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Jose will not return to Blues - Laudrup
March 5, 2012
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho will not be the answer 2 Chelsea's growing problems @ Stamford Bridge, according 2 4mer Madrid star Michael Laudrup.
Laudrup, who's brother Brian spent an injury-ravaged year @ Chelsea, is a former La Liga winner with Madrid, having joined the Spanish giants fr Barcelona. He has also managed Madrid's 3rd club Getafe & - more recently - Mallorca in Spain, building a strong network across the country.
The 47-year-old was as surprised as any1 2 see AVB axed by Chelsea less than a year into his self-titled 'project' in west London, but he is convinced tat Villas-Boas' exit will not make way 4 Mourinho.
The bookmakers currently hv Mourinho as the fav 2 take the reins in the summer, aft he completes wat appears 2 be a title-winning season @ Madrid.
The Portuguese won 2 Premier League crowns, 2 League Cups & 1 FA Cup during his 1st spell in charge of the Blues, but Laudrup insists it will be impossible 4 him 2 cut the likes of John Terry & Didier Drogba, the men on which he built his 1st Chelsea team.
"They r in a moment of transition & they will hv 2 change some of the older players," Laudrup told Sky Sports.
"And some of those older players were some of the key players when Mourinho was last @ Chelsea.
"So u hv yr key players, u leave, & then u come back & tell your ex-key players: 'I'm sorry, now u hv 2 leave. I hv 2 build a new team.'
"I don't believe tat [he can do tat]."
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Pep and Jose should swap sides
March 4, 2012
Only the most 1-eyed wonder any longer whether tis generation of Barcelona r the greatest club team of all time, yet the title has all but been awarded 2 Real Madrid by complacent default.
At tis point, Guardiola's 1st serious failure 2 meet expectations, u might expect the knives 2 be out. Now, with Jose Mourinho delivering wat Real Madrid fans could only dream of last year, u might also expect endless jeroboams & prophylactics 2 be sent his way by his bosses. The reality though, is tat Barcelona 1 2 keep the prevaricating Guardiola while Mourinho faces internal struggles, perhaps ultimately forcing him out.
There's an easy solution 2 all tis wrangling. The 2 managers should simply swap seats: Guardiola styling it @ Real Madrid, & Mourinho poking eyes @ Barcelona. Both teams & both managers would benefit.
At Real Madrid, Mourinho is not lacking Euros. He may come up against the buffers in the quest 4 an extra striker, but he's not exactly short. Amongst others, he has been able 2 bring in Sami Khedira, Nuri Sahin, Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao, Angel di Maria & Mesut Ozil. In the future, with Real's turnover, they will continue 2 spend extensively even under Financial Fair Play. Guardiola, on the other hand, has seen his transfer clout diminish despite his own increasing returns. In the summer of 2011, Barcelona took out a loan of over £100 million 2 pay wages, & were only able 2 buy Cesc Fabregas - a £50 million player by any1 else's judgement - becos of the cloying emotional facade 2 a business deal.
Mourinho wouldn't necessarily need the huge money available @ Real 2 re-establish Barcelona. The number of reports stressing Mourinho's team building abilities make any further demonstration unnecessary. Adding 2 Cech, Terry & Lampard with the signing of Drogba he created the most durable spine of the Premier League era. At Inter he did something similar with Cesar, Lucio, Sneijder & Eto'o. At Barcelona plenty of the replacements r already there in the reserves. The emotional ties players claim 2 hv 4 Barcelona would only help Mourinho create his desired team spirit. There is no reason 2 doubt he could create a new foundation 2 rejuvenate ambition in a team tat occasionally seems happy 2 go thru the, admittedly impressive, motions.
Perhaps a fantasy rather than a blueprint, but Catalonia's Jose would give the neutral the most enjoyable sights in history. He'd force the tiki-taka students 2 grind out soulless, relentless, 1-0 victory aft 1-0 victory. Messi, occasionally forgetting himself & assisting a Xavi goal, backheeling a thru ball aft a saucy 40-yard stepover slalom, would be chided with, 'Hey! we don't 1 2 win tis 4-0.' Iniesta would be reduced 2 10-minute cameos, replacing Barca's new penalty hero, Frank Lampard. A ridiculous idea, but there r signs tat their possession football is in need of something novel.
Barcelona's ennui is now their biggest weakness. Few great teams manage 2 dominate football 4 longer than 3 years, & Barcelona appear only slightly different. Tat difference is tat they remain the fav 4 the Champions League, though, no they can longer match their rival's consistency. Mourinho would change tat. At Chelsea, he created a team so relentless tat youth development took a hit in England. No longer could ManU & others afford 2 blood youngsters so indulgently, the margin of error had withered. His switching betw 4-4-2 & 4-3-3, resting in possession & ability 2 take 3 points instead of 1, displays his desire 4 the league as a priority. At Inter, he saw off a challenge fr the 1st true post-Calciopoli title race, the greatest enemy proving a journalist's chin rather than any other team. He could wrest back his own title.
Guardiola would change more fundamentally. Real hv long wanted 2 improve their youth production line, their Pavons never hit the heights of Barca's Pedros. With Mourinho tis is impossible, but Guardiola is steeped in the culture of La Masia. There would be nobody better 2 overhaul Madrid's youth system. If Real Madrid lack anything in their team, it is a true local hero. Josep 'Pep' Guardiola would finally solve Real Madrid's fans' inferiority complexes on more than tat front. Madrid r winning tis league playing football tat demanded their boos; barely attempting 2 play in the 1st 2 Clasicos of the season. Guardiola offers a commitment 2 a style of football tat most ppl adore, & he would give Ronaldo the chance 2 become a great team-mate as well as a great player.
Beyond the pitch, Guardiola offers another advantage. Real Madrid make a great play of their worldwide reach in order 2 maximise revenue. As good as Ronaldo is, Real hv something of the night abt them. Pepe is a thug in boots. The rest of his team r more excellently effective than skilfully glamorous. Guardiola, though, has lead Barcelona 2 be internationally feted. It makes business sense 4 Real Madrid's style & attitude 2 match the PR claims.
On the other hand, Mourinho could add steel 2 a fey Barcelona. They r attacked 4 their playacting thru the antics of Busquets & Alves, whereas Fabregas was alleged 2 hv done something far worse 2 Frederic Kanoute tis season. Mourinho would be able 2 draw the attention away fr the players' transgressions by accepting the negative press as part of his role. The fuss abt Barca's diving would be diverted 2 whatever Mourinho had decided 2 get up 2 on the sidelines, either lobbing sweets @ a manager, or making a pass @ the assistant referee. More practically, with Makelele & Materazzi, Mourinho's always been able 2 make the best of the less attractive parts of the game. So just imagine wat he could do with Busquets.
Both sides would benefit; football's most intense rivalry of the last 2 years would hv an incredible new angles. Weaknesses would be addressed & staid players would be challenged. It won't happen, but it definitely should.