Mourinho dropped Eden Hazard to the substitutes’ bench and afterwards encouraged the playmaker to improve his work-rate as the Blues boss opted for a more pragmatic approach.
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The Belgian’s omission from the starting eleven was only the first time he will not be starting a Premier League game since April 2014, and Mourinho opted to field Pedro and the in-form Willian on either flanks. They know those parts are controlled.
“Willian and Pedro did awesome defensive work and allowed the (central) midfield players to be very comfortable”. So it was just a tactical decision. Asked if he was proud of winning 200 games as Chelsea manager, Mourinho replied: “I didn’t know”. I have other possibilities. He is fantastic in his vision and the way he analyses the game and the decisions he makes in the game. This is a moment for the team.
However, this wasn’t something that Sherwood seemed concerned about in his post match interview, stating that he’s “positive”, and telling that if the players need inspiration, “they need to look to me”.
“I like quality, but when you don’t have the ball you don’t have quality”.
But Mourinho says that TV cameras never show the attempts of players trying to provoke the Spaniard and says he is wrongly portrayed as the bad guy.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has once again leapt to the defence of Diego Costa by claiming the striker is being unfairly portrayed in the media. “If we do, then this group of players will grow”. People have been reminding me a few times about them.
A big mistake by Brad Guzan led directly to Chelsea regaining possession high up the field, and within a few seconds Villa conceded. “But I have had no indication that the clock is ticking”, he said.
“When you don’t have the ball, quality means nothing and what means [thumps chest]…you have or you don’t have”.
“So let’s try to keep this mentality and this tactical attitude”.
Despite being four points adrift of Bournemouth in the final position of safety and with just one win so far this term, Sherwood saw signs that Villa will start moving up the table.
Before the Villa game, Costa lightened the mood with what Mourinho described as a “funny plan” for his team-mates, although the exact nature of the joke remained very much in-house.
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“I’ve seen those reports about my job on the line, But I’ve had no indication that the clock’s ticking”.
