Mourinho: We Were Minus One Out of Ten

Jose Mourinho has reflected on his team’s 2-2 draw away at Newcastle and said, “In the first half, from 0-10, we were minus one. It was that bad”.

The defending Premier League champions went to St. James’ Park on the back of a 2-0 win over Arsenal in the league, though they were without the services of Diego Costa after the controversial front man was banned by the Football Association for striking the face of the Gunners’ defender Laurent Koscielny.

Despite having their tails up and hoping they’d be able to get themselves back into the mix at the top of the table, it was Newcastle who started the better of the two teams. Chelsea couldn’t get into the game in the first half and it was not against the run of play when Ayoze Perez gave the Magpies the lead after 42 minutes.

Things went from bad to worse in the second half when Georgino Wijnaldum doubled Newcastle’s lead with a stooping header and it looked as though the Geordies were going to secure their first three points of the season. Mourinho said, “We were so poor, so bad. At half time I said I was sorry I only had three subs as I wanted to change six… In the second half we played very well”.

The Blues were the better team in the second half and two goals in eleven minutes from Ramires and Willian allowed last year’s runaway winners to get themselves back into the match and come away with a point. Mourinho said, “Ramires and Willian moved the game. They brought more intensity, were much more dynamic. Newcastle could not cope with it”.

The manager was unsure what caused his side’s lethargic display in the first half against a team that was knocked out of the League Cup during the week by Sheffield Wednesday. He said, “I have to try to understand why they can play so bad in one half and so well in the other. We were bad in every aspect of the game in the first half. Too many poor individual performances and it was impossible to be a competitive team”.

With Manchester City shocking everyone in the league by losing 4-1 away at White Hart Lane Jose Mourinho will be glad that his team have been able to catch up with the team who had been at the top of the table by four points in the last two weekends. The Blues will need to be hitting ten out of ten in the coming weeks if they wish to retain their Premier League crown, however.

Mourinho Criticises Wenger? Probably

Jose Mourinho appeared to take a swipe at Arsene Wenger last week when he made reference to ‘the king’ who is ‘privileged’.

Mourinho has long had a rivalry with Arsenal manager Wenger and in the past has called him a ‘specialist in failure’ and suggested that he might be a ‘voyeur’ who likes to ‘watch other people’.

Now the self proclaimed ‘Special One’ has appeared to take a pot shot at Wenger in the wake of the Gunners’ boss criticisms of Diego Costa, though he has avoided calling him by his name. Mourinho said, “He can speak about referees, push people in the technical areas, can cry in the morning and afternoon, nothing happens. Cannot achieve, keep his job, can still be the king, it is privilege”.

Wenger was forthright in his criticism of Chelsea striker Costa, who appeared to goad Gabriel Paulista before the Arsenal defender lashed out at him and received a red card in the North London derby last week. That came after the Brazilian born Spanish international raised his hand and arm to the face of Laurent Koscielny, an offence that earned Costa a suspension from the Football Association last week.

Mourinho said, “In this country only one manager is not under pressure, every other manager is under pressure. Manuel Pellegrini, Brendan Rodgers, Steve McClaren. We cannot lose matches, we cannot be below expectations”.

Mourinho was asked by a journalist who it was that he was referring to and he responded by saying, “You know”.

In the press conference prior to Chelsea’s game against Newcastle at the weekend, a game the Blues drew 2-2-, Mourinho was asked whether he was frustrated that he had not received the reason for Costa’s ban in writing. He said, “You question is clear, you don’t need my answer. It is not normal but nothing more to say. If I answer I am going to be suspended. I don’t comment because in the rulebook it says some managers can speak about the referees before and after the game and others cannot. I am in the ones that are punished if they do. I have to stick with that rule book”.

Porto v Chelsea Preview (Champions League) – 29th September 2015

Chelsea head to Portugal on Tuesday night as they look to build on their winning start to their Champions League campaign. The trip will be a big one for manager Jose Mourinho, as the boss heads back to his former club. With the hosts sitting pretty at the top of the Portuguese league, can they beat the Premier League champions and get their first win of the group?

