recent Darren Fletcher in the middle of the park.

He made 29 appearances under Louis van Gaal last season, but now faces increased competition for a starting spot in the midfield. Ander Herrera has dropped into a deeper role, Paul Pogba is the big-money signing of the summer, and Marouane Fellaini has previously been preferred in the middle, as has Michael Carrick.

Looking at the stats from last season (excluding the stats of Paul Pogba because he was not in the Premier League so this season’s stats have been used), Schneiderlin had the highest pass completion rate out of his competition with 89%, but has made the least successful passes per game apart from Fellaini, making an average of 52 successful passes per ninety minutes, Carrick making the most with just over 60 per game.

But what do we look for in a holding midfielder? We look for one of two roles. The more defensive of the two, the strong tackler doing the dirty work, and the more attacking role, who looks to go forward and make more important passes.

Ander Herrera played in a more attacking role last season, but his stats still showed that he could play in the defensive role he plays this season. He made an average of 2.62 tackles per game last season compared to Schneiderlin, who made just over two per game. The Spaniard also won a higher percentage of his duels winning 45%, 11% more than Schneiderlin. The stats show that Herrera should start ahead of the 26-year-old, and this is without even considering the competition of Michael Carrick.

With Herrera looking on top of Scheiderlin in the pecking order for the more defensive role, we turn to the more attacking role, currently occupied by Paul Pogba, who looks undroppable from a Mourinho point of view after spending £90m on the Frenchman, already making getting in front of him an uphill struggle for the former Saints midfielder.

However, Pogba’s stats from this season show that he can do his defensive work and win tackles as well as go forward. In addition to making 1.83 key passes per game this season, the Frenchman has also won 52% of his total duels in midfield.

Looking at the stats, at the moment, there is seemingly no space for Schneiderlin in the starting eleven. However, what form did he show at Southampton that attracted the interest of Manchester United?

At Southampton in the season 2014-15, Schneiderlin made an average of 3.25 tackles per game, and he won 44% of his duels, much better than the figures he has mustered up at Manchester United. The midfielder also made more key passes at Southampton.

In response to Michael Owen’s claims, I don’t think that Schneiderlin is not enough to start for Manchester United full stop. In his current form, he is nowhere near a regular starting spot, but if he can convince Jose Mourinho that he can show the form he did at Southampton out on the pitch then he may be considered for regular appearances in the starting eleven.

After weeks of gruelling preparation, the time has come for us all to second guess the form of the Premier League’s finest and compile them into our very own fantasy football team. In direct reference to the Premier League’s official instalment of fantasy football, here are Fresh Football’s top five heavyweights for you to swear by in the upcoming season:

1 - David De Gea

Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Manchester United
Price: £5.5m

Fans know exactly what to expect with José Mourinho – watertight defences. Manchester United’s defence didn’t do so badly last season under Louis van Gaal, conceding the least amount of goals all campaign with 35, but when their goal was peppered, David De Gea was there to rescue his team.

The Spain number one has collected three of Manchester United’s Player of the Year awards on the bounce, such is his prominence, and we can expect the former Atlético Madrid man to again be central to any success the Red Devils may have.

Mourinho’s twist on things comes with the added peace of mind for the Spaniard (and fans) that the experiments of defensive midfielders at centre back are, supposedly, long gone, with Man United likely to settle for a duo of Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly for now.

To add to the familiar surroundings set at the heart of defence, Mourinho has a track record of managing excelling goalkeepers. In each of his first seasons at Chelsea (2004/05 & 2013/14), the Portuguese boss’ re-organisation of the defence led to Petr Čech claiming the Premier League’s Golden Glove award for the most clean sheets in both campaigns, as Thibaut Courtois missed out on the gong by two clean sheets in his title-winning season of 2014/15.

The price of goalkeepers are all within close proximity of each other, but if you find yourself with the need to relinquish the Man United goalkeeper for whatever reason, Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, Hugo Lloris from Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City’s Jack Butland could all be interesting bets.

