Seven months after a win which triggered all manner of talk about horses of different sizes, Jose Mourinho goes back to Manchester City astride a more formidable beast.
Chelsea can go seven points clear of the champions if they win. His horse is high. His horse is rocking. But his centre forward is lame and Mourinho is hard to please on the quest for perfection.
Yes, there has been progress, he admits, but it is a delicate balance.
‘I am not happy with what we have,’ said Mourinho. ‘Everything I want to make better, everything. We are in the beginning of our second season. We are far from being the perfect team.
‘Are we better than last season? We believe so. Do we have more potential than before? I believe so. We have improved our team and our squad. But we still have lot of work to do. In this kind of competition, with the quality of opposition we have and the number of teams fighting for the same objectives, it’s going to be very hard.
‘I’m not saying we have problems. We have big space to improve. Players individually have big space to improve. We have lots to learn tactically. I don’t think I’ve ever been completely happy with my team.’
Chelsea are searching for a balance. They have been prolific in attack but prone to leaking goals and the fitness of Diego Costa is the big concern.With his extra power up front, Chelsea started the season in formidable style. While title rivals dropped points, fretted about World Cup hangovers and struggled for rhythm, Mourinho’s team won the first four and Costa scored seven goals.
Then came confirmation that he was still troubled by the hamstring problem which surfaced at the end of last season. He did not start in the Champions League against Schalke on Wednesday and it could limit his activity for a few weeks.
Costa will start at the Etihad, Mourinho confirmed, but will not feature in the Capital One Cup tie against Bolton on Wednesday, then return to face Aston Villa next Saturday. He will continue this way in the hope the issue can be treated during the week and improved.
Does he need a couple of weeks’ off? ‘Yes,’ nodded Mourinho.
But you want him to play?
‘Yes.’
Is it a risk? ‘Yes.’
But he’s so important.
‘Yes, he is.’
So, it is a calculated risk?
‘Yes, me, him and the doctor, the decision is made between us,’ said Mourinho. ‘Diego is not in the best condition but he will start the game. His attitude is amazing. Clearly, we have to try and protect him until he is completely fit.
‘What we can do to improve the situation, we have to do when he’s not playing. He needs work, not just from the medical department but also on the pitch and in the gym.’
Those who saw Costa train yesterday claimed it was impossible to tell he was carrying an injury. But if the hamstring goes, it will leave Mourinho to choose between 36-year-old Didier Drogba or Loic Remy at centre forward.
Remy scored on his debut but the Chelsea boss prefers a more combative player to lead the line. Last season, when asked to assess Manchester City’s strengths, he remarked on the quality of their ‘third striker’ Edin Dzeko.
When Sergio Aguero suffered injuries, Dzeko stepped forward, took responsibility and last month signed a new contract as Alvaro Negredo was loaned to Valencia.
Costa has helped Chelsea add potency up front, but Mourinho has also loosened his team at the back.They have conceded six in the first four Premier League games for the first time since 2003 when Claudio Ranieri was in charge.
Four years ago, under Carlo Ancelotti, they started the season with five wins which ground to a halt with defeat at the Etihad.
Another defeat tomorrow, especially one inspired by Frank Lampard — allowed to leave Stamford Bridge by Mourinho, who thought he was bound for the United States, not the Etihad — would test the mood of owner Roman Abramovich.
‘I work for him,’ said Mourinho. ‘I cannot knock on his door or call him and ask: “Mr Abramovich, are you happy?” But my feeling is yes.
‘When I see him hugging his kids after a Chelsea goal, it’s easy to understand he’s enjoying it. Everything is positive.’
Surely he is happier than Sheik Mansour, the owner of Manchester City, who has seen his team labour and star players misfire.
‘They are the same as last season,’ said Mourinho, when asked to assess City. ‘They have brought in three or four important players. They have a fantastic squad and are not just the champions, but champions twice in three years. There’s a reason for that.
‘Chelsea have not won the Premier League for a few years now. That is also for some reason.’ – Daily Mail