Friday, August 25, 2006

ATTITUDE IS THE KEY - MOURINHO

Chelsea - beaten by Middlesbrough on Wednesday

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho insists his side must get rediscover the attitude of champions if they are to overcome Blackburn at Ewood Park on Sunday.

Mourinho's side were beaten by two late goals in their midweek clash with Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium and the Portuguese coach made no secret of his unhappiness with his side's attitude.

The Blues now face another tricky away trip and Mourinho wants his side to show the same kind of desire which has made them Barclays Premiership champions for the last two years.

"Middlesbrough was just a good example of how you cannot play away from home, especially in this country where there is always emotion around and the crowd can stimulate the home team," he said.

"We were too passive, reacting just to the score. The point is we know why we were champions twice and it was not with this attitude, that is for sure."

Mourinho's assistant, Steve Clarke, insisted however that the defeat at Middlesbrough was no cause for panic.

Clarke said: "We know where we went wrong. It was a match where we got in front, we controlled from the front and normally when we are in that position, we see the game out very well.

"We didn't do that on Wednesday night for reasons that we think we know and we have addressed. We have to put that into practice and see what the result is on Sunday."

Midfielder Claude Makelele, who played his first game since the World Cup final on Wednesday, also wants to put the Middlesbrough defeat behind him with victory on Sunday.

Makelele said: "It was difficult to lose this game against Middlesbrough, it was a little bit of a joke, but sometimes that is football.

"We have not talked much about this game, it is better to forget it. I think it is better to lose now than in the middle of the season.

"We need to win this game at Blackburn for confidence and because to win the championship, you need to win away. We also need a win before many players go to their national teams."

Chelsea are hoping their injury list improves ahead of the trip north as Petr Cech, Geremi, Robert Huth, Michael Ballack and Joe Cole were all sidelined for the Middlesbrough game and Arjen Robben missed out with a calf strain he collected in the warm-up.

Clarke added: "There are some more players available for the weekend.

"The players that weren't available midweek have trained very, very well this week. One or two are struggling along a bit behind but making progress and that is good for us. There could be one or two extra players in the squad.

"It is important to have all the players fit and well. When you look at the success we've had the last couple of years, a big complement to the type of training that we do and the medical staff we have here, is that we haven't had many players injured.

"Maybe it is because we shortened the pre-season this year and made it more intense, but we have picked up one or two little niggles. It is not like us to carry so many injuries and obviously when those players are out, you miss them."

Blackburn have not enjoyed the best of starts to the new campaign, losing to Portsmouth and drawing at home with Everton.

Having lost Craig Bellamy, now with Liverpool, in attack, Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts will still present problems for Chelsea.

"They are both powerful and strong," added Clarke. "They will give us different problems than Blackburn with Bellamy would have done. But they will give us problems nonetheless that we have to be prepared for.

"Blackburn had a difficult away game early on, down at Portsmouth where they have spent a bit of money and had high expectations.

"They were very unlucky not to win on Wednesday. A last-minute penalty cost them three points so they know they have to win on Sunday and we know we have to win. That should make for a very good contest."

0 comments: