Liverpool FC Forum

by **account deleted by request** » Mon May 17, 2010 5:22 pm

Mourinho: Liverpool is an incredible phenomenon

Author: Andrew Allen
Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho has taken a veiled swipe at the current standard of the Premier League as he ran the rule over the achievements of Carlo Ancelotti in his first season in charge of Chelsea. The Italian coach saw his Stamford Bridge outfit secure their first Double when they beat Portsmouth on Saturday at Wembley; a feat that not even the ‘Special One’ achieved despite his considerable success in England. However, speaking ahead of this weekend’s Champions League final the Portuguese coach stressed that while he was pleased for the Blues, it was the lack of consistency amongst their rivals which opened the door for more silverware in west London. Pinpointing the struggles faced by Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, Mourinho also took time to dismiss championship challenge from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Mourinho won the Premier League title twice while coach at Chelsea, beating off competition from Arsene Wenger’s ‘invincible’ Arsenal side to win the title by 12 points in 2004-05 before retaining their crown by holding off the likes of Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool and Sir Alex Ferguson’s previously dominant Manchester United.

Quitting the following season to be replaced by Avram Grant, Mourinho’s former side reached the Champions League final in Moscow, only to be beaten by Manchester United on penalties. Having also surrendered their Premier League title to the men from Old Trafford and subsequently seen Liverpool overtake them in the league in 2008-09 it has been a resurgent Chelsea side who have confidently taken the field under Ancelotti in the last nine months. Speaking to the Sunday Times about the competition he faced in England, Mourinho started by targeting Arsene Wenger's shift in philosophy at Arsenal before hammering Liverpool for their gradual decline:

“Arsenal won it in an incredible way [2003-04] and after that they thought they could win in a different way.

“They cannot win it in a different way. Either they go back to where they were or they don’t do it.

“Man United lost Ronaldo. Okay, the coach is a tremendous coach, the team is full of great players, but Ronaldo is Ronaldo, and he scores 30 goals a season. Ronaldo wins points and points and points. When a club and the league loses a player like Ronaldo it loses a lot.

“Liverpool is an incredible phenomenon. From 2004 to 2010 it looks like the team instead of improving is getting worse. Tottenham is coming, Aston Villa is coming, Man City is coming, but I think that magic of a fight of titans, all of them very, very strong in the top of the League, I don’t see this season was like this.

“Chelsea were out of Champions League very, very soon. They could concentrate on the championship — and they did it very well. Carlo is very experienced, he kept the team calm and focused, and he didn’t let them lose focus and confidence. They concentrate very, very well in the championship, and they deserve to win it in the end.”

LINK

by **Bad Bob** » Mon May 17, 2010 5:34 pm

Between this stuff and his recent baiting of Ranieri how can anyone not consider him a complete douche? Successful manager, undoubtedly, but still a complete douche. :no

by **account deleted by request** » Mon May 17, 2010 5:53 pm

I admit that gloating like this is not the right thing to do, I do believe he makes some good points as well mate. I think we all mostly agree that the league hasn't been as strong this year, and that our fall from grace has been less about the other teams catching up to us, as it is about us being dragged down to their level?

by **Bad Bob** » Mon May 17, 2010 6:06 pm

s@int wrote:I admit that gloating like this is not the right thing to do, I do believe he makes some good points as well mate. I think we all mostly agree that the league hasn't been as strong this year, and that our fall from grace has been less about the other teams catching up to us, as it is about us being dragged down to their level?

No question about it, mate, but for Mourinho to comment like he has is just classless. And I'm not even referring to what he has to say about Liverpool and more about what he's implying with respect to Ancelotti's achievements. It's awfully hard to give him credit for all he's achieved in the game when he's so stingy about doing the same with others.

by **account deleted by request** » Mon May 17, 2010 6:14 pm

Bad Bob wrote:
s@int wrote:I admit that gloating like this is not the right thing to do, I do believe he makes some good points as well mate. I think we all mostly agree that the league hasn't been as strong this year, and that our fall from grace has been less about the other teams catching up to us, as it is about us being dragged down to their level?

No question about it, mate, but for Mourinho to comment like he has is just classless. And I'm not even referring to what he has to say about Liverpool and more about what he's implying with respect to Ancelotti's achievements. It's awfully hard to give him credit for all he's achieved in the game when he's so stingy about doing the same with others.

To be fair Rafa was just as bad mate. When asked what he thought of Ancellotti's achievements at Chelsea, he just said " its down to the players" (or something similar)

I will try to find the article

by **LFC2007** » Mon May 17, 2010 6:16 pm

January 25, 2009

Jose Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, believes Liverpool possess "everything they need" to win the Barclays Premier League title this season.

Rafael Benitez's team remain level on points with Manchester United but behind on goal difference having played one game more. While firmly in the title race, Liverpool have been guilty of squandering points at home to less-fancied opposition this season, but Mourinho, now the manager of Inter Milan, believes they can keep their championship challenge on track.

"It has been interesting watching Liverpool this season," Mourinho said. "I think they have everything they need to win the title.

"I still can't understand why they didn't do it in the last four years. Why wouldn't they be able to do it this season? Of course they can. The manager is good, the players are good, the crowd is unique, the tradition of the club is big, so why can't they do it? I think they can."

Mourinho warned, however, that the resumption of the Champions League at the end of next month could again be a distraction for the Anfield club.

"Usually it is when the Champions League starts that they lose their focus on the Premiership," he continued. "It was like this in previous years when they did very well in the Champions League but they lost too many points in the championship.

"They have already lost ten points at home by drawing the kind of matches they used to win. Against Stoke, Fulham, West Ham, Hull and Everton it has been two points lost. So if you can imagine that they had those 10 points now, they would be top of the league."

The Portuguese also played down the recent spat between Benitez and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"As for these stories I read about Rafael Benitez and Alex Ferguson exchanging words, this is all part of the game," he said.

"It is part of the fight you have to make to win a title, part of the pressure that managers try and put on other managers, clubs and structures to try to get an advantage. I think Benitez and Ferguson respect each other and both know they are contenders for the title. I don't think it is personal."

Link

by **account deleted by request** » Mon May 17, 2010 6:23 pm

Shows just how far we have fallen in Mourinho's estimation in 18 months

by **LFC2007** » Mon May 17, 2010 6:39 pm

Didn't seem to be aware this "incredible phenomenon" last season.

by **account deleted by request** » Mon May 17, 2010 6:48 pm

Seems well aware of it now though.

by **LFC2007** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:00 pm

For an all-seeing, all-knowing oracle that's pretty bad going.

by **account deleted by request** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:02 pm

He may not have been as quick as some of us ...... but he got there in the end

by **LFC2007** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:31 pm

s@int wrote:He may not have been as quick as some of us ...... but he got there in the end

by **Julio-0** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:44 pm

His last match in Italy

Mou

by **RED BEERGOGGLES** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:59 pm

Julio-0 wrote:His last match in Italy
Mou

He's just a travelling man :laugh:

by **Big Niall** » Mon May 17, 2010 10:00 pm

Didn't Rafa act petty last year and say he congratulated Man Utd but not Ferguson? and then make up nonsense about losing less games, scoring more goals and beating them twice (everything but get more damn points!)

Mourinho is right, the club is going nowhere with Rafa. Blaming Mourinho is like blaming the doctor telling you the pizza breakfasts aren't good for you.

He is also right that Chelsea are not as good as they were with him. I said months ago that the league was weak this year and the winners would be poor and also correctly said we'd finish 7th.

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