The Manchester rivalry is going to be back to it’s best this season with the arrivals of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola this summer, but who will come out on top? Pep Guardiola has been dubbed the best manager in world football, but he has never played in the Premier League and in Manchester City, he has inherited a completely different project. Here are three reasons why United could reclaim bragging rights this season.

1 - Jose Mourinho

For all of Pep Guardiola’s quality, the Premier League is a different monster altogether. You cannot afford to not be at your best for any game, or these lowly Premier League teams will punish you. The advantage United have over City is they have a manager who already knows the league and although he collapsed last season at Chelsea, he won the league comfortably the season before. Mourinho is a respected Premier League manager and he has years of top level experience. Surely he will learn from last years failures and become an even better manager. At Manchester United he has all the tools to go and become the manager he has always wanted to be, I can’t see him getting this one wrong. In contrast I can see Pep being a bit naive, believing in his philosophy and not adapting enough to beat the lower sides, who all have weapons of their own. Take Watford for example, when on form Deeney and Ighalo can cause huge problems for teams like City. Mourinho is wise to all of these threats and you’d expect his defensive tactics to shut out the threats of the sides who often slip under the radar.

It is worth remembering that traditionally Mourinho does very well in his first couple of seasons, it takes a few seasons for the cracks to begin to spread.

Project Jose Mourinho is underway at Old Trafford and Manchester United fans should certainly be excited by the signings Mourinho has already made and the ones he still, reportedly plans to make.

Back 5: De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Bailly, Shaw

De Gea has committed his future to the club and that is a huge boost for Mourinho. De Gea is probably the best goalkeeper in the division and having him to build around is ideal. Darmian and Shaw are decent options at full-back, although there will be some concerns in this area considering Shaw is just returning to fitness and there remain question marks over the quality of Darmian. Mourinho could utilise Phil Jones somewhere in the defence if he manages to make a successful return to fitness. Bailly may be only 22 years old, but he cost Manchester United nearly £30million, so Mourinho clearly rates him highly. Mourinho wouldn’t naturally be a fan of Daley Blind as a central defender, and reports are strongly linking him with a move away from the club this summer. There continues to be rumours linking United with the likes of Raphael Varane, but it would be a surprise to see another central defender arrive following the addition of Bailly.

Click the navigation to reveal the rest of the team

Jose Mourinho is set to head to Chelsea for transfer reinforcements. According to reports he is eyeing a £150million swoop on his former club. Whether they and new manager Antonio Conte will approve any of these sales is another matter, but if the players do not fit in with Conte’s style they could very well be allowed to leave and Mourinho will try his luck. His former players were known to have a ‘strong bond’ with him and that could influence the decision.

1 - Nemanja Matic

Jose Mourinho wants to sign a midfielder anchor and will turn his attentions to securing Nemanja Matic according to reports. The holding midfielder was brilliant in Mourinho’s title-winning side (2014/15) but fell out of favour last season during THAT terrible campaign. His arrival at United would surely spell the end of at least one of Bastian Schweinsteiger or Morgan Schneiderlin’s future. Mourinho famously substituted Matic 15 minutes after bringing him on at half-time, a morale destroying move that is unlikely to have gone down well with the Serbian. But Mourinho will not have forgotten how effective of a midfielder he can be as he showed in the previous season. This news originally comes from gianlucadimarzio.com, an Italian source that is regarded as fairly reliable. It should be noted that they have only said Manchester United have ‘made contact’ rather than agreed a fee or done anything more advanced at this stage. It may be worth keeping an eye on this one as with Radja Nainggolan and N’Golo Kante reportedly lined up by Chelsea, Conte may be willing to part with Matic.

With Jose Mourinho set to take charge at Manchester United this summer, we take a look at four players he wants to bring to the club in the transfer window.