Porto have made a great start domestically, including seeing off their main rivals Benfica last weekend to stay top of the table. They’ll have ambitions of topping their Champions League group too, which makes this game a must win for them. Mourinho will come here expecting a tough game, which makes him likely to adopt a defensive approach, as he tends to do in big Premier League games.

Expect to see a midfield with Nemanja Matic playing alongside either Ramires or John Obi Mikel, giving the visitors a strong foundation, and restricting space to the Portuguese side. That makes the Blues tough to break down, and it gives them a platform from which to launch counter attacks, which will surely be crucial. The big question remains over the defence, which has been a little too vulnerable so far this season.

Adding a second deep lying midfielder worked well against Arsenal, and it should be very helpful again here. Expect Kurt Zouma to be back in the team for this game, possibly alongside the experience of John Terry. It’s going to be a night for the old heads, so Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic will likely start. They have the knowhow when it comes to edging games like this.

Diego Costa may have been banned by the FA, but his suspension thankfully won’t carry over to this game. A dominant physical presence like his will be needed in this game, as the forward will need to do thankless running and a lot of holding the ball up. There are few in the game who that as well as Costa, and he can be a threat if given the chances.

A win here would be huge for Chelsea, and not just as a boost for the returning Mourinho. It would put them far clear at the top going into a double header with Dynamo Kiev. You’d imagine at that point that qualification would be almost secured. The big challenge will be getting across the line in this game, but this is the kind of game the team have relished for the last few years.

This won’t be a game for the neutrals, it’ll be another fighting Blues display. Porto will try to dominate possession and push the visitors back, but if all goes to the usual plan there will be little space for them to play in. With their backs against the wall, you’d fancy Chelsea to get over the line, and claim three points.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 1-0

Newcastle v Chelsea Preview (Premier League) – 26th September 2015

Chelsea are looking to record back to back league wins for the first time this season when they make the trip to Newcastle on Saturday evening. The Blues got themselves back on track at Arsenal last week, but they face a tough trip to a ground that Jose Mourinho really struggles at. Can they turn around their record at St James’ Park and claim a huge three points?

Mourinho has made five trips to St James’ in his Chelsea career, and he’s yet to win there. The Magpies have beaten his side in three of those five games, including last year when they ended the Blues’ unbeaten start. It’s not just limited to Mourinho’s reign, Chelsea have lost in their last three trips to Newcastle. That’s a record that needs to be turned around fast.

Luckily they face a side who are completely out of form. The Magpies have yet to win a game this season, and manager Steve McClaren already seems under pressure. They spent big in the summer, but they’ve not actually taken any steps forward. Given that their right back seems like their only attacking threat, this has to be a victory for the visitors.

They’re unlikely to be presented with an easier task any time soon, although they’ll have to pull it off without Diego Costa. The forward was charged by the FA after the fiery clash with Arsenal, after unrelenting coverage by every sports programme in the country. Now the Blues will have to rely on either Falcao or former Newcastle man Loic Remy.

We should see Mourinho field a full strength team everywhere else, after making several changes for the game against Walsall. The big question will be over John Terry. Does he make a return to the side, or does Mourinho stick with the Kurt Zouma and Gary Cahill partnership? Newcastle don’t have too much pace in their team, so Terry could play, but the manager might not want to drop the pair who were so impressive last weekend.

Either way, Chelsea are going to need an imposing display from their midfield in this one. Without Costa, goals are going to be needed from the supporting pack. Hopefully Eden Hazard can improve following his late goal last week. Pedro hasn’t hit the heights of his debut, another performance like that would be more than welcome. Cesc Fabregas looked good in the two wins last week and hopefully he can carry that form into this meeting.

