I'm just going to try out my theory on you, c/p from a comment to 13oct regarding the mess Mou left at Inter:
In many ways I guess Arbeloa is the player that best fit the Mou mold. He didn't lock down his starting spot in the NT until EURO 2012, he'd never won anything as a starter and he's always been under fire from the press. Frank Lampard always tells the same story of how Mou caught him in the showers one day (!) and told him he believed Lampard was the best midfielder in the world. He didn't believe it himself, but it made him anything to pay back Mou's trust. That kind of tactic was never going to work with many of our players - if he told Iker or Cris or Sergio that they were the best in the world in their position back when he arrived in 2010, their reply would prob. have been that yes, they were and they knew that. Self-belief, bordering on arrogance, has always been in plentyful supply in Madrid and it has often been an asset - it's a large part of the winning mentality and fight-til-death ethos. Capello said that was made that crazy end to the 06/07 season possible. Mou telling them that they were the best would not bring them any added motivation. But I can well imagine a tweaked version of that tactic working with Arbeloa (not even Mou was going to claim Arbie was the best RB in the world (sorry)), but he clearly told him that he trusted him and made a point of not bringing in reinforcements on rb. And Arbeloa did his best to repay that trust, changing his game (and making it a lot more dirty) to rise to meet Mou's expectations. And until this season that worked out well for both of them.
That's pretty much the best explanation I can come up for his recent need to give interviews.
I have come across that theory elsewhere and it just...clicks.
Mou telling them that they were the best would not bring them any added motivation. But I can well imagine a tweaked version of that tactic working with Arbeloa (not even Mou was going to claim Arbie was the best RB in the world (sorry)), but he clearly told him that he trusted him and made a point of not bringing in reinforcements on rb.
Poor Arby....always a 7/10 not a 10/10 ;)
In some ways, the best summation of a player Mourinho ever did.
In many ways I guess Arbeloa is the player that best fit the Mou mold. He didn't lock down his starting spot in the NT until EURO 2012, he'd never won anything as a starter and he's always been under fire from the press. Frank Lampard always tells the same story of how Mou caught him in the showers one day (!) and told him he believed Lampard was the best midfielder in the world. He didn't believe it himself, but it made him anything to pay back Mou's trust. That kind of tactic was never going to work with many of our players - if he told Iker or Cris or Sergio that they were the best in the world in their position back when he arrived in 2010, their reply would prob. have been that yes, they were and they knew that. Self-belief, bordering on arrogance, has always been in plentyful supply in Madrid and it has often been an asset - it's a large part of the winning mentality and fight-til-death ethos. Capello said that was made that crazy end to the 06/07 season possible. Mou telling them that they were the best would not bring them any added motivation. But I can well imagine a tweaked version of that tactic working with Arbeloa (not even Mou was going to claim Arbie was the best RB in the world (sorry)), but he clearly told him that he trusted him and made a point of not bringing in reinforcements on rb. And Arbeloa did his best to repay that trust, changing his game (and making it a lot more dirty) to rise to meet Mou's expectations. And until this season that worked out well for both of them.
That's pretty much the best explanation I can come up for his recent need to give interviews.
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Mou telling them that they were the best would not bring them any added motivation. But I can well imagine a tweaked version of that tactic working with Arbeloa (not even Mou was going to claim Arbie was the best RB in the world (sorry)), but he clearly told him that he trusted him and made a point of not bringing in reinforcements on rb.
Poor Arby....always a 7/10 not a 10/10 ;)
In some ways, the best summation of a player Mourinho ever did.
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Arby is depressed. This is a cry for help!
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UGLY SOBBING.
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