The manager said his side are one of six who could lift the title.
Jose Mourinho has played down Chelsea’s chances of winning the Premier League, claiming his side are one of six who could lift the title in May, a point supported by the latest football betting odds.
Chelsea’s hopes were dealt a blow at the weekend when they fell to a shock 3-2 defeat at Stoke. The result left the Blues five points behind leaders Arsenal, with a trip to Emirates Stadium coming up on December 23.
Mourinho admitted he does not have ‘the perfect squad’ at his disposal in his second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge, while rubbishing Chelsea’s favourites tag.
“Who told you we are the first contender to win the league?” he asked reporters. “I don’t think we are. I think we are one of the six teams that are potential contenders.
“While other teams are on top of their game, I think we are a team playing different than we did in the past.”
The Blues boss took a swipe at past managers for leaving him with a squad that was a long way off challenging for Premier League glory.
“Remember, that in the past two years, this team finished 25 points behind the winners and finished 14 points behind the winners,” Mourinho added. “We are not speaking with me about my team being champions last year or finishing one or two points behind.”
The latest live football commentary has suggested that part of Chelsea’s problem this term has been the goalscoring form of their strikers, who have been significantly outperformed by their rivals at other top clubs. Of the Blues’ 30 Premier League goals, only four have come from Fernando Torres, Demba Ba, and Samuel Eto’o.
“If you ask me would I like my strikers to score eight, 10 or 12 goals? Yes. If we had eight, 10 or 12 goals, we would be top of the league,” Mourinho said.
Photo courtesy of καρλο [ AKA Gilyo], with thanks.
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