Jose Mourinho spoke to the press ahead of Chelsea’s meeting with Aston Villa.
Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho sat down for the customary pre-match press conference as his team prepared to for their crucial Premier League clash against Aston Villa. The Blues boss touched on a variety of topics, but also recognised the club’s desperate situation.
While rubbishing the somewhat tongue-in-cheek accusations that Chelsea are in a relegation battle, Mourinho did admit that his team need to turn their form around sharpish.
"We cannot run away from the reality of the Premier League table. Obviously we know we will not be relegated…but the reality now, today, tomorrow and before the game starts is the reality of the numbers, and the numbers are very cruel but objective. We need points."
The Blues have garnered just eight points from their opening eight Premier League games, a start that leaves them down in 16th position. They have only managed to win two of these fixtures and have conceded a whopping 17 goals. Only Sunderland have let in more.
Mourinho will be praying that his players have taken the weekend away from domestic football as an opportunity to figure out what the hell has been going on. Having said that, the boss said that he had tabs on all international football over the last week and a half, with poor performances from Chelsea representatives in fact encouraging him.
"No player was better in the national team than they are with us, so it’s not their habitat which is making them play better or worse…[This] gives me total confidence that it will be here that we will improve them and they will go back to their normality."
To be fair, Mourinho does have a point. If the players were tearing it up at national level, that would suggest a problem with the Chelsea tactics. The fact that they have been equally inept away from Stamford Bridge means that it is merely a matter of rekindling the spark within a tired and trophy-laden squad.
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Branislav Ivanovic, meanwhile, picked up an injury on international duty which could sideline him for a considerable amount of time. While it is unfortunate to see a player succumb to injury, this may be a blessing in disguise. The Serbian has been outstandingly ineffective so far (which is saying something given the results) and his hamstring trouble will force Mourinho to change it up at right-back.
While Blues fans have been desperate for the inclusion of Abdul Baba Rahman at left-back (with Cesar Azpilicueta moving to the right), the boss is considering several options.
"I have four solutions: I have Azpilicueta, I have the adaptation of Zouma or Ramires and I have Ola Aina, an 18-year-old who has never played a Premier League game but he’s a boy with lots of potential. He’s also an option."
Chelsea take on Tim Sherwood’s Villa on Saturday afternoon at Stamford Bridge. Everyone associated with the club know that nothing less than a (convincing) win will suffice as the club desperately search for the strongest antidote to their mysterious disease.
All quotes taken from chelseafc.com.
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