English football’s most lethal double act propelled Leicester to a 2-1 win over stumbling champion Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday, with goals by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez keeping their team top of the standings.
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And while Mourinho was disappointed with his side’s defending, the Blues boss also feels a lack of goals from his strikers is not helping an already sorry situation.
“We conceded two goals that were unacceptable for me because I know one of my best qualities is to read the game for my players, to read the opponents, to identify every detail about the opponent and these two goals…” said Mourinho.
“My players, they got all that information in training in the last three days. But to be in a battle is to be there for three or four months and I don’t think this will be so”.
“I told my players, five more points and we are safe”.
Vardy, meanwhile, recently said: “I do think Leicester can match my ambitions”. I identified four movements where they score nearly all of their goals. The Algerian maestro took his tally up to 10 goals this season, the highest scoring midfielder this year.
Mourinho introduced Pedro when Hazard made it clear that he wouldn’t be playing on.
“We wanted to put on a fantastic performance for the fans because they are dreaming and we want them to continue to dream”, said former Chelsea manager Ranieri.
“That’s the positive thing that makes me leave the dressing room with a feeling that isn’t as bad as the result, because in the last 30 minutes they were a team”.
“I would face matches in a different manner if I was a player”, he added. “We have these players and it’s with these players we have to go”.
“His first reaction was “I can’t continue”, his second reaction was “I want to try”, but after his first step back on the pitch he said he couldn’t”.
Chelsea’s woes were compounded by a first-half injury suffered by their Belgium forward Eden Hazard who hobbled off with an apparent hip problem after a challenge from Premier League top scorer Vardy.
“I feel my work was betrayed”.
Mourinho himself has admitted that the top four chances are gone, and says he was left betrayed his own players.
If I look to some matches I feel frustrated with the difference between what they do in training and what they in matches.
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Mourinho: I think [Leicester] deserved to win because they were better than us during a longer period of time.
