The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has a fantastic record at almost all the venues in England, but, there is one venue where he hasn’t been able to secure even one league victory so far and that is St. James’ Park.
The 51-year old Portuguese has ended on the winning side only twice at that Stadium and both those wins have come in the Cup.
According to Mourinho, whenever the Magpies turn up against Chelsea at home, they put in much more effort than what they put in versus the other sides.
The previous afternoon, Mourinho was quoted as speaking, “The Newcastle guys play versus us as if their lives are at stake. They don’t tend to go that hard versus the other oppositions.”
“It might be because we have turned into one of the strongest teams in England in the recent times. We are the ones that everyone is looking to defeat and I don’t mind it. It’s actually a good thing. If they try their hardest when they are up against us, it means we’re special.”
“And, it’s not the case with Newcastle only. There’re certain other teams who don’t play every game with the same amount of energy and enthusiasm. However, for us, every game has equal importance and every game has to be played with the intention of winning. I always tell my players, no matter who the opposition is, the concentration level should always be the same. But, the others, I believe, don’t think that way.”
When asked which ‘other teams’ he is talking about, Mourinho said. “Have a look at the games on TV and you would find out. If not, you can disagree to what I am saying.”
Chelsea will face Newcastle United this Saturday.