I’m the miracle man of Chelsea - Mourinho
Mourinho sat through a 30-minute media preview of today’s Premiership clash with Birmingham without raising even a glimmer of humour or excitement.
Instead he launched into a ranting diatribe, criticising the state of the English game, his problems having so little time with the Chelsea players and the lack of credit he and his players have been given by the media.
The laughing Claudio Ranieri - sacked at Chelsea for finishing second - it certainly was not.
And it seemed a negative way to send the Premiership title pretenders into a tough away task against a Birmingham side who have brought in almost as many new players as moneybags Chelsea during the summer - including three Stamford Bridge rejects in Muzzy Izzet, Mario Melchiot and Jesper Gronkjaer to join on-loan striker Mikael Forssell.
Yet Mourinho could still easily be revelling in his marvellous feat of lifting the Champions League trophy with FC Porto before accepting a multi-million pound contract with Chelsea - and then winning his first league game at home to redoubtable former champions Manchester United. Results are the easiest way to silence the critics.
But Mourinho did not like some of the public reservations about that narrow 1-0 win and said: “Everybody has his opinion and can write and say what they want or feel, but sometimes they write what they don’t feel.
“I was taught to respect other opinions but at the same time my personality is not open to be influenced by critics or by opinions.
“I think I’m lucky because I’m coming to England as a European champion and I can imagine what it would be like if I came here on an ordinary CV. I want to say one thing - I didn’t ASK to come here. I was in a small country, beautiful in fact, trying to improve, and I became a European champion.
“Some English clubs came after me. I didn’t go to church and pray ‘please take me to England’. I don’t pay to be here. Somebody trusted me and brought me here and I’m really happy about that because my family love it here and there is no worry.
“Yet some people always want to criticise, some people who hide behind their status of ex-players. Yet I am a European champion and, as that, I think I deserve a little respect - not much, just a little bit.”
Mourhino was upset that Chelsea’s accent on defence was so strongly highlighted in reports after the win over United and that, previously, there had been question marks over his new-look side’s team-spirit.
This week, Mourhino has struggled to stage any meaningful training with so many players away on international duty after just one league match and he said: “It is easier to pick up a pen and write the easy criticisms.
“But I think people should write more about the 17 years Mr Ferguson is working for Manchester United, the seven years Mr Wenger is working with Arsenal and the seven weeks without players I am working here.
“You know in your country there is such a lot of football. You play Sunday and then go to international football. Then we have Saturday and midweek matches. Then it is Champions League. There is not much time to work on things and, in football, there are no miracles usually
“But to play with the spirit, desire and motivation that my new players are doing I think this a miracle. Yes, a miracle.”
Mourhino has his latest Portuguese signing Tiago Mendes - centre-back Morais, 20, who signed on Thursday from second division Penafield is one for the future - available for the game at Birmingham.
And he is ready to change his strike partnership with Serbian Mateja Kezman coming into the starting line-up for either Eidur Gudjohnsen or Didier Drogba, the latter having admitted he is not yet 100% match-fit.
The coach watched Gudjohnsen, match-winner against United, captain Iceland to a 2-0 midweek success over Italy in which he was also scored, and said: “I could have gone to one of nine international matches but the object was to exchange ideas with top coaches. So far I only know Sven-Goran Eriksson to do that and I must get around as much as possible to find out all I can.
“I have looked at all possible videos of Birmingham, who will be direct and reflect their manager Steve Bruce, a great defender. They also have some players probably keen to make a point against us but that is up to them.
“It was my decision to let Melchiot and Gronkjaer go but there is a possibility that Forssell as well as Carlton Cole, who is also on loan, could come back to Chelsea at some time.”
Mourhino has also told Newcastle, who are reportedly keen on signing centre-backs William Gallas and Robert Huth, they would be wasting their time following up such ideas and told Damien Duff and Glen Johnson, who both had international experience in midweek, to be patient at Chelsea.
He said: “We have 24 great players in the squad and I will need all of them.”
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