1) John Stones

Whilst Raphael Varane may be his number one target, John Stones could be a more realistic signing. Mourinho is a big admirer of both players but most recently tried to sign Stones for Chelsea last season. Everton refused several offers, reportedly as high as £40million. Should a similar offer arrive this summer, though, Everton may be more willing to accept. This, in part, is due to the 21-year-old’s poor form and also due to the fact that Everton need to rebuild. £40million would help Roberto Martinez (or potentially a new manager) sign an established replacement and perhaps improve in other areas of the pitch - namely by signing a goalkeeper. Mourinho will be keen to sign a defensive partner for Chris Smalling as Manchester United have consistently had problems trying to keep Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo fit. Daley Blind has done a half decent job in a central role, but he is certainly not a title-winning centre-half. Stones has won more than 65% of his aerial duels this season.

A third party has approached Jose Mourinho about potentially taking over Arsene Wenger as manager at Arsenal, according to American TV channel One World Sports. If true, having recently stated his intention to begin a new job before the start of next season, the 53-year-old could remain in London and take charge for the start of the 2016/17 campaign.

After being sacked by Chelsea in December, the Portuguese manager has reportedly confirmed he will be taking on a new managerial role in the summer. In an off-the-camera conversation, Matt Smith (The Independent) revealed Mourinho “will be joining his new club in July”. With increasing pressure on Arsene Wenger as Arsenal’s season looks to be ending trophy-less, Jose Mourinho could be the man to provide the club with the success the club and fans so desperately crave.

However, the appointment of Mourinho to vacate the potentially open managerial position left by Arsene Wenger is unlikely to sit comfortably with the majority of Arsenal fans. Since coming to the Premier League in 2005 with Chelsea, Mourinho and Wenger have not exactly seen eye to eye. The pair have constantly made verbal remarks towards one another, with the Portuguese manager famously calling Arsene Wenger a “specialist in failure”. Not to mention, Mourinho’s much more tactical and, to an extent, defensive approach to football is much different to the legacy built by Wenger in terms of the ‘beautiful game’.

Nevertheless, despite being sacked by Chelsea for the second time, ‘the special one’ has an undeniably impressive Premier League record; he has delivered 3 Premier League trophies in 5 seasons, winning 140 matches out of 212, a Premier League win percentage of 66%. To compare, Arsene Wenger has won 3 Premier League trophies in 20 seasons, with a Premier League win percentage of 57%. Mourinho has also won the Champions League, something Wenger has failed to do after several attempts. However it is also important to consider the circumstances and financial constraints endured by Wenger during his reign.

The increasing dissatisfaction amongst Arsenal fans, who recently displayed an anti-Wenger banner after their 2-0 away win to Everton, means it is not unlikely that Wenger could leave the club this summer. It is also not unlikely that Mourinho has been considered by the club as a potential replacement given his impressive record and managerial qualities, and the claims from One World Sports that Arsenal have approached ‘the special one’ could well be true. However, with the history between Wenger and Mourinho, as well as the obvious differences between Arsenal’s philosophies laid out by Arsene Wenger and the Portuguese manager, it is unlikely the Frenchman will allow the club to appoint Jose Mourinho as his successor.

What is more likely, however, is for Jose Mourinho to become the new manager of Manchester United. The former Chelsea manager has been heavily linked with the job at Old Trafford since being dismissed from Stamford Bridge. It is believed the 53-year-old is keen on replacing Louis van Gaal, who has failed to impress since taking over David Moyes. With Pep Guardiola joining their Manchester rivals, Jose Mourinho would be the obvious choice to help lead Manchester United to challenge for success.

Chelsea stormed to the Premier League title last season with little threat but are set for a difficult defence of their crown; with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United all pushing to clinch glory in May, whilst others will want to beat the Champions.

It started in questionable fashion for Chelsea with a 2-2 draw at the weekend, where Thibaut Courtois was sent off, and the Blues didn’t look at their best. This follows a horrific pre-season campaign in which Jose Mourinho’s side didn’t record a single victory in 90 minutes.

With the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal followed by the draw with Swansea, there’s concerns ahead of the mammoth tie against Manchester City on Sunday. Whilst the Citizens will line-up with £49m Raheem Sterling, Chelsea have barely scratched the surface in the transfer market.

Just one permanent signing has been made thus far with Asmir Begovic coming in to replace Petr Cech, who joined Arsenal, whilst Radamel Falcao arrived on-loan, replacing Didier Drogba from last season’s title winning side.

