Hazard and Oscar face Chelsea axe after Mourinho outburst
Blues boss says he only wants 'serial winners' in his team and at least six first-teamers are believed to be in the firing line
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has warned his misfiring Chelsea squad that he is running out of patience and will not hesitiate to drop players if he is unhappy with their performances.
The Blues have endured a difficult start to the season and are languishing 14th in the Premier League table ahead of their clash with Porto, the team with whom Mourinho made his name, in the Champions League.
In the aftermath of Saturday's 2-2 draw with Newcastle and ahead of the trip to Portugal the Chelsea boss said he wanted his current crop of players to prove that they were "serial champions".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"There are two sorts of champions," he said. "There are champions who win something and there are lots of them, but there are the other champions who during their career they win one, two, three, four, five, 10 or 20 titles.
"We don’t need to learn how to play football, we need to learn how to be consistent again. Clearly it's an attitude perspective of some individuals and when you have individuals with that unstable attitude in terms of motivation, desire and commitment, you will pay.
"This is the problem we have at the moment. We have champions, but not serial champions."
Older players John Terry, John Obi Mikel and Branislav Ivanovic were exonerated by the manager who named them as "serial achievers" even though all three have had problems this season, and the comments are believed to have been aimed at some of the younger members of the squad including Oscar, Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard, says the Daily Telegraph.
"Having attempted to remain calm, Mourinho’s patience is now wearing thin," says the paper, which notes that Mourinho has threatened to pick unheralded youngsters if he believes his big name stars are unwilling to work for the team.
"The Portuguese has previously been supportive and cited bad luck and poor refereeing decisions as the explanation for his side's faltering title defence, but changed tack dramatically," reports The Times. The beneficiaries could be the likes of Nathan, Kenedy and Ruben Loftus-Cheek who have been on the fringes of the first team.
Those in the firing line will already be aware of it, claims The Guardian. "Mourinho was disgusted with the first-half display at Newcastle on Saturday, pinpointing six of his players as having put in 'very bad performances'," says the paper.
"Since half-time [at St James' Park], they know who they are," explained Mourinho.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The four presidents who were assassinated in office
The Explainer The unlucky men who fell victim to successful plots against their lives
By David Faris Published
-
Canada's carbon tax in the crosshairs
Under the radar PM Justin Trudeau's flagship green policy has become increasingly unpopular as citizens grapple with high inflation and cost-of-living crisis
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: October 14, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
The 'Swiss model' shaking up the Champions League
In The Spotlight Uefa says the new format offers 'greater excitement' but critics say boredom is guaranteed
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?
Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
By The Week UK Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?
feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
By The Week Staff Published
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and preview
feature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated