Rodgers: We could win the title
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I think our rivals are better in the CL than out of it - it's a huge commitment at this stage of the season. Unfortunately the side most likely to feel the pressure is Arsenal who'll almost certainly get battered by Bayern.
I get the argument about added confidence but I just don't think it's nearly as strong as the extra fatigue/rested & injured players of staying in it to the semis.
I get the argument about added confidence but I just don't think it's nearly as strong as the extra fatigue/rested & injured players of staying in it to the semis.
So do I, but only when hes bigging you up as a poster.
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2558750/JOSE-MOURINHO-EXCLUSIVE-Underdogs-No-Arsenal-aren-t-kids-anymore.html#ixzz2tFr0ENFM ]Mourinho, who recently suggested Chelsea are like a ‘little horse’ not yet ready to win the title, retorted: ‘If Brendan has a chihuahua it is one that trains a lot and rests a lot. The other dogs, they don’t train a lot because they play a lot and they don’t rest because they play every three days.
‘And when the Barclays Premier League goes to the crucial point, we all will have to play Champions League at the same time.
‘To play, for example, like we are going to do in Istanbul against Galatasaray on the Wednesday, Fulham on the Saturday.
‘Brendan’s chihuahua doesn’t do that. During the week it sleeps, eats and trains a little bit. So I have to say his chihuahua is a privileged one. Next season he will see what it is like to play in two, three, four competitions. This season he has this privilege which gives him a big advantage.’
Mourinho, who appointed Rodgers youth-team coach during his first stint at Stamford Bridge, added: ‘If we don’t win it I would prefer Brendan to win it because he is my friend. When I play against my friend I want to win and he wants to win. But if I don’t win, I would like Brendan to do it.’
That cordiality has certainly not been extended to great rival Arsene Wenger in the past. And, true to form, Mourinho did not waste the opportunity to turn the screw on an Arsenal side who have won only one of their last four games and suffered a 5-1 drubbing by Liverpool.
‘Arsenal have spent many, many years working together making these players grow up,’ he said.
‘Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs — they are not kids any more. They were kids but now they are mature players.
‘The manager, with this group of players, four, five or six years working with these players and then adding fantastic players like Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla or Per Mertesacker, they are a very good team.’
Despite being favourites to win the title, Mourinho continues to play down Chelsea’s chances, sticking to the line that his team, unlike Arsenal, are a work in progress.
He said: ‘If you are talking about the team that looks really solid, the team that defends well but at the same time creates a lot — that is my team.
But when I say we’re not the top candidate everyone thinks, “Here he is again, with what you like to call the mind games”. But it’s just my feeling.
‘The matches I have lost were matches we should have won. They were the easy ones to win. The match against Everton was so easy to win but we couldn’t score a goal out of I don’t know how many chances. But we conceded and we lost.
‘We went to Newcastle; it was so easy to win. In the first 30 minutes we hit the post, we had chances but we lost the game. We went to Stoke; it was so easy to win. Against West Ham we had 25 shots on goal.
‘We are a team that if we had that last “click”, that click is to put the ball in the net, then I would say to you that we are favourites. Our team is going in a very good direction but at this moment I would not say we are favourites, but we are candidates.’[/article]
‘And when the Barclays Premier League goes to the crucial point, we all will have to play Champions League at the same time.
‘To play, for example, like we are going to do in Istanbul against Galatasaray on the Wednesday, Fulham on the Saturday.
‘Brendan’s chihuahua doesn’t do that. During the week it sleeps, eats and trains a little bit. So I have to say his chihuahua is a privileged one. Next season he will see what it is like to play in two, three, four competitions. This season he has this privilege which gives him a big advantage.’
Mourinho, who appointed Rodgers youth-team coach during his first stint at Stamford Bridge, added: ‘If we don’t win it I would prefer Brendan to win it because he is my friend. When I play against my friend I want to win and he wants to win. But if I don’t win, I would like Brendan to do it.’
That cordiality has certainly not been extended to great rival Arsene Wenger in the past. And, true to form, Mourinho did not waste the opportunity to turn the screw on an Arsenal side who have won only one of their last four games and suffered a 5-1 drubbing by Liverpool.
‘Arsenal have spent many, many years working together making these players grow up,’ he said.
‘Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs — they are not kids any more. They were kids but now they are mature players.
‘The manager, with this group of players, four, five or six years working with these players and then adding fantastic players like Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla or Per Mertesacker, they are a very good team.’
