From his arrogance to his tactics, Mourinho has been able to make enemies from football fans all over the world. I am a United Fan and I don't hate him less but soccer gamers won't say the same thing if they were to be completely honest. Let us first observe the most common mode of play of expert soccer gamers.

Basic: Offensive Vs Defensive
Advanced: Offensive and Defensive

Offensive means that you are attacking your opponent, creating chances with the use of midfielders and strikers.. You are less concerned about your defense because you are quite sure your opponent isn't good enough to organize his own offensive that will be productive.

Defensive on the other hand is when you are under pressure, your opponent is obviously better than you and you want to bring your DMFs and Defenders close to the box, you don't want to risk an offensive or when you do it is poorly organized because the midfielders and strikers are not correctly positioned because of the "pull back" effect.

Don't get me wrong! The fact that you either use offensive or defensive doesn't mean you are a basic player, it depends on your opponent, for instance, I will be more offensive if I am playing with a novice to score more goals (especially for PES) but when I meet someone with greater abilities, I will be more defensive and wait for counter attacks (especially for FIFA).

The advanced form of play is when you have mastered the act of bringing players forward with a concrete plan for retreat when your team lose the ball and have stop a counter attack, this process goes on and on during the game because you have competent players you have mastered the skill, it could be disastrous if you have haven't mastered organized retreat and crude defensive system. I usually use this method when I meet my match and when I have am using a team like Man City.

Now what are the tactics most pro players like me copy from "the special one"?


1. Bringing midfielders and strikers back to tackle: this helps the defenders get in position and prepare for a more aggressive tackle when their midfielders can't get the ball. Most pro players use just DMFs to mark and leave the rest but me, I use the MFs and DMFs to attempt to stop an offensive before it gets to my defenders. Although we hate it when Mourinho uses this tactics but hey! it works.

2. Keeping some key players on the bench for last back up: Most football managers do this, but we only criticize Mourinho most times. The use of this tactic is when you need a force that will destabilize your opponent's team or when you need a goal so badly. This usually happens when you underestimated your opponent and he is beating you or when you want to seal your victory. Imagine keeping a player like Ibramovic on the bench and bringing him in when you want a goal so badly, it is a trick that will give you that desired effect.

3. Making last minutes substitution: Most real life managers use this to kill time, others do it when they have sealed their victory and they want other players to just move around the pitch before the final whistle. Mourinho does it to kill time especially when he doesn't want to risk a goal but since we cannot do it to kill time, we just do it for fun so that other players can play, especially when we have sealed our win!


4. Keeping players on the pitch after some obvious mistakes: I personally don't do this. I don't have patience for try and errors, if as a striker, you keep misplacing the ball, a midfielder that cannot complete passes or a weak defender who cannot hold on to strikers, I will take you away after your third error irrespective of how I am putting. Most pro players don't do this however, they usually start key players and when they don't function they just have to manage..


However, here are some tactics Mourinho uses that you should never try.

1. Not starting an AMF: You should never start a game without a good attacking midfielder, it is dangerous. Balls cannot creatively get to the strikers. Mourinho used to substitute Mata, that was bad!

2. Not making the right substitution the right time.

3. Hesitating to change formation when the game is going against you.

4. Playing a weak player in a key area, in a very important match: Till I die, I may never realise why Mourinho will start Phil Jones in a Center back position ahead of Baily in an FA cup final and keep him even when Phil Jones had an injury and Man U was losing.. Whatever Mourinho was thinking about that day, don't think about it. It won't work, you will lose that game.

Happy gaming guys!

Apt