Mourinho dismisses Ferguson’s mind games

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has hit back at Alex Ferguson over his suggestion that Chelsea’s title challenge will collapse in the north of England.

Ferguson claimed Chelsea’s title challenge could be derailed when the Londoners travel to play more northern sides in the New Year.

The United manager, a past master at mind games, warned the Premiership leaders that they have only travelled further north than Birmingham in the league on two occasions so far - losing against Manchester City and winning at Middlesbrough. Chelsea, who go into the Christmas period five points clear of Arsenal and nine ahead of United, visit the northern outposts of Blackburn, Everton, Bolton, Newcastle and, of course, Old Trafford, in the second half of the season and Ferguson insisted: “Chelsea will find it difficult coming north to get points.”

Mourinho is relishing the challenge of his first English Christmas and New Year programme and added that Manchester United had hardly been a raging success down south. “Maybe they are correct. If we drop a lot of points in this period, it is because they are correct. If we can remain top of the league after this period, it is because they are incorrect. But Manchester United lost points in the south - three at Stamford Bridge, three at Ports-mouth and two at Fulham. So they have a problem in the south. We have to wait to see if we have a problem in the north - maybe it is true.” Of more immediate problems for Mourinho is the strength of his squad. He is without the services of defenders Robert Huth and Celestine Babayaro as well as midfielder Scott Parker for tomorrow’s clash with Aston Villa at home.

Centre-half Ricardo Carvalho is rated doubtful.

While Ferguson can afford to send Gabriel Heinze back to Argentina to recharge his batteries over the festive period, Mourinho’s men will not have a day off until mid-January.

The Chelsea manager accepts he is in for a difficult period after being reduced to 16 fit players for the most testing period of the season so far. But the loss of Parker, who is expected to be out until March with a broken foot, has not changed his mind about new signings.

“In the next two months I will need everybody. We don’t have many midfield players at the moment. But when I think about January and February and 14 to 16 matches in these months, we are in a little bit of a difficult situation.

“We have to wait and see what is happening to Scott. But if we do something in the window, we don’t do a big buy.

“I don’t need a top, top player because to get better midfield players than I have, I don’t know where to find them.

“We need a stable player who can give us a help in this midfield area. But forget Joaquin, forget Defoe, forget every name that is spoken about. If we do something, it will be a player just to give us some help in our midfield because of Scott’s absence.”