Mourinho: I put place in top four first
The Blues need one point from the concluding matches with Norwich, who visit Stamford Bridge tomorrow, and at Cardiff to ensure automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League.
The self-proclaimed Special One had earlier in the campaign spoken of Chelsea being more expressive and taking the initiative before reverting to a sterner style which made them hard to beat.
Mourinho’s men have a slim title chance — relying on Manchester City and Liverpool slipping up — but Mourinho claims they may not have made the top four had it not been for the tactical adjustment.
“I knew what I was doing,” said Mourinho, who was criticised for defensive tactics in the wake of last Sunday’s win at Anfield.
“We are still in a position, mathematically, to win the Premier League and in the Champions League we reached the semi-final and we had one foot in the final.
“There are moments when you have to go for the strategical point of view if you want to have a chance to compete for what we compete.
“At a certain moment, if you don’t go for a bit more stability and a bit less development of a certain philosophy, it’s a big risk.
“I made the decision to stop that evolution in the style and philosophy of play and I went in the direction where I felt it was the only way, that, with this team and with these players, we could get results.
“It’s not a cup. I don’t want to get a bonus for finishing top four, no way, no way; the moment I think like that, I’m in trouble.
“(But) there was a moment that I felt this Premier League was so dangerous that was the big risk for every one of the big teams to be out of the top four.”
Mourinho would not pinpoint the specific time of the change, but it appeared to come in the 0-0 draw at Arsenal two days before Christmas after defeats to Newcastle, Stoke and Sunderland in November and December.
The Portuguese made no apology for recent displays. “Don’t forget we had lots of matches, and long periods this season where we produced fantastic football, even away from home, but we weren’t the killer profile,” Mourinho said.
“Even our wingers and our number 10s — Eden (Hazard), Oscar, (Andre) Schurrle and Willian, amazing season by Willian — need to score more goals, they need to be more clinical.”
Meanwhile, Norwich defender Michael Turner admits the club are looking for big favours if they are to stay up. With fellow strugglers Sunderland, Cardiff and Fulham all playing 24 hours before Norwich kick off at Chelsea, Turner and his team-mates will all be listening out for updates.
“We will be aware of the results coming in and we need teams to do us favours but when it comes to it on Sunday we need to make sure we do ourselves justice.”
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