Mourinho mystified as Chelsea draw aginst minnows
Thursday, 20 September 2007
LONDON, Sept 19 (AFP): Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is alarmed by his expensively-assembled team's dramatic loss of goalscoring form which has dented their domestic and European title hopes.
The Blues have scored just once in their last three matches -- hardly the sort of form likely to scare their next opponents: English Premier League champions Manchester United, who host Chelsea in Sunday's crunch match.
And the Blues' main goalscorers, Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and England midfielder Frank Lampard, who have missed the last two games through injuries, are unlikely to make the trip to Old Trafford.
Hosts Chelsea dominated possession in Tuesday's 1-1 draw at home to unfancied Norwegian champions Rosenborg in the Champions League Group B match at Stamford Bridge.
But despite a hatful of chances, only Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko -- restored to the Chelsea first team in the absence of Drogba and Peru forward Claudio Pizarro -- managed to get on the scoresheet.
"I'm very disappointed," Mourinho said.
"We had about 20 chances and scored one goal. So to score two, maybe we need 40 chances; to score three, maybe 60.
"From the 20 chances, maybe 15 of them were not even on target. One in the net and some others the goalkeeper saved.
"We can speak and speak but the history of the game is we couldn't score more than one goal in 20 shots.
"I'm alarmed, I'm not happy."
The lack of sharpness in attack in the 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa, 0-0 draw with visitors Blackburn and the Rosenborg stalemate is playing on Mourinho's mind.
"For me, the drama is in three matches where we played with attacking teams, dominating games, creating chances and we scored one single goal," the Portuguese said.
"That's the reality of this team. Drogba and Lampard mean more than 50 percent of the goals Chelsea score. They are not playing. Good news is not arriving from the medical department.
"So I have to fight with these people, to make the team the best possible."
Against Rosenborg, Shevchenko scored an equaliser which could salvage his Chelsea career.
The Blues have scored just once in their last three matches -- hardly the sort of form likely to scare their next opponents: English Premier League champions Manchester United, who host Chelsea in Sunday's crunch match.
And the Blues' main goalscorers, Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and England midfielder Frank Lampard, who have missed the last two games through injuries, are unlikely to make the trip to Old Trafford.
Hosts Chelsea dominated possession in Tuesday's 1-1 draw at home to unfancied Norwegian champions Rosenborg in the Champions League Group B match at Stamford Bridge.
But despite a hatful of chances, only Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko -- restored to the Chelsea first team in the absence of Drogba and Peru forward Claudio Pizarro -- managed to get on the scoresheet.
"I'm very disappointed," Mourinho said.
"We had about 20 chances and scored one goal. So to score two, maybe we need 40 chances; to score three, maybe 60.
"From the 20 chances, maybe 15 of them were not even on target. One in the net and some others the goalkeeper saved.
"We can speak and speak but the history of the game is we couldn't score more than one goal in 20 shots.
"I'm alarmed, I'm not happy."
The lack of sharpness in attack in the 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa, 0-0 draw with visitors Blackburn and the Rosenborg stalemate is playing on Mourinho's mind.
"For me, the drama is in three matches where we played with attacking teams, dominating games, creating chances and we scored one single goal," the Portuguese said.
"That's the reality of this team. Drogba and Lampard mean more than 50 percent of the goals Chelsea score. They are not playing. Good news is not arriving from the medical department.
"So I have to fight with these people, to make the team the best possible."
Against Rosenborg, Shevchenko scored an equaliser which could salvage his Chelsea career.