Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hits out at Steven Gerrard and confirms Pedro and Willian will miss Arsenal tie

Jose Mourinho rounded on his critics and Steven Gerrard after Chelsea’s first home win of a season which has had a miserable opening.

The Barclays Premier League champions began their Champions League Group G campaign with a 4-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge, with goals from Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa – his first for Chelsea in the Champions League – and Cesc Fabregas.

“I forgot the feeling. For so long we don’t win a game, so good, a good feeling,” Mourinho said.

“I am a fantastic manager when I win matches and I am a fantastic manager when I lose matches.”

Mourinho received the acclaim of the home faithful and, while he prefers it when they support the players and team, he welcomed the adulation.

“I prefer that than they say ‘Mourinho out’ and they boo me and so on,” he said.

“It shows they don’t read papers or they don’t have short memories. If they don’t read papers they support me. If they don’t have short memories, they support me.

“We won four Premier Leagues, three with him and one with his team. This guy is not bad. Let’s support the guy. We have a chance to win the fifth.”

 

Mourinho also dismissed former Liverpool captain Gerrard’s suggestion that there must have been a rift with skipper John Terry – one of six changes from the loss at Everton and an unused substitute against the Israeli side.

“Steven is wrong,” the Blues boss said. “I have a very good relationship with him. Sometimes we contact by SMS (text message). But he’s wrong, because we have no problems.”

Speaking during his work as a BT Sport pundit, the former Liverpool captain had said: “There’s certainly a bit of friction behind the scenes because for me, you play John Terry week in, week out, he’s your captain.

“He’s such an important figure in the dressing room and if Chelsea want to be successful this season, they need him in there.

“Chelsea were champions three months ago, they were the best team in the league, the PFA player of the year in Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas was on fire.

“Something’s clearly happening behind the scene that we’re not clued up on. You can’t have that many problems in an 11 so quickly.”

There was bad news for the Blues however, as Willian limped off the pitch during the first half and Mourinho confirmed he and Pedro – who was absent from the matchday squad – will miss the visit of Arsenal on Saturday.

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