Begovic will play second-fiddle to Courtois and it’s debatable whether he is an upgrade on Cech. With 333 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, Cech knows the league inside out and was a top-performer for years with the Blues. Meanwhile, Begovic impressed with Stoke- but was never snapped up by a bigger side, until now.

Meanwhile, it’s well documented that Falcao scored just four goals during his awful season on-loan with Manchester United last term and in comparison, Drogba scored exactly the same amount- but Falcao was considered first-team at United, whereas Drogba was aback-up.

It’s worth mentioning that Chelsea are heavily linked to an imminent signing, FC Augburg’s Baba Rahman, as well as holding vast interest in Everton’s John Stones. However there is again question marks over the business, as Rahman is a replacement for recently departed Filipe Luis and Stones would play understudy.

Therefore, Chelsea enter the season as the only side in the Premier League that hasn’t upgraded their starting line-up, despite the fact that Raheem Sterling would’ve been an upgrade on Willian and Oscar spent a vast amount of last season criticised by Jose Mourinho.

Whilst it is difficult to improve a Premier League winning side, it simply has to be done. The reason no side has defended their crown for the past seven years is because it’s a daunting task- but in order to have a chance, you have to improve.

There’s no way Chelsea’s starting team features players that are the best in the world in their position and whilst upgrades will be difficult, they are available. Arturo Vidal and Mario Mandzukic have moved this summer, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger have. There’s been big movers but Chelsea have kept their wallets closed.

Perhaps it’s Jose Mourinho’s arrogance, which has come back to haunt him so many times in his career. He usually leaves a club in his third season as manager, which will play on Chelsea fan’s minds, and with the Blues horrific performances over the summer and lack of activity, I wouldn’t bet against Mourinho ending his second-spell in West London before the 2016/17 season begins.

Chelsea fans are unimpressed with reports linking Brazilian midfielder Oscar with an exit from the club this summer, as they’re adamant he should not be allowed to leave.

The comments come after Juventus boss Masimiliano Allegri confirmed that he liked Oscar, which continues on from reports that the Serie A giants will seek a transfer for the South American this summer.

Jose Mourinho has criticised the player’s work-rate at times this season and there are suggestions he does not feature in his long-term ambitions, with the Blues eying midfield recruits in the upcoming summer window.

However, Chelsea fans disagree with their manager and have reiterated their desire to see Oscar remain at Stamford Bridge.

@CFCNaser don’t understand people want us to sell Oscar when he’s the most technically gifted Brazilian alongside Neymar since Kaka

— Ryan (@FabrecIass) June 14, 2015

If we sell Oscar then I will not forgive Mourinho, only a stupid idiot would want to let him go. He will score 25+ goals next season.

— - (@Febreezion) June 14, 2015

Worst thing we could do this summer is sell Oscar. Even if Pogba comes our way.

— BasedFalcao (@Sillinho10) June 14, 2015

Wouldn’t sell Oscar to Juventus unless they bid 50+m or Pogba’s involved. Class player. A full pre-season + rest will do him wonders.

— Fabreclass (@CescMagician) June 13, 2015

If we sell Oscar for the right price I wouldn’t mind him going.

— Ben (@StellaCourtois) June 14, 2015

Would honestly sell Oscar for 45M but who’d replace him? Knowing Mourinho, he’ll replace him with Pedro or Sissoko. Rather stick with him.

— Lobitta T. (@LobittaT) June 14, 2015

I love oscar but if we could sell him and use that as part of a bid for Pogba , i’d do it

— 3500 FOR THE COAT (@MartyGotWings) June 14, 2015

Will be terrible if we sell Oscar same goes to Remy

— Jagić (@Jagan_CFC) June 14, 2015

British TV viewers were treated on Sunday morning to Jose Mourinho live on Sky Sports’ Goals On Sunday, where the Chelsea manager went into overdrive complaining about referees and particularly yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.

