JOSE Mourinho walked off the pitch at Stamford Bridge insisting he was not to blame for Chelsea’s title failure this season.
The Blues manager led the squad on a lap of honour as their league season petered out with a fifth successive draw. Mourinho blew kisses and waved to fans in a muted send-off ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final with Manchester United. He insisted afterwards he was saying thank you rather than farewell.
He said: “I am unhappy we didn’t win the Premiership but I did everything I could. I didn’t lose motivation, I didn’t lose my appetite to win. I did the best I could.”
The club’s owner Roman Abramovich may not agree, however, especially if Chelsea fail to beat United.
Mourinho said he is making plans all the same, with three or four players expected to be changed but no big-name signings. Clearly he is happy to work under Abramovich’s directive to spend less money.
The draw gave Chelsea the point they needed to match Liverpool’s 63-game unbeaten league run at home – small beer for Abramovich.
Mourinho said: “We have a chance to have the record just for us. We would be a team who have made their stamp on English football history.”
But for much of the game a shock appeared to be on the cards, especially when James Vaughan put the visitors ahead in the 50th minute.
Mikel Arteta pinched possession from John Terry and passed to Leon Osman, who slipped the ball to Vaughan, who crashed in a first-time shot.
Everton manager David Moyes said he believed Chelsea were there for the taking. “We felt we had done enough to be ahead,” he said. “We had a chance to win.
“The turning point was a save from Petr Cech – it might have been 2-0.”
Vaughan had fired in a scissor-kick but this time the Blues keeper reacted to palm the ball clear.
But Chelsea were soon level. Arteta was fouled by Paulo Ferreira, but referee Mark Halsey waved play on. As Everton protested, Shaun Wright-Phillips put in a cross and Didier Drogba finished for his 20th Premiership goal of the season, a strike which confirmed his place as the winner of the Golden Boot.
Moyes stormed on to the pitch in fury, resulting in him being sent to the stands. In fact, he just sat two rows back. “I shouldn’t have gone on to the pitch, but I was defending my players and it was the right thing to do,” said Moyes. The point gives Everton a place in the UEFA Cup, and Moyes said: “Not many people predicted that, so we have done very well.”
Mourinho’s concern now is having enough players fit for Wembley, after Mikel John Obi limped off with a muscle strain.
“Whatever 11 players we put out, they will play with great spirit,” he said. “We don’t have that now, but we will by Sunday.”
Jose Mourinho sounds like Blair, or a New Labour politician with his denials of failure, blaming everybody else but himself!
If he eventually gets the sack from Chelsea, he could always become a Labour MP, he would fit in well !
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TITLE FAILURE MOURINHO
15.05.07, 12:58am
Jose Mourinho sounds like Blair, or a New Labour politician with his denials of failure, blaming everybody else but himself!
If he eventually gets the sack from Chelsea, he could always become a Labour MP, he would fit in well !
• Posted by: steveg • Report Comment
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