Chelsea
manager Jose Mourinho declared that he would “sleep well” despite seeing his
team’s wretched season continue with a penalty shootout loss to Stoke City in
the League Cup. Eden Hazard, symbol of Chelsea’s early-season woes, was the
fall guy in Tuesday’s fourth-round tie at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke
goalkeeper Jack Butland saved the Belgian winger’s spot-kick to give the hosts
a 5-4 shootout win after the game had finished 1-1 following extra time. With
Chelsea 15th in the Premier League and out of the League Cup, both of which
they won last season, Mourinho faces mounting speculation that he could be
sacked, but ahead of Saturday’s home game with Liverpool, he said that he was
feeling calm. “I have a day off tomorrow, a fantastic family, I can sleep well
every night,” said Mourinho, whose side have already succumbed to eight defeats
in all competitions, including the Community Shield. “I’m going to enjoy my day
and Thursday, it will be one more day like I have had in the last 15 years of
my life – honest and dedicated.” Chelsea’s hierarchy gave Mourinho a public
vote of confidence following the recent home 3-1 defeat by Southampton, but he
said that he did not need more reassurances about his position. “I don’t need
it. I don’t need more,” he told his post-match press conference. He also hit
out at newspaper reports that he has lost the support of his players.
“Honestly, do you think they are not with me? That they didn’t give everything
to win the game?” he said. “That is really sad – not sad for me, but sad for
the players – and I think it is a lack of respect to the players, not to me.
“For me it would be a fantastic situation if the players are against me. I
could say we don’t have results because the players are against me.” Mourinho
made only three changes to the team that had lost 2-1 in a stormy game at West
Ham United on Saturday, which left him facing a Football Association misconduct
charge after being sent to the stands at half-time. He was also recently fined
£50,000 USD76,560 and given a suspended one-game stadium ban by the FA – which
he has appealed against – for criticising the referee after the loss to
Southampton. Chelsea made a bright start, but lost striker Diego Costa to a rib
injury in the 33rd minute following an earlier collision with Butland. Mourinho
revealed afterwards that the Brazil-born Spain striker had been taken to
hospital. Stoke went ahead in the 52nd minute when Jon Walters slammed a shot
in off the underside of the crossbar from the edge of the box. But Chelsea refused
to accept defeat and equalised in the 91st minute when Loic Remy, Costa’s
replacement, fired home from close range after Kurt Zouma had flicked on
Willian’s left-wing corner. Stoke lost Phil Bardsley to a second yellow card
moments later, but although Chelsea failed to make their numerical advantage
count in extra time, Mourinho felt that his players had sent a message to their
critics. “What the players did tonight (Tuesday) is face some people that write
and speak, and said: ‘You are stupid’,” he said. “What some people write and
say is really bad for the players. Maybe they think my players are like them
when they were players. My players don’t do that. They tried everything.”
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