The Blues felt aggrieved yesterday as they had two shouts for penalties turned away, including one blatant incident involving Diego Costa. Whilst Mourinho had every reason to be upset, rival fans were not happy with his comments- whilst Chelsea fans were loving it.

Whether the Premier League takes actions if they feel Mourinho crossed the line remains to be seen but Twitter made their own judgement- and here’s some of the best.

If this is any other Premier League manager, everyone would be saying he’s cracking up. Mourinho is embarrassing and deluded.

— Joseph Musker (@Musker_LFC) February 22, 2015

I genuinely think Mourinho is gonna cry, here. There are tears in his eyes. This is monumental television tbf. Box office stuff.

— Tim Lewis (@tim_lewis85) February 22, 2015

Problem is, there’s no agenda. There’s no conspiracy. The referees in the Premier League are simply terrible

— Josh Challies (@Challies11) February 22, 2015

Having Ben Shepherd and Chris Kamara interview Jose Mourinho is akin to asking the Chuckle brothers to grill Barack Obama on Newsnight

— mikenumber5 (@MikeNumber5) February 22, 2015

This “they’re all against us” strategy is Mourinho on autopilot, but never seen him hammer it home to same extent as this.

— Thore Haugstad (@Haugstad1006) February 22, 2015

Mourinho really working hard to get all the boxes ticked on his “How to make them think you’re the modern Clough” check list, here.

— Greg Johnson (@gregianjohnson) February 22, 2015

Whether you like Mourinho or not, he has every right to be aggrieved about Martin Atkinson yesterday. Some shocking decisions there.

— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) February 22, 2015

The Champions League returns this evening after a two month hiatus, with a mouth watering clash between Premier League leaders Chelsea and defending Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, in a rematch of the same stage last year.

12 months ago, Chelsea advanced due to the away goals rule over two legs and it seems likely that it will be another close call, though the advantage in in the Blues hands with the second-leg at Stamford Bridge.

However, despite the Parc De Princes being a difficult place to travel and get a result, Chelsea fans on Twitter are fairly confident that Jose Mourinho will lead the Blues to victory this evening. Here’s what the fans have to say.

HOPEFULLY CHELSEA GONNA WIN AGAINST PSG.COME ON CHELSEA

— mika (@BlessChlxd) February 17, 2015

That PSG v Chelsea game has the potential to be v interesting, but Mou will Mou it up and ensure it’s 0-0/1-1

— Geoff Lacey (@GeoffLacey91) February 17, 2015

Ibrahimovic is out of form that means PSG has no chance of beating Chelsea.?

— Borusse! (@HummelsHeader) February 17, 2015

PSG CHELSEA WILL BE ONE HELL OF A GAME

— Anwar (@Mhdhout) February 17, 2015

I love the twitter banter war between chelsea and Psg’s twitter handle….a rarity

— ຄົນBAZ (@basilabia) February 17, 2015

PSG and Chelsea should be cracking game! #ChampionsLeague

— liam blackley (@Lblackley) February 17, 2015

I think Chelsea will win the UCL 2015. Just a feeling..

— Samira (@SamiraTbh) February 17, 2015

Chelsea will win 2-0 tonight 100% sure

— Aaron #GiLU (@EnvyOrDie) February 17, 2015

I actually have very little hope for PSG … even if they win tonight ,Chelsea will get the job done at the Bridge . So … there’s no hope

— Leader of lunacy (@LunacyOfT) February 17, 2015

Being in Paris will be the best if Chelsea win tonight. #CFC

— DC (@danclack_) February 17, 2015

Really the french they mouth but when Chelsea will win they will be silent.

— dapomonaxel (@axeldapomon) February 17, 2015

Even varratti said chelsea will win..

— oscar (@oscar8cfc) February 17, 2015

The FA Cup unleashed it’s magic today with some astonishing results, with one particular one catching the eye. Step forward League One outfit Bradford City, who defeated Premier League leaders Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Remarkably, Chelsea were even 2-0 up in the game before the Yorkshire side achieved one of the most remarkable results in the recent history of the FA Cup. Naturally, Twitter was a place to enjoy- although Chelsea fans started to disappear for a few hours.