Despite being favourites to win the title, Mourinho continues to play down Chelsea’s chances, sticking to the line that his team, unlike Arsenal, are a work in progress.
He said: ‘If you are talking about the team that looks really solid, the team that defends well but at the same time creates a lot — that is my team.
But when I say we’re not the top candidate everyone thinks, “Here he is again, with what you like to call the mind games”. But it’s just my feeling.
‘The matches I have lost were matches we should have won. They were the easy ones to win. The match against Everton was so easy to win but we couldn’t score a goal out of I don’t know how many chances. But we conceded and we lost.
‘We went to Newcastle; it was so easy to win. In the first 30 minutes we hit the post, we had chances but we lost the game. We went to Stoke; it was so easy to win. Against West Ham we had 25 shots on goal.
‘We are a team that if we had that last “click”, that click is to put the ball in the net, then I would say to you that we are favourites. Our team is going in a very good direction but at this moment I would not say we are favourites, but we are candidates.’[/article]
I think Agger's going to make the bigger difference, much as I like Enrique and Sakho.
Mourinho has responded in saying we are favourites for the Title, due to the lack of champions league commitment s. .
He's playing the only card he's got.
Occasionally Mourinho is a funny bloke, i can't help but laugh at this stuff, wonder what animal is going to be next?, we should have a sweepstake.
Just thinking about it does anyone think Mourinho might be thinking along the lines of 'not bloody Liverpool again!' we were a massive spanner in his works last time he was here, we cost him the shot at 2 massive trophies and an FA Cup.
Him being back in England might be our lucky charm again, hopefully.
Him being back in England might be our lucky charm again, hopefully.
Dunno where else to put this, seeing as Mourinho has been mentioned and its relative to the title race...
Arsene Wenger is a 'specialist in failure' - Jose Mourinho
Arsene Wenger is a "specialist in failure", according to Jose Mourinho.
The Chelsea boss was responding to the Arsenal manager's claim that other Premier League bosses are playing down their sides' title chances because they "fear to fail".
Chelsea hold a one-point lead over the Gunners at the top of the table.
Mourinho on Wenger
"Unlike Arsenal, we sought success and tried to build it through a concept of the game using English players." November 2007, regarding Wenger's policies at Arsenal
"I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea." October 2005, after Wenger criticised Chelsea's transfer policy
Mourinho said: "If he is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I didn't fail many times. Eight years without silverware, that's failure."
Under Wenger, Arsenal have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.
"He's a specialist in failure," continued Mourinho. "If I do that in Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don't come back."
The Portuguese manager, who won the Premier League twice in his first spell as Chelsea manager between 2004 and 2007, has won league titles in four countries, as well as the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan.
This is not the first time Mourinho has criticised Wenger, the Blues boss having described the Frenchman as a "voyeur" in 2005 after his rival questioned Chelsea's transfer policy.
"I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur," said Mourinho in October 2005. "He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea."
Wenger on Mourinho
"He's out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful. When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes." November 2005, after Mourinho called Wenger a "voyeur"
"I know we live in a world where we have only winners and losers, but once a sport encourages teams who refuse to take the initiative, the sport is in danger." August 2005, talking about Chelsea's tactics
Former England striker and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker said Mourinho had gone "over the top" with his latest remarks.
" think Mourinho is out of order, and wrong with Wenger comments. He's won trophies galore all over the world, playing delightful football," Lineker wrote on Twitter. "Yes, Wenger hasn't won anything for a number of years, but he hasn't, until very recently, had the budget of others. Club is in great shape."
Ex-Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville also remarked on social media: "Getting to the business end! Jose lobbing grenades out! Anyone going to take him on?"
Chelsea, who are currently preparing for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester City on Saturday, host Arsenal on 22 March in a match likely to have a significant bearing on the eventual destination of the Premier League title.
Mourinho has previously said his side are not title contenders, describing the Blues as a "little horse" in the Premier League race.
Play media
Title is Chelsea's to lose - Wenger
Brendan Rodgers, manager of fourth-placed Liverpool, continued that analogy on Thursday by saying his side "may be the chihuahuas that run in between the legs of the horses" as they look to make a late challenge for the title.
However, Wenger insists all four teams are in the mix.
"Many teams are in it and it will be very tight until the end," said the Frenchman, adding that the title was "Chelsea's to lose".
