Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, recently interviewed by Telegraph, gave insight on why the club failed to lift the Premier League trophy last season.
The West London Premier League giants, started in an impressive form last season; unfortunately, they finished 3rd in the table, trailing four points behind winners Manchester City.
The Portuguese manager returned to Stamford Bridge from Real Madrid last season having left the club(Chelsea) for Inter Milan in 2007/2008.
Mourinho explained why, despite his alteration of the club style of play, he didn’t win the title.
In response to why his tactics didn’t land them the trophy, he said:
“Yeah, yeah. Last year, I was feeling that we could [win the league] but we were not ready to cope with that pressure.
“Because we had certain limitations in the team in terms of tactical qualities, technical qualities, and we were aware of that. My style of leadership is not a style. I try to have a leadership that is adapted to the reality. And last year I was feeling that they were not ready for what I call a pressure leadership – or confrontational leadership. The team as a team was mentally – and even tactically – unstable.”
This season, Chelsea, so far have maintained 1st spot on the EPL table and have suffered no defeat yet.
Mourinho went on, expressing confidence on better results this season:
“We couldn’t cope with certain moments of the game. My feeling is that obviously this season we’re going to lose matches, but I don’t think we are going to lose matches because we couldn’t cope with a certain moment, or a specific [part] of the game.
“Last year we had problems when the opposite team was closed in a low block [deep-lying defence], we had problems when the other team was putting direct pressure on us with direct football, we couldn’t cope very well when we had two or three or four consecutive matches, and we had to keep that high focus for one two, three four matches.
“When we were in a good run, I was feeling that the end of the run was coming. You know what I’m saying, because you [he means me] felt that through your whole career. Win today, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. By one side, it’s a habit. By the other, you get tired, because it’s the responsibility every day. My team, last year, with a lot of guys, was not ready for that.”