Mourinho’s message is clear

Crystal Palace 1 Chelsea 0

Jose Mourinho is one of those people who can kill you with a compliment; so when he insists he has no fears about how his team will play against Paris St-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, despite a miserable defeat against Crystal Palace at the weekend, then make sure you listen carefully to the tone of voice, watch how the eyes narrow and study the fleetingly sardonic smile that flickers across his face.

Make no mistake, Mourinho is not a happy man.

We have become so used to the Special One’s inexorable pre-match mind games that his recent suggestion that Chelsea are in a false position in the Premier League has been greeted with little more than raised eyebrows by critics and a ‘here we go again’ shrug of the shoulders from journalists.

But on Saturday, after John Terry’s 51st-minute own goal saw Chelsea deservedly beaten by relegation-threatened Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, suddenly the world realised he wasn’t joking.

Mourinho clearly knew all along — as we all did — that the lack of a world class striker would harm his team’s campaign; but it now emerges he also had doubts about the character of some of his midfield and attacking players; a lack of mental focus that has seen Chelsea complete a ‘double’ over both Arsenal and Man City but lose to the likes of Palace, Sunderland, Stoke and Aston Villa — and drop further points against West Brom and West Ham.

So that, in case you were wondering where all this was leading, explains why he has no concerns about Wednesday’s trip to Paris — and why Chelsea’s players should not take his confidence in them for granted.

“I don’t need to do a lot now,” he insisted when asked how he would lift his squad ahead of the tie — but do please take note of the sarcastic drawl and the upturned corner of his lip as he answered. “Paris is the kind of match they feel comfortable to play. Big match, great stadium, opponents with top quality, the profile of referee who stops a lot and doesn’t let aggression into the game. They will be fine. They will be in their natural habitat. They can do a good match there.”

You could almost feel the uncomfortable shuffle of boots in the Chelsea dressing room as he spoke; and although Mourinho exonerated defenders Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta from any blame or any lack of moral fibre, there are plenty of others who should be nervous.

“I don’t think it’s courage,” Mourinho explained when highlighting what is missing in his squad.

“I think it’s personality qualities that makes personality profiles. You have some players for everything and other players who are in their habitat in some circumstances. So, Stamford Bridge is better than away.

“Playing away against Arsenal or City or United or Liverpool is one thing and another thing is to play Crystal Palace away or WBA away or Stoke City away. Clearly, during the season, we have players up and down in relation to the profile of the match.”

It certainly looked that way at Selhurst Park where Palace showed more desire and more passion — and also created more chances — in a match that was won when Terry diverted an excellent Joel Ward cross into his own net shortly after the half-time break.

Eden Hazard was spectacularly denied by goalkeeper Julian Speroni after that but Palace, roared on by a vociferous home crowd, also hit the post through Cameron Jerome and had two penalty appeals turned down; and there is no question they were deserved victors.

Given that Manchester City dropped points only hours later, not everyone will be willing to rule out Chelsea’s title chances just yet — and they are also perfectly capable of knocking out PSG in Europe if they produce the kind of performance that saw them win at the Etihad so well earlier this season. But even so, you get the impression there is already one eye on the summer transfer market.

Mourinho added: “I don’t think it’s the moment to speak about next season and the market but it’s clear to everybody that Chelsea next year wants to bring a striker. That is clear. It’s also clear we want to improve our players.

The future, then, for Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o — who is unlikely to recover from a hamstring injury in time to face PSG this week — looks bleak.

The Chelsea boss added: “Normally at the end of the season, players that are not playing a lot, or players who are not happy and prefer a change, that is also part of the market.

“We want to improve the team and the players and make some surgical movements in the transfer window.”

It was the kind of comment that left no one in any doubt at all that Mourinho, unhappy with the make-up of his current squad, is ready to make ruthless changes this summer.

No twinkle in the eye, sarcastic tone or curl of the lip required this time.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni 8, Mariappa 7, Dann 7, Delaney 7, Ward 8, Dikgacoi 7, Jedinak 9, Ledley 7, Puncheon 7 (Parr 90), Bolasie 7 (O’Keefe 70; 6), Jerome 8 (Murray 88).

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 7, Terry 6, Azpilicueta 6, Luiz 5 (Oscar 46; 6), Matic 5, Lampard 6 (Salah 57; 5), Schurrle 5 (Ba 70; 5), Torres 5, Hazard 6.

Referee: Lee Mason.