Effectiveness | Jose Mourinho as they see him

on June 5, 2010

I'm referring to "One of a kind or one kind" by Richard Jolly in Straitstimes.

I did not watch any Champions League match this season. Even if I did, I would not have seen as much as these journalist/analysts did or understood. Here is a list of remarkable facts and insights from that article.

Analysis of competitions

Mourinho has wonderful analytical skills. He reinforces them with his diligent preparations. For instance, he once watched a match 7 times in his preparations for another match.

Analysis of Own Team

Mourinho had used 3 different systems -- 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 -- at 3 different clubs. His tactics have suited his players and helped them play better than before.

A Unique Vision

In this season's Champions League final, his team won 2-0 with 33% of possession. Other teams assume that more possession in itself is an end whereas for Mourinho it is just a means to an end which is noting but winning, ugly or otherwise.

Winning Confidence from Own Team

Wesley Sneijder: "He will give us information no one else can."

Analyze.
Understand deeper and better.
Win buy-in from one's own team.

No wonder, Mourinho is making and breaking records in football coaching history.

He is a winner, a champion many times over. He is efficient -- in my view -- super lazy . His teams do the least work : defend least, attack least, score least, and even train least. Lazy champions? Also see my post "Mourinho and Principle of Least Work"