Mourinho avoids ton of pressure and guards against complacency

JOSE MOURINHO insists he is looking no further than the five-year duration of his contract even though billionaire owner Roman Abramovich wants to set a 100-year dynasty in motion at Stamford Bridge.

Abramovich revealed his long-term ambitions for the Premiership champions when he penned a foreword to the club’s newly-published official history.

But the Portuguese coach is adamant he does not feel under any extra pressure to deliver more trophies following the Russian’s remarks that he wants to build the most successful football club in the world.

Instead, Mourinho says he feels even less pressure than when he first arrived - boasting he was the ‘special one’ on the back of his Champions League glory with Porto.

He admits his remark exerted more pressure on himself but the fact that he led Chelsea to their first title in 50 years last season has taken most, if not all, of the burden of expectation from his shoulders this time around.

“For me the pressure is only for the next five years not for the next 100,” said Mourinho.

“But having more pressure than when I first arrived at the club, I don’t think I will face again - not in Chelsea and not in my future.”

Mourinho hopes to have striker Didier Drogba and Dutch winger Arjen Robben available for the trip to bottom club Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow.

Drogba picked up a knee injury in the win over Real Betis but Robben has been out of action with a hamstring problem since he returned from international duty with Holland.

But the Chelsea chief rejected suggestions that Robben’s problem was more a mental than a physical one.

“I always need feedback from the player,” explained Mourinho. “I ask are you injured, are you not injured, how they feel, do they still feel pain, is he confident to play?

“A player can be out of the medical department with the problem solved and still have bad feelings or a lack of confidence - not enough to play football at the highest level. I always need feedback from the players and that is what I will be asking for from Arjen tomorrow.

“It is the same question I will ask of Didier and Carlo Cudicini, who has a little problem with a toe. But Arjen’s problem is physical. He was injured last season and injured this season. The problem is injuries - not mental.”

Everton are rock bottom of the Premiership with just one win and one goal to their name but Mourinho has every confidence manager David Moyes will turn their fortunes around.

Indeed, the Chelsea boss believes that, while they cannot repeat the fourth place of last season, they can still do enough with the remaining games to finish in mid-table.

“Normally a bad moment arrives for everybody,” said Mourinho. “I think he can save the situation. The new players are good and sooner or later they will win matches and be out of the situation.”

The fact Everton are where they are in the table does not surprise the Chelsea maestro, it frightens him because he knows they could start their revival against his side.

Chelsea are currently nine points clear of their nearest rivals after posting nine straight wins since the season began. But Mourinho is quick to guard against any complacency.

He added: “Where they (Everton) are does not surprise me, it scares me.

“Because one day they will win and start coming back up out of the bottom of the league. If you look at the team as one with a lot of defeats then we will get a big surprise.”