Mourinho Pleased With Chelsea After Thrashing Man City 3-0
Reuters LONDON — Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho was delighted with his side’s roaring start to the defence of their Premier League title on Sunday but worried they might not be able to sustain such intensity with three games in a week.
The English champions ran rings around Manchester City at Stamford Bridge to win 3-0.
“We did not play well, we played very well,” the Portuguese coach said following goals from captain John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
“We were perfect defensively...the quality of our passing game was very, very good. We dominated and we beat a good team. My only doubt now is are we fit enough to play three matches in a week?”
Mourinho has lamented the short time his multinational side, gunning for a third successive title and a European assault, have had to prepare for the season after World Cup duty in June and July and international friendlies last week. He said Germany captain and new signing Michael Ballack, who has been suffering from a hip problem, could be fit for Wednesday’s game at Middlesbrough as could fellow midfielder and World Cup runner-up Claude Makelele.
But Chelsea, who also face Blackburn away next Sunday, will still be without first choice goalkeeper Petr Cech, midfielders Joe Cole and Geremi and defender Robert Huth.
Mourinho said there had even been a doubt before the game over the fitness of Terry, who was injured in training, but that the new England captain was such a “competitive animal” he could not miss the first match of the season.
Striker Andriy Shevchenko, bought in June from AC Milan for $57 million, had a quiet Premier League debut after scoring in last week’s Community Shield.
Mourinho was unperturbed. “He has to score winning goals for us — not when we are 3-0 up,” Mourinho said.
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