Is Mourinho a product of financial doping and favourable climate.

Mourinho's run to the CL with Porto was extremely impressive.

Tim Howards fumble leading to Porto's advancement
The semi with Deportivo and the final with Monaco. True giant slaying.

However what about his other titles.

Was Abramovich more than Mourinho responsible for Chelsea

Did Moratti's desire to win a CL before his death by recruiting Sneijder, Eto, Lucio, Motta and Milito in one transfer window allied to one of the already strongest squads in Europe signal his intent to go the distance in the CL. Was this more of a factor than Mou's counterattack philospohy in winning the prize.

Was the treble a significant feat given the state of Serie A after the scandal.

Is winning the league with Real Madrid a significant feat in any year. Is spending more than a large country to do it a mark of genius.

Discuss

Mourinho is a very good manager (and a first class c**t), the facts are that he gets the best out of player's even if they don't seem to like him very much (Ramos and Casillas spring to mind). There's no doubt that Porto apart that he has been very lucky to have taken over at clubs with a large financial backing. That doesn't mean automatic success but it helps. but the guy does have that inherent ability to succeed even if the methods in which he does it leave a sour taste in my mouth at least.

He was not a big spender at Inter! The Ibra £40M left a pretty nominal net transfer spend

(and on winning the CL with Porto he also defeated Lyon who were a very good side. Depor were a strong side having defeated a top AC Milan side 4-0 at home in the quarters and Monaco under Deshamps knocked out Real Madrid and Chelsea en route to the final)

And how opportunistic was it to take on this Barca side?

At Porto, after knocking United out on luck, you can say that Lyon, Deportivo and Monaco is arguably the easiest run in a knock out stage.

Barcelona didn't qualify. Liverpool didn't qualify. Bayern Munich out in first round. Real Madrid, Milan and Arsenal were out in the quater finals. Chelsea out in the semi-finals. Inter Milan and Ajax never got past the group stage.

At Chelsea, he had millions of money to spend and he only had pretty much Man United to compete with in terms of purchasing power. We, ourselves, got billionaire owners in 2010 but we've not got to compete with United, City, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea.

Why did he fail to deliver the European Cup? Liverpool of course! Twice we denied him in the semi-finals.

At Inter Milan, once again spending power. Not the same kind of competitiveness in Premier League, probably. Then knocks out Barcelona with Bojan's legitimate goal ruled out and if I'm not mistaken Milito's goals in the first leg had hints of offside?

At Real Madrid, crazy spending power and the league is not decided in el classico wins. Two years there and only have Copa Del Rey 2011 to show and the gap between Barcelona + Madrid and the rest of La Liga is just insane and if he can't beat those other teams with Ozil, Kaka, Ronaldo, Alonso, Benzema, Casillas ... it's retarded.

He knows when to take charge of a club and he knows how to play mind games.

He was not a big spender at Inter! The Ibra £40M left a pretty nominal net transfer spend

(and on winning the CL with Porto he also defeated Lyon who were a very good side. Depor were a strong side having defeated a top AC Milan side 4-0 at home in the quarters and Monaco under Deshamps knocked out Real Madrid and Chelsea en route to the final)

And how opportunistic was it to take on this Barca side?

completley opportunistic. He's not taking them on with a handgun. They have ad three years of unrivalled success the hunger does wane. You must see the timing of his moves. He has soent more than any manager in history, with teams on the up and at the top. Barca can't win everything 4 years in a row and spain was the place to be. It's not rocket science.

Watch the match tonight and tell me Barca's hunger has waned

Mourinho is a very good manager (and a first class c**t), the facts are that he gets the best out of player's even if they don't seem to like him very much (Ramos and Casillas spring to mind). There's no doubt that Porto apart that he has been very lucky to have taken over at clubs with a large financial backing. That doesn't mean automatic success but it helps. but the guy does have that inherent ability to succeed even if the methods in which he does it leave a sour taste in my mouth at least.

Agree with this.

Personally, I think Maureen's biggest strength is the belief that he gives his players. They would literally run through brick walls for him.

Watch the match tonight and tell me Barca's hunger has waned

It's not black and white. Please explain to me that Barca aside, beating the rest of La Liga with Benzema, Higuain, De Maria, Kaka, Ronaldo, Alonso, Khedira, Diarra, Ozil, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Coentrao, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Carvalho, Casillas etc etc which part of that is genius and which part is homegrown and where is the fairness

Agree with this.

Personally, I think Maureen's biggest strength is the belief that he gives his players. They would literally run through brick walls for him.

