Chelsea vs Porto: Jose Mourinho left making up the numbers as he attempts to spread blame
Mourinho described why he is confident he still retains the support of Roman Abramovich, whom he says does not 'change with the wind'
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Your support makes all the difference.Jose Mourinho claimed he was an “optimistic guy” yesterday, but little else that he said suggested as much. Giving what could well be his final pre-match press conference as Chelsea manager, Mourinho attempted to diffuse the blame for his side’s astonishing collapse.
Armed with his own statistics, falling back on his own explanations, pointing fingers, again, at his players and at referees, Mourinho tried to make clear that what has happened this season is “not a one-man responsibility”.
That may even be true, but if Chelsea lose to Porto, and wake up in the Europa League, no one’s position will be under more scrutiny than Mourinho’s.
Mourinho described yesterday why he is confident he still retains the support of Roman Abramovich, whom he says does not “change with the wind”.
He added: “I did lots of good things in this club for the owner to know the quality I have. The owner shows me that belief twice: when he brought me back to the club, and when he gave me a new contract for four years.”
Abramovich has not followed the “important wind” of bad results yet, but that does not mean he never will. Chelsea in the Europa League would be a very different prospect.
To stay in the Champions League, Chelsea need to avoid defeat at home against Porto, with whom Mourinho made his name. To do that they will have to play as well as they have done all season, against a side who beat them 2-1 in Portugal in September.
Chelsea have already lost home league games against sides – Southampton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth – who are not as strong as tonight’s opponents.
Mourinho offered his own analysis for his team’s awful season yesterday, an analysis which spread the blame around. “Now I don’t speak about the owner, but just about the reality of the situation,” he said. “You can read these bad results and focus everything on the manager.”
Wiser, though, was to look at other factors. “Look to players with performances below acceptable [levels],” he suggested. “Look to the unlucky decisions we are having in every competition, not just the Premier League,” he said. “This is not a one-man responsibility.”
Mourinho has always been a results manager but yesterday he was not. He spoke about underlying numbers which proved that Chelsea are playing well, only to be let down by bad luck and the inefficiency of their strikers.
“Statistics are statistics, but if you analyse the numbers you can get some good information,” Mourinho said. “Match after match, we beat Chelsea records of high intensity work. In the last three matches we beat the records three times. We ran and worked more than ever, and at a certain intensity we had never done before.
“Our levels of ball possession are much higher than before. Our chances are higher than ever. Our number of goals is lower than ever. You read the numbers, you draw some conclusions.”
Chelsea, according to Opta, have created the fewest “big chances” in the Premier League so far this season with 13. Arsenal are top with 51.
Mourinho was challenged on his use of underlying numbers, given his scorn for possession-fetishism and “the football they play on the moon” last season. He defended the numbers, pointing to the fact that they get him off the hook.
“I didn’t say numbers are not important,” Mourinho said. “After goals scored and conceded, they mean something if you know how to read them. They mean it is everyone’s responsibility.”
This issue of how to score goals against good teams is the biggest one facing Chelsea, suggesting Mourinho’s optimism is misplaced. While their defence has stabilised, conceding one goal in their last four games, the attack is still malfunctioning. The only time Chelsea have beaten a good team this season was when Arsenal self-destructed.
“It is clear we create so many chances and don’t score goals,” he said. “It is obvious that it is not a question of developing the game. We are arriving at so many situations where we just need a tap in, and we are not doing that.
“I am working with individuals and in groups with the players in those positions. The players want to do it, which makes me optimistic.”
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