With City away to Tottenham early on Saturday, there’s a chance they could drop points, and the champions would know that going into this one. No matter what City do, the Blues need to get a win here. Not just to end an awful record against the Toon, but to get more points on the board. They need to start moving up the table, and they can do that with victory on Saturday.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 1-0

Chelsea Doctor Eva Carneiro Leaves The Club

Chelsea’s Eva Carneiro, the club doctor who was at the centre of the controversy surrounding Jose Mourinho after the clubs 2-2 draw with Swansea City on the opening day of the season, has decided not to return to work six weeks after the incident in Chelsea’s opening game.

With the Blues already down to ten men after the sending off of Thibaut Courtois for a foul on Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis, Carneiro and Chelsea’s physio Jon Fearn both ran on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard who was on the turf with an injury. Despite the medical team having been called on more than once by the match referee, Jose Mourinho was furious with them for being “impulsive and naïve”, according to his post match comments. Their decision to treat Hazard meant he had to leave the field of play with just minutes left on the clock, leaving Chelsea with nine men for some of the closing stages of the match.

Mourinho screamed at them to leave the forward alone, reportedly calling Carneiro a ‘son of a bitch’ in Portuguese. This has led the FA to investigate the possibility that the Chelsea manager used ‘foul or abusive language’ towards her that, if found guilty, could lead to a suspension for the Portuguese maestro.

Carneiro was demoted in the aftermath of the game, with Mourinho deciding that she should no longer be on the bench for Chelsea’s matches or attend training sessions, but would still treat the players at the club’s Cobham facility.

Carneiro had not returned to her position at the club and was in conversation with her lawyers. Chelsea wanted the doctor to return to her position but today it has been revealed that she has decided not to and it is believed that she is considering legal action.

Despite his assertion that he has a ‘good relationship’ with his medical staff, the news will come as a blow to Mourinho and Chelsea, especially considering that the Chelsea manager came under a lot of criticism in the aftermath of the incident.

Heather Rabbatts, a Football Association board member and chair of the inclusion advisory board, has expressed her ‘sadness and anger’ that Carneiro has decided to leave the defending Premier League champions. She said, “News of Dr Eva Carneiro’s departure from Chelsea FC makes me feel sadness and anger. Eva was one of the few very senior women in the game, a highly respected doctor who has acted with professional integrity in difficult circumstances and whose skills have been highly praised by her colleagues, the club and governing bodies”.

Though Chelsea have refused to comment on the incident, saying that they “do not comment on internal employment issues”, the press office refused to deny that Carneiro has left the club when contacted by Sky Sports.

Diego Costa Banned For Three Matches

The Football Association has confirmed that Diego Costa will be suspended for three matches after a charge of violent conduct was upheld.

Costa was criticised by Arsene Wenger in the aftermath of Chelsea’s match with Arsenal due to his behaviour that led to the sending off of the Gunners’ defender Gabriel. Wenger said, “He [Costa] can do what he wants, he stays on and everybody else who responds to him has to be sent off. I think it is unacceptable his behaviour. If you look well at the pictures what he does to Koscielny before he pushes him down he hits him in the face and the throat, he always gets away with it”.

In the end, though, Costa has not got away with it as the referee missed the incident in question when Costa appeared to elbow Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny in the face, meaning that the incident could be put before the FA’s independent panel, which can use video footage to judge different incidents.

Costa had denied the charge but the FA’s decision to uphold it means that he will now miss Chelsea’s next three games against Walsall in tomorrow night’s Capital One Cup tie, Saturday’s evening Premier League fixture against Newcaslte United and the Blues’ home match in the league against Southampton a week on Saturday.

To rub salt into the wounds as far as Chelsea are concerned the FA have chosen to overturn Gabriel Paulista’s red card, which was issued for lashing out at Costa after the forward was seen to stand behind the defender and whisper in his ear, causing him to throw his foot out towards the defending Premier League champion’s striker.

Walsall v Chelsea Preview (League Cup) – 23rd September 2015

Chelsea kick off their League Cup campaign at Walsall on Wednesday night, and Jose Mourinho looks set to make big changes to the team. The Blues are defending the cup they won last season, and they’ll be targeting another run in the competition after a less than stellar start to the season. Can they avoid an upset and progress to the fourth round? We think they almost certainly can.

