04/19/24
June 02, 2004
'I think I am a special one': 'I think I am a special one,' said Chelski's new man Jose Mourinho. He wants to reduce his squad of Galacticos wannabes from 33 to 21 (plus GKs), and apparently Gronkjaer will be tops on the To Be Dropped list. Is Jose really The Man or is his ego overstuffed after five trophies in two years, given that four of those came from Portuguese-only competitions? Other coaching questions: why did Benitez resign at Valencia and not get announced as the new Houllier immediately, is Rick Parry's vacatin that important? Will Ranieri go back to Valencia and prove that it was the team and not just the coach that earned the silverware? Will Curbishly's flirtation with Liverpool give him a bad rash at Charlton? Why did Juventus embarass their former star, was his team's loss in the CL Final that bad?
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 05:13 PM - 10 comments
Buddha, I'm just looking for some soccer chat, okay? And Gronkjaer added to Heskey still doesn't come close to Kewell, Owen and Cisse. But enough about that, what about the coaches?
posted by billsaysthis at 10:11 PM on June 02, 2004
Three (not four) of Mourinho's trophies are from Portuguese-only competitions. The dude has won the uefa cup and champions league cup. I'm sorry to see Ranieri go - his situation was dragged out way way way too long. However, I think it will be really interesting to see what Mourinho does with the team this summer. And to see how they progress through next season. I find Mourinho's quotes pretty amusing - stuff like "We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager" and "Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one." Can anyone imagine anybody in any American sport saying stuff like this? I guess I could see Shaq or Allen Iverson doing it, but I can't think of much more.. maybe I just don't pay attention enough?
posted by blarp at 10:37 PM on June 02, 2004
Can anyone imagine anybody in any American sport saying stuff like this? What, apologising for their arrogance? [/cheap shot] I feel sorry for foreign managers sometimes, if their English isn't up to scratch, it can land them in the "quotes of the week" section in a heartbeat. (Remember Arsene's exclaimation in his early days at Arsenal? "If anything is said about me that is not right, I will attack.") And yet, the English managers get away with mangling the English language just fine and no one says anything. Half of them can't form a coherent sentence.
posted by JJ at 02:24 AM on June 03, 2004
Ranieri to Liverpool!!
posted by StarFucker at 02:45 AM on June 03, 2004
Bill, I was joking old chap. Queiroz will return to Man U as I predicted ages ago. Blues have today signed Izzet, who I am sure you need no reminding provided more assists than any other player last year. Cisse to Liverpool surprises me, what if the new coach don't want him? I would imagine that Curbishleys status at Charlton is assured forever. I do not know that he flirted with Liverpool, if anything it was the other way around was it not?
posted by Fat Buddha at 05:41 AM on June 03, 2004
I remain to be convinced about Gronkjaer. Maybe Bruce can get him to actually cross the ball to his colleagues (which is after all his job) as well as pop up with a couple of wonder-goals, but I have my reservations. Izzet however is a bloody marvellous coup. Now what we need is a right-back whose name doesn't rhyme with Pills. I thought the Mourinho quotes were very amusing, at least he's proved he'll be a worthy replacement for Ranieri in the comedy stakes.
posted by squealy at 06:55 AM on June 03, 2004
He looks a cheerful soul doesn't he, old Mourinho. He's clearly as mad as a shithouse rat.
posted by Fat Buddha at 07:24 AM on June 03, 2004
And another announcement today, Santinin will leave France for Spurs. I realize the article mentioned the lack of a contract extension offer from the FFF but really, if he made the final game or at least final four, wouldn't they have renewed him? How is coaching a miserable team like Spurs comparable to running one of the top three or so national squads in the world?
posted by billsaysthis at 03:13 PM on June 03, 2004
I like Mourinho. Mainly for the way he wound Alex Ferguson up. Also, he seems to have the right idea - smallish squad of qwuality players, and a fair use of youth team players. I'm quite worried that Chelsea could well win the league soon.
posted by dng at 08:30 AM on June 04, 2004
What's this....20 bleeding questions? Gronkjaer is coming to Blues, to provide the ammunition for Heskey.