José Mourinho has suggested the Professional Footballers’ Association team of the season should have been comprised entirely of Chelsea players and claimed the lineup selected would “not win the Premier League”.
There were six of his players included in the side selected by PFA members, including the union’s player of the season, Eden Hazard. Diego Costa, Nemanja Matic and the three defenders, John Terry, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic were also voted in. The select XI was completed with David de Gea, Ryan Bertrand, Philippe Coutinho, Alexis Sánchez and Harry Kane.
Yet Mourinho, while conceding he is biased as Chelsea’s manager, pointed to a lack of balance in midfield where Cesc Fàbregas, who has supplied 16 assists this term, was not recognised by his fellow professionals.
Mourinho was asked if there should have been more than six of his players in the selection and, having confirmed there should, added that “all” should have gained recognition. “But I know that this is the Chelsea manager speaking, and obviously I respect every one of the players in that team, and especially everyone that chose. The players from the other teams have the right to choose, and obviously great players were in that team, and great players were outside that team.
“But, just as an example, the season Fàbregas is doing, the number of assists and quality of his game … not to be there is a bit strange.
“And I think that team wouldn’t win the Premier League. Because that team is four defenders, Matic and only five to attack. So it’s a team without any balance. That team is missing a midfield player, and I think that midfield player should be Fàbregas. But this is not important. I look now as a fan, not as a manager. It looks like I’m in a pub discussing things that aren’t important, because the important thing is to be champions.”
Chelsea can achieve that if they win at Leicester City on Wednesday and follow that up with another success at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday. Their squad travelled to St George’s Park on Monday afternoon to prepare for the game at the Kingpower stadium, with Oscar and Diego Costa to be assessed before the game. Oscar was discharged from hospital on Sunday evening after suffering a head injury in a clash with Arsenal’s David Ospina, while Costa is still recovering from hamstring trouble.
That goalless draw at Arsenal had provoked chants of “boring, boring Chelsea” from a large number of the home supporters. Mourinho had shrugged off that criticism, claiming it was “more boring” to go a decade without claiming the league title.
“I’m not sure [people think we’re boring],” he added on Monday. “I’m not sure of that. I met this morning an Arsenal fan, a gentleman who lives almost next door to me, an Arsenal fan of more than 50 years and he congratulated me for my press conference, saying I was ‘spot on’.”
