Jose Mourinho insists his attacking players must work harder defensively if Chelsea are to sustain a title challenge.
There has been speculation that the Blues boss could adopt different style of play following defeats at Everton, Newcastle, Stoke and Sunderland.
Mourinho says he is reluctant to do so, but has made no secret of the fact that he wants flair players like Juan Mata and Eden Hazard to be more effective when they do not have the ball.
He explained: “You don’t need to change formation to think of the game in a different way. We have to try to improve certain aspects of our game.
“We can improve our results by having more security when we lose possession of the ball, because at this moment we are not punishing opponents by scoring more.
“One of the aspects we need to improve is the defensive work of the attacking players who are in the team.
“It is the responsibility of all players, when the team loses the ball, to be – I won’t say more committed, because that’s not the right word, they are committed – but to change their brain a little bit.”
Chelsea have played some scintillating football at times this season and will replace leaders Arsenal at the top of the Premier League if they beat the Gunners in Monday’s derby at the Emirates Stadium.
However, Mourinho warned: “To be a team that plays very good football is an important step. To be a team that plays good football and wins a lot of matches is a more difficult step.
“That step is only possible when that offensive team defends very well when it doesn’t have possession of the ball.
“Some players that are used to playing with the ball at their feet and are very comfortable in the offensive phase when the team possesses the ball, they have to also be very comfortable without the ball.”
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This post was last modified on 20/12/2013
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Lets allow him do his work. Though pride is destructive.
Hi,
I am sitting here reading illiterate garbage and people saying Jose does not know what he is doing blah blah blah. I agree that we need to stiffen up our defence because at times this season it has been woefull, however, my opinion is that he is trying to get a style together that Roman is demanding of him. I just wish Jose would choose a time to change his normal tactic of defending the players, by publicly criticising our defensive unit. I believe in Jose, and think his second coming means he has come home, and I am sure he wishes for success as well as we all do.
Please stop criticising a manager who has won so many titles, as he is obviously a better manager/tactition than those writing about him. Also I love Luis but please don't start making point that David should be in place of Terry, as because if he did, then there would be more conceding of goals than at the moment, as DL quite often causes problems when he is playing in such a deep role. We are a couple of points behind gooners (unfortunately other results are not going our way today) so for a team in transition that is not a bad place to be at this stage of the season, is it??
stop whinging and keep the faith KTBFFH
I can see sum of us re hu odas club surpporter do cal us(noise maker). First do u knw wel abt epl? Its not a league u win week by week, knw dat. With mou all wl b right soon. If loses worries u, remember dis tym last season we were nt drawn uefa knockout stage. Patience!!!
Mr josh pls stop bench david lux nd juan mata
Mourinho said,he won't play lik Barca at Chelsea cos Chelsea dont hv quality players lik Barca.But de simple truth is dat Mourinho don't know how to position de players and dominate possession.When U luk at Liverpool,Swansea and Arsenal to mention but a few,U begin to question Mourinho's credentials and abilities.Chelsea assembled gud quality players to mak room for Guardiola to come to Chelsea but lost in pursuit of Gardiola and Mourinho inherited Champions/Europa league cup winners and uptil now,he has no first team players.So Mourinho shld bring in a gud assistant dat will teach de players positioning,i believe dat is Chelsea only problem.When ever Chech gets de ball,he will balloon it into de air and everybody will scramble for de ball instead of starting attack frm defenders comfortably
Seriously Chelseas supporters are fake now i know. last season this time where where you on the table, and how many points where you behind man U and Man City, and this season where are you on the table, Kids, you guys dont know jack about football, no wonder no coach wants to come to Chelsea
he should change the team style of play completely bbcos even if we sighn lowendoski or falcao they will stil be ineffective with way we play, our midfielder's to me are nt doing enough for the striker's cos dey all want to do the job themself
Mourinho please copy some of Rafeal Benitez's tactise of futbol so that u can improve. Stop being a braggard it's nt encouraging nd does not help.
I've bn talking to mourinho abt this rubish restriction he gives players. They know themselves more than u do see. Let me tell u; you must stick on the pattern ur boss Roman wants or he fucks u up.
is nt a question of asking d flair players 2 defend, dis is nt d problem. let d team as a unit try 2 play quality posesion nt jst playing long unproductiv pases frm one side of d pitch 2 another all day. let d team's pasing game nd high presing stifle oposition 2 submition. it's unrealistic 2 expect much frm dis players wen d coach does nt set them up 2 play well.