Mourinho reveals where his priorities lie

AT 12.40pm on Saturday José Mourinho finally revealed what some of us have suspected for some time — that his top priority for 2007 is the Champions League.

Only you will know whether Mourinho has gambled and won, because I am writing this before travelling up to Anfield for last night’s crucial encounter with our serial opponents, Liverpool, for yet another decisive Champions League battle.

On Saturday, Mourinho made six changes from the team which had overcome the unambitious Reds three days earlier. As often happens when he tries to play this game the tactic backfired. Lampard, Drogba and Joe Cole all had to be retrieved from the bench with the news trickling through from Goodison that United were losing.

Drogba may well have been called on to combat Bolton’s aerial threat after Carvalho was injured, providing a sickening flashback to his absence at Anfield in mid-January when Chelsea’s defence turned in their doziest display of the season.

But Lampard and Cole were there to win it. They huffed and puffed, but couldn’t do it. Bolton were their usual grim selves: no attacks, couple of long throws, couple of set-piece goals (due to woeful defending); plenty of fouling, a handball (missed by Rob Styles who is a quite useless referee) and time-wasting throughout. They’ve always been like it, and it’s one of the reasons that I won’t be shedding any tears about the departure of big Sam.

As for last night, what can I say? I’m hoping that José told the boys to go all out for an early goal yesterday. I’m hoping that his natural instinct to defend and begin slowly was torn up along with Saturday’s starting team sheet. I’m hoping that while you are reading this, I am down the shops stacking up on sun tan lotion. I am hoping that I am practising the difference between when to say Kalimera, and when to say Kalispera (one of them’s the word for fried squid isn’t it?) As it is, ignorance is bliss at the moment and I can but only hope that we held our nerve and got the vital away goal. My main worry is that last night Benitez learned his lesson and started with Crouch and Pennant — two players who seem to cause us no end of trouble for no obvious reason.

My other worry is the referee. Merk was surprisingly good at Stamford Bridge. Last night we were due to have a Spanish ref — notorious for being homers and there’s no need to point the obvious connection. Would they allow a Portuguese referee to oversee a Champions League game which Chelsea were involved in? I don’t think so.

The Liverpool game was brief respite in what has been a pretty depressing week. The goal-less draw up at Newcastle was just about bearable because of United’s draw the day before. But watching events unfold before us at Stamford Bridge with constant goal updates from Goodison Park on the big screen was just torture. When United went a goal up, myself and my equally pessimistic mate who sits next to me, both looked knowledgably at each other and agreed that United would win 4-1. We weren’t far off were we? But not even we could have predicted the extraordinary “luck” that Fergie’s team would experience for the first two goals. First “Butter-Fingers Turner” drops the ball at O’Shea’s feet and then life-long Manchester United fan Neville puts through his own net. I do like a conspiracy theory as you know, and I’m sure Gary will ensure that “our kid” is an honoured guest at the end of season party. But we can’t bemoan United’s luck here; we have to look at our own failings. A couple of years ago we surrendered a 2-0 lead to Bolton, courtesy of two set pieces. And, hey, we’ve just surrendered another lead to more or less hand the title to United.

In 1998 we beat Bolton and relegated them, and in so doing, preserved Everton’s Premiership status. Looks like Bolton have gone some way to getting their own back — and Everton have simply proved what ungrateful sods they are.

I am presuming that Carvalho didn’t make it back last night and that his injury was not, as I predicted for last Wednesday’s match, a little bit of Mourinho smoke and mirrors. It will have been interesting to see, also, whether Chelsea have got anything left in the tank, or whether the dire predictions that they are “running on empty” actually prove to be accurate.

This weekend we visit the Emirates Stadium to face an Arsenal team which has struggled to put a run of results together all season. Their fan websites are saying that beating Chelsea (at home) will be the highlight of their season. You’ve got to laugh, haven’t you? This is what the Invincibles have come to, sounding like Fulham and Charlton.

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