The Blues are heavy favourites to see off their League One opponents, but their game against Shrewsbury in the League Cup last season shows they won’t have it all their own way. With a heavily rotated side likely, expect the hosts to have a real go at the Premier League champions.

The team selection is the big story from this game, with Mourinho’s picks now being scrutinised much more intensely than last term. The manager confirmed that John Terry will return to the team for this one, but we don’t know who he’ll replace. Many are calling this a humiliation, as he’s put in with the second string. Terry seems like the type who just wants to play games, so don’t expect him to be too upset by this news. He’ll be happier playing than not playing.

Diego Costa will be sitting out this game, with Falcao confirmed to start up front. The Colombian hasn’t been given much game time so far, so this is a huge chance for him. Given Costa’s headline-grabbing display on Saturday, it’s probably best to give him a break for this game. Especially if it can help Falcao get back to his best.

Hopefully we’ll see a few young stars in this one as well, as that’s always a highlight of these games. Rueben Loftus-Cheek was great in the Champions League last week, and he must be pushing for another start here. I don’t think we can expect to see too many youngsters starting, Mourinho does like to field a strong side in cup matches.

The gulf between these teams does seem like too much for Walsall to bridge. They’ve made a good start in League One, but this will be a completely different test for them. Had this game been a couple of weeks ago they might have fancied their chances a little more, but Chelsea look back to their best after two wins last week.

Losing here and surrendering the trophy that they won last season is unthinkable for Mourinho, especially after the start they made in the league. The memory of that Bradford game will still be hanging over him, so expect the manager to take the hosts seriously, and look to record a comfortable victory.

This game could give us a great insight into the future of the team this season. How will Terry respond to being dropped? How will Falcao get on? Will we get to see Abdul Baba Rahman get another chance at the back? The answers to these questions will all affect the rest of the campaign, which makes this game even bigger.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 3-0

Costa Charged With Violent Conduct

The Football Association have today declared that Diego Costa is to be charged with violent conduct after Chelsea’s match against Arsenal.

The Brazilian born Spanish striker was involved in a number of clashes against the Gunners during the defending Premier League champion’s game over the weekend, including a coming together with Laurent Koscielny that the FA have decided is worthy of a review.

Whilst wrestling the Arsenal defender for the ball in the penalty area Costa appeared to drag his hand across his opponent’s face before slamming his elbow into his cheek then chest bumping the Arsenal man to the floor. The incident was missed by the match officials but caught on camera, meaning that the FA can deal with it as a separate incident.

The Football Associations press release regarding the matter said, “Off the ball incidents which are not seen at the time by the match officials are referred to a panel of three former elite referees. Each referee panel member will review the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence. For retrospective action to be taken, and an FA charge to follow, the decision by the panel must be unanimous”.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was incensed by Costa’s behavior during the game and said that the FA needed to do something about it, claiming that it was the least they could do. He said, “I would like them, especially Mike Dean, to look at the whole action that happened during the game and see if he stands for his decision. But you have a fourth official, you have a linesman, the referee and they talk all the game. They know Diego Costa. He is not a newcomer. He was here for a year now. It is surprising. I tell you something, if I am a referee and I referee Diego Costa, I do not send somebody off quickly if he responds because you know he has been well provoked”.

Arsenal’s Gabriel was sent off for swinging a boot out at Costa and will also face an improper conduct charge, though the Gunners intend to appeal against the three match ban he will receive for his straight red card in the game.

The FA’s decision to charge Costa comes on the same day that Chelsea’s young defender Kurt Zouma apologised after branding his own team mate a ‘cheat’. Speaking to Bein Sport after the game he said, “Everyone knows Diego and this guy likes to cheat a lot and put the opponents out of his game, and that happened in the game”.

He has apologised for the incident, saying, “Sorry for any confusion. English is not my first language. I did not mean to accuse anyone of cheating. [Costa is] a player who puts pressure on his opponents and who I have huge respect for”.

Costa has until 6pm on Tuesday 22nd to respond to the charge.

