Mourinho sets more goals goal
Saturday, Oct 21, 2006
José Mourinho has given his players the target of upping the teams
goals-per-chance ratio against Portsmouth this afternoon.
The Chelsea boss is conscious of the tough challenge the
fourth-placed side, just three points behind in the Premiership
table, will provide at the Bridge.
Ruthlessness plus maintaining the mental intensity of the Barcelona
game is the key to not dropping points, as happened in the last
Premiership home game, versus Aston Villa.
Against Reading because we didnt have a lot of chances to score,
especially because we were playing with ten men for so long,
Mourinho begins. He was talking to Chelsea TV at Fridays final
training session, held at Stamford Bridge.
But against Aston Villa and Barcelona, the two last games at home,
we had so many chances to score but at the end of these 120
minutes, we had scored twice.
We have to try to put our level of scoring goals better. We have to
score more goals with less chances.
With at least one out of Manchester United and Liverpool guaranteed
to drop points when the two teams meet on Sunday, Mourinho will
order his players to set a strong early pace for the weekend and
not bathe in the Barcelona win.
I have to tell them that after a big game with a very good result,
it happens a lot a negative game and a very bad result.
When it happens, it is not because players are tired. It is because
mentally you just relax. That is what I have to try to fight by
speaking with the players to keep them alert.
One day we will have to stop our incredible record at home, but we
have to delay that to the maximum we can.
Chelsea are 48 league games unbeaten at the Bridge. Mourinho
confirmed that Carlo Cudicini is not yet ready to resume playing.
Hilario will make his second Chelsea start on his 31st
birthday.
Apart from the goalkeepers, the manager reports a few minor fitness
niggles in the squad but no further players ruled out.
Portsmouth have good, experienced players and manager. The game is
difficult, he warned.