I personally think he states the obvous to them. You are the mos expensive team in the league which over two years max guarantees success just keep playing to win

Real Madrid have a quality side! Shock horror. They've had a quality side for my entire life. The team that contained Zidane,Ronaldo,Figo,Beckham,Raul,Casillas,Hierro etc wasnt that successful post 2001 - Real Madrid will forever have the cream of talent in foitball but it hadn't always translated into a successful side (didn't they go 4 or 5 years pre Mourinho without getting beyond the last 16 in the CL?) Something about Mourinhos methods make teams winners - that is not even a point up for debate

I personally think he states the obvous to them. You are the mos expensive team in the league which over two years max guarantees success just keep playing to win

I suspect he has to try harder than that. It takes skill and wisdom to motivate professional millionaires to be as successful as his teams are and have been. He has a magic ingredient.

Two things spring to mind.

they won la liga in 2000-2001 2002-03 2006-07 2007-08
CL in 2000-2001 2002-2003

And there squad between the Galacticos era and now were nowhere near as strong as now, THey had people past there use by date and people too young. Check it out it fascinating. They gave Mourinhohis pic of Europe, hungry players already proven. It is unprecedented in football. ONly Mancini has been given anywhere near that backing, and Citeh  don't have Madrids pull ,  are low and behold they are nearing the title

I suspect he has to try harder than that. It takes skill and wisdom to motivate professional millionaires to be as successful as his teams are and have been. He has a magic ingredient.

So is he a manager or a magician

So is he a manager or a magician

He's a manager who knows how to get the best from his players. He's not really a magician as his teams don't play particularly attractive football in general. If they did then he would be a bit of both.

Yeah sorry they last won the CL 02 - thought it was 01

And Mourinho himself hasnt  signed many superstars - Ozil,Khedeira,Coentrao,Sahin,Altintop,Di Maira,Carvalho weren't out of the very top drawer....

Yeah sorry they last won the CL 02 - thought it was 01

And Mourinho himself hasnt  signed many superstars - Ozil,Khedeira,Coentrao,Sahin,Altintop,Di Maira,Carvalho weren't out of the very top drawer....

He doesn't even scout he just watched the world cup. Germany were apart from spain the team in the world cup and low and behold who does he get. Oh no Ozil and Khedira weren't playing for Germany and hungry players. De MAria wasn't and Argentine international and very fast. Carvalho and Coentrao portuguese and no how he plays. Carvalho is an excellent player. And look at the squad he added them to. Come on man at least admit that he has had it all handed to him all he had to do was get results . And in a season when he will play only at best two teams  (probably only one) who come close to his squad, well what do you think is going to happen

Like most people, I dislike the bloke but to my mind, if you can afford to hand him a sizeable budget, Mourinho is as close as you will get to guaranteed success.
Of course there may be other managers that could achieve this but haven't been given the support (*cough* Rafa *cough*) but Mourinho has proved that he can do it time and time again.

Chelsea - cech,glen johnson, del horno, john terry, carvalho, makele, lampard, essien, maniche, crespo, joe cole, duff,gallas, geremi, drogba, robben, bridge, diarra, ferreira, gudjohnson, sudicini, wright-phillips.

Inter milan- toldo, brazilian keeper, cordoba, chivu, lucio, samuel, maicon, santon, materazzi, scneijder, stankovic, motta, cambiasso, burdisso, zanetti, viera, muntari, balotelli, milito, eto, pandev, suazo

real madrid, casillas, ramos, carvalho, arbeloa, pepe, marcelo, coentrao, kaka, ronaldo, de maria, khedira, ozil, alonso, altintop, benzema, higuain, turdan

F**k he has it tough

Like most people, I dislike the bloke but to my mind, if you can afford to hand him a sizeable budget, Mourinho is as close as you will get to guaranteed success.
Of course there may be other managers that could achieve this but haven't been given the support (*cough* Rafa *cough*) but Mourinho has proved that he can do it time and time again.

Well said fully agree. Mourinho, given the right amount of cash, will build a talented squad capable of winning anything they're going in for. The team he built at Chelsea was first class, can't argue with that.

Top sides have top squads - where's the headline there?

Well said fully agree. Mourinho, given the right amount of cash, will build a talented squad capable of winning anything they're going in for. The team he built at Chelsea was first class, can't argue with that.

What is the right amount of cash. Madrid have spent nearly 400 million euros to catch barca. Chelsea owe Abramovich nearly 1 billion. Coincidently whenabramovich curbed jose's spending their results dropped and he went soon after. You have seen Inter milans squad.

What is the right amount and wouldn't anyone build a squad for that amount. No one has ever benefitted form that amount of money except mourinho so we can only judge him against himself

Top sides have top squads - where's the headline there?

Look at those squad lists mate. What do you think of them. Do you thin they were the best in their leagues at the time. Even Barca have a smaller squad than madrids. Pas their first eleven its all kids

Well said fully agree. Mourinho, given the right amount of cash, will build a talented squad capable of winning anything they're going in for. The team he built at Chelsea was first class, can't argue with that.

How did he scout the players he bought to chelski. Arjen Robben, Essien, Dider Drogba c'mon that's not building a team that is santa claus saying "whatever you want"