Blues' new boss says his priority will be to make his players work harder
Chelsea ended Mourinho’s six-year exile in Italy and Spain on Monday when they reappointed him manager and he will be officially unveiled at a press conference at Stamford Bridge next Monday.
Gimme mour: Jose Mourinho during his first stint as manager of Chelsea in 2007. PIC/Getty Images
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While the Portuguese’s first reign ended in acrimony after his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich soured, his arrival heralded the start of the most successful period in the club’s history.
The summit of his achievements were EPL crowns in 2005 and 2006, and his track record of domestic success have raised expectations he will break the three-year duopoly of Manchester United and City.
No spending spree
Chelsea fans will also expect Mourinho’s return to be accompanied by a spending spree as Abramovich arms his manager with the funds to reclaim a title.
Forward reinforcements top the shopping list, with Andre Schurrle, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic reportedly on Mourinho’s radar. But he insists that drawing the best from his existing squad will be his most pressing concern.
“We have to improve the team, but when I say improve the team people are already thinking about how many millions Chelsea will spend. When I say improve the team, I mean through work,” he said.
“My work has to improve players and improve the team. If I don’t do that I am not happy with myself. If after that we can improve the team by buying a couple of players it is fantastic, but I have to improve the team and the players with my work. The priority is to improve. In the last two years we have struggled in the Premier League.
“If Chelsea didn’t win the Champions League then the club wouldn’t have been in the competition this year. This year we had to fight until the last match to qualify.
We must improve individually, improve collectively and improve the structure of the club around the football team, and try to win the next match.
“Which one is the next match? The Premier League? Let’s go for the Premier League. If the next match is the FA Cup, let’s go for the FA Cup. It’s difficult for me to say something is the priority. The priority is to work hard, work professionally and make the team better.”
The grey hair that now covers Mourinho’s scalp was not evident during his first spell in west London, but he insists his capacity for hard work remains intact.
“I don’t need a holiday, instead I’m sorry we don’t start training tomorrow,” he said. “Victory makes miracles — when you win you are never tired. Happiness is much stronger than tiredness. Players need holidays, I don’t.”u00a0
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