Mourinho Denies Rift With Players

Jose Mourinho has been forced to deny there are any problems between him and his playing staff after he failed to start John Terry in the defending Premier League champion’s home match against their London rivals Arsenal at the weekend.

Chelsea were 17th in the league going into the match at Stamford Bridge having only managed one victory in their first five league games. A 4-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champion’s League during the week gave them some confidence before the match against Arsenal, but rumours surfaced that John Terry and Diego Costa had had a falling out in training.

Responding to the rumours of a bust up Mourinho said, “’Diego Costa fought with John Terry and before they start the fight they brought a translator for them to understand each other, because Diego cannot speak English and John cannot speak Spanish’. You [the media] always go in this direction, which is funny. The other direction you don’t go is the direction which is real”.

When fit John Terry has been a mainstay of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea teams since the Portuguese manager arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2004. Yet questions were asked of the pair’s relationship when Terry was substituted at half time in the Blues’ 3-0 defeat away to Manchester City earlier in the season. Terry was also an unused substitute during Chelsea’s midweek Champion’s League match, though many expected him to return to the starting line up against the Gunners.

Instead the self proclaimed Special One opted to go for a centre back pairing of Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma – a decision he will have felt was justified when Zouma made an excellent tackle on Theo Walcott when the speedy winger was close to breaking through the Chelsea defence late in the first half. Regarding his decision Mourinho said, “Terry is player of my total confidence. If he is on the bench or I take him off doesn’t change anything”.

Mourinho was scathing of the press’ attempts to find a story where none exists, saying, “Normally when bad results happen the first thing that comes into your laptops, iPads and pens is to find a dramatic story: ‘Somebody punch somebody in the dressing room’, ‘The manager doesn’t want to speak with this guy’. Problems between me and my players I can promise you – zero”.

The 2-0 win over Arsenal means that Chelsea have now got seven points on the board and have climbed to 15th in the table, yet they sit eight points shy of league leaders Manchester City despite the fact that Manuel Pellegrini’s men also lost at the weekend.

Jose Mourinho To Be Investigated Over Offensive Language

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is to be investigated over the language he used during the Eva Carneiro affair, the Football Association have announced.

A member of the public apparently emailed the FA regarding the incident which occurred during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw at home to Swansea on the opening day of the season.

Having already lost Thibaut Courtois to a red card for a foul on Bafetimbi Gomis earlier in the match, Mourinho was incensed to see both the Chelsea club doctor Eva Carneiro and the physio Jon Fearn run on to the pitch when Eden Hazard appeared to be lying on the floor with an injury.

The Premier League’s rules are such that if a player is given treatment then he must leave the field of play, meaning that Chelsea were temporarily reduced to nine men with just minutes of the game remaining and the score line finely balanced. Mourinho, clearly angry on the sideline, can be seen to shout, “Hey! Hey! Get off the pitch now! F**king hell!” He then went on to shout “filho da puta” at the doctor, a Portuguese phrase that means ‘son of a bitch’.

The Football Associations own regulations state that ‘offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures’ used by players or managers can be penalised, with more aggravating language, such as sexist words, can lead to a five match ban in the event that the perpetrator is found guilty by the FA.

After the match the defending Premier League champion’s manager called his medical team’s actions “impulsive and naïve” and went on to say, “Whether you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game. You have to know you have one player less and to assist a player you must be sure he has a serious problem. I was sure Eden did not have a serious problem. He had a knock. He was tired”. His use of the phrase ‘secretary on the bench’ led some to believe he was making a thinly veiled sexist remark at Carneiro’s expense, though it is unlikely that that will form part of the FA’s investigation.

Carneiro is yet to return to her role as doctor at Chelsea and has been in discussions with her lawyers since the event took place. Her role was downgraded by Mourinho, with the decision taken that she would not sit on the bench or attend training sessions, though she would still work with first team players at Cobham, Chelsea’s training ground. The Times reported last week that she is now close to returning to first team duties at the club, though it remains unclear what format those duties will take.