The Premier League champions currently sit 14th in the table after seven games, having just won twice in the league.
It is the kind of position they regularly occupied before the arrival of billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003, but one that younger Chelsea fans are unused to seeing them in.
Chelsea, who kept 17 league clean sheets last season, have kept just one so far against Arsenal, and have conceded 14 goals. Only Sunderland, who are bottom, have let in more in the league.
No team has allowed their opponents more shots on target than Chelsea, while Saturday’s (October 3) opponents Southampton have allowed the fewest in the league this season.
“I define it as the worst period in my career, with the worst results in my career. I get it as a fantastic experience – an experience I do not want to repeat, I want to finish tomorrow with this experience and start winning matches again – but an experience that is a good experience in my career. I think it comes too late, because to come after 15 years is too late, it should come after two, three or four, it comes too late. But its something that is helping me to be better, its a great negative experience,” Mourinho told reporters at the club’s training ground in Cobham, south of London.
“When you make a big mistake you know and you feel, you know and you feel. I don’t know in your jobs, I don’t know in your newspapers’ offices the way you deal with mistakes, when I read what some of you write it looks like you do what you want and nothing happens, or if somebody criticises you you start crying because you don’t accept it, it looks like you are a little bit of a prima donna that to be criticising the group becomes a drama. In here we speak openly,” he said. “We communicate openly, we criticise people without any kind of problems and no prima donnas crying.”
Mourinho refused to be drawn on the subject of Eva Carneiro, the former first team doctor who quit after being criticised by the manager. Although he was cleared by the Football Association of discriminatory charges against the doctor, FA chairman Greg Dyke said on Thursday (October 1) Mourinho was in the wrong and should have apologised.
“For the past two months I didn’t open my mouth and I’m going to keep like this. One day I will speak but I will choose that day,” the 52-year-old said.
Branislav Ivanovic has been heavily criticised for his performances this season, but Mourinho continued to back the player, saying the Serbia international is the best right-back in the league, but conceding that his form must improve.
“This is something I speak with Ivanovic, and Ivanovic likes to speak with me, and Ivanovic likes to speak with me about his mistakes and he’s not crying, he’s not a prima donna like in some newspapers you cannot be criticised. And I’m critical with him and I speak with him about what he has to improve, what he has to try to improve,” he said.
“I have no doubts he is my best right-back and I have no doubts that he has to improve in some aspects of his game this season, simple as that,” the former Real Madrid manager added.
Mourinho, who will be hoping to maintain his perfect league record against Southampton, said he no fresh injury worries after the 2-1 midweek Champions League loss to Porto.
Thibaut Courtois’ recovery from injury is going well, with the keeper expected back in December, the Portuguese said, while confirming that he was hoping to sign former Italy keeper Marco Amelia, who has been training with the team.
Apart from the poor results, the other issue troubling Chelsea’s fans has been the absence of club captain John Terry from the starting lineup.
Terry has been an unused substitute four times in the last five matches, with the Chelsea faithful chanting “we want our captain back” after their defeat at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday (September 29).
Asked about Terry’s situation, Mourinho replied: “The fans can sing and I’m happy they sing and I’m happy they support John. It’s more important they support John when John is not playing than when he’s playing. When he’s playing and he’s playing well and everything is in a high for him he doesn’t need support so the supporters are great.”