"I say yes we are in it, yes we will have a go for it, we will absolutely give everything to go for it and if we don't do I will take responsibility for it, but I just see it like that."
Arsene Wenger is a 'specialist in failure' - Jose Mourinho
Arsene Wenger is a "specialist in failure", according to Jose Mourinho.
The Chelsea boss was responding to the Arsenal manager's claim that other Premier League bosses are playing down their sides' title chances because they "fear to fail".
Chelsea hold a one-point lead over the Gunners at the top of the table.
Mourinho on Wenger
"Unlike Arsenal, we sought success and tried to build it through a concept of the game using English players." November 2007, regarding Wenger's policies at Arsenal
"I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea." October 2005, after Wenger criticised Chelsea's transfer policy
Mourinho said: "If he is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I didn't fail many times. Eight years without silverware, that's failure."
Under Wenger, Arsenal have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.
"He's a specialist in failure," continued Mourinho. "If I do that in Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don't come back."
The Portuguese manager, who won the Premier League twice in his first spell as Chelsea manager between 2004 and 2007, has won league titles in four countries, as well as the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan.
This is not the first time Mourinho has criticised Wenger, the Blues boss having described the Frenchman as a "voyeur" in 2005 after his rival questioned Chelsea's transfer policy.
"I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur," said Mourinho in October 2005. "He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea."
Wenger on Mourinho
"He's out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful. When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes." November 2005, after Mourinho called Wenger a "voyeur"
"I know we live in a world where we have only winners and losers, but once a sport encourages teams who refuse to take the initiative, the sport is in danger." August 2005, talking about Chelsea's tactics
Former England striker and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker said Mourinho had gone "over the top" with his latest remarks.
" think Mourinho is out of order, and wrong with Wenger comments. He's won trophies galore all over the world, playing delightful football," Lineker wrote on Twitter. "Yes, Wenger hasn't won anything for a number of years, but he hasn't, until very recently, had the budget of others. Club is in great shape."
Ex-Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville also remarked on social media: "Getting to the business end! Jose lobbing grenades out! Anyone going to take him on?"
Chelsea, who are currently preparing for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester City on Saturday, host Arsenal on 22 March in a match likely to have a significant bearing on the eventual destination of the Premier League title.
Mourinho has previously said his side are not title contenders, describing the Blues as a "little horse" in the Premier League race.
Play media
Title is Chelsea's to lose - Wenger
Brendan Rodgers, manager of fourth-placed Liverpool, continued that analogy on Thursday by saying his side "may be the chihuahuas that run in between the legs of the horses" as they look to make a late challenge for the title.
However, Wenger insists all four teams are in the mix.
"Many teams are in it and it will be very tight until the end," said the Frenchman, adding that the title was "Chelsea's to lose".
"I say yes we are in it, yes we will have a go for it, we will absolutely give everything to go for it and if we don't do I will take responsibility for it, but I just see it like that."
Can't really argue with him there, nice trolling by the journalists though, got him to bite.
The video of it is on the BBC site.
The video of it is on the BBC site.
I'm so glad Mourinho didn't manage us before.
I hope he never will.
I hope he never will.
I wished he had and if Rodgers fails I hope he does in the future.
He's a winner
He is but he brings a lot of ill will when he starts stirring shit up, like he's doing with Wenger.
He lacks class, which is something Rodgers doesn't. I think Henry would also tire of Mourinho's shit pretty quickly, too, whereas he's a pretty darn good fit for Chelsea.
One thing Mourinho is doing is trying to turn the rest of the top 4 against him and Chelsea, no doubt in an attempt to create a siege mentality but also crank up a bit of pressure. However, to call Wenger a 'specialist in failure' is pure disrespect and distasteful.
He lacks class, which is something Rodgers doesn't. I think Henry would also tire of Mourinho's shit pretty quickly, too, whereas he's a pretty darn good fit for Chelsea.
One thing Mourinho is doing is trying to turn the rest of the top 4 against him and Chelsea, no doubt in an attempt to create a siege mentality but also crank up a bit of pressure. However, to call Wenger a 'specialist in failure' is pure disrespect and distasteful.
Hang on a minute. Mourinho does like to use such tactics, but Wenger brought this one on himself with that "fear to fail" stuff.
So was Ferguson, but sometimes you can be too big a cunt and Jose (like Fergie) is.
Agreed.
let's hope palace and norwich are safe come end of the season and nothing to play for. could be the difference?
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