There were jokes (lots of them), angry fans, overjoyed rivals and a tweet surfacing from three years ago that bit one Chelsea fan in the bum- although we do have to question why someone was looking at another users Twitter archive from three years back.

Still, the league leaders and Champions League hopefuls are out at the Fourth Round- and Bradford City are in the hat for the next stage of the competition.

Chelsea weren’t in the FA Cup 4-2 long at all

— KING ERIC (@brobread) January 24, 2015

Remember the grief Arsenal got for losing 2-1 at Bradford? Chelsea were at home and leading 2-0…

— Carl Bövis (@CarlBovis_AFC) January 24, 2015

United’s stars disappeared. City up in smoke. Chelsea sawn in half. Now we know why they call it the magic of the cup.

— Danny Baker (@prodnose) January 24, 2015

2 - Chelsea had conceded only two goals in their previous 11 home games before letting in four today. Curveball.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 24, 2015

QUOTE: Jose Mourinho pre-match: “It would be a disgrace if Chelsea lose to Bradford.” pic.twitter.com/Oc4ZFkFvMD

— BBC Sporf (@BBCSporf) January 24, 2015

Wait Chelsea? What?

— Left Foot (@messileftfoot) January 24, 2015

AND IT’S A GOAL AT CHELSEA!!!! BRADFORD LEAD 4-2 AT THE BRIDGE!!!

— The72 (@FBL72) January 24, 2015

And Chelsea are being humiliated, at home, by League One Bradford City.

— Dan Levene (@BluesChronicle) January 24, 2015

Can’t hear the haters from the top of the table

— Rashad (@Mourinholic) January 24, 2015

First time we have lost at home in the FA Cup in 90 minutes since March 2003.

— Chelsea Stats (@ChelseaStats) January 24, 2015

As long as we beat Liverpool and City now, I won’t mind.

— … (@SequerePecuniam) January 24, 2015

Guess who found their way into the limelight today? Surprise surprise, it’s the media’s hero Jose Mourinho- although he’s facing the wrath of his own fans after stating they need to be more like Liverpool supporters.

Although the Portuguese manager risks the backlash of the Blues faithful over his comments, a number of fans seem to agree with him and believe everyone is overreacting. Then there’s the rival fans, who just find it hilarious that Mourinho would hit out at his own supporters once again.

Mourinho isn’t the best person at making friends and these comments could eventually come back to haunt him- but no doubt he’ll state it’s all just ‘mind games’.

Mourinho wants the bridge to make the same noise as the home crowd at Anfield. No way Jose.

— LFChris (@RoyalNumber7) January 21, 2015

why is everyone angry with Mourinho’s words when half of us acknowledge crowds have been sanitised to iPad/selfie freaks.

— Pete Borota (@Peteborota) January 21, 2015

Love when Mourinho rips the Chelsea fans. Seems a lot more miserable now than his first spell though.

— David (@ddavidwilsonn) January 21, 2015

and if you’re slating Mourinho for what he’s said you’ve obviously never been to the bridge to know what he’s on about

— louise. (@loiloit) January 21, 2015

Feel like Mourinho’s comments are more of an indirect message to the board, and not to Chelsea fans.

— Batoul (@BatoulHussein) January 21, 2015

Mourinho having a go at his own fans has got to be the best thing ever.

— Youssef (@Lallanatelli) January 21, 2015

Mourinho: “If Stamford Bridge can give us 25 per cent of the emotion Anfield gives Liverpool, I think we can do it.” Why is he doing this?

— Sam (@SamPeeCFC) January 21, 2015

What’s Mourinho on about? Anfield was bloody quiet until sterling got the equaliser for them…

— Lucid Dreamer (@Regalinho) January 21, 2015

If Mourinho complains about the atmosphere at Chelsea, what should Arsene Wenger do?

— Muyeezus™ (@CassBaba) January 21, 2015

Mourinho’s comments aren’t even critical. You all need to man up a bit.

— Adam (@CFC12thMan) January 21, 2015