José Mourinho extended his personal attack on Graeme Souness last night by pouring scorn on the former Liverpool captain’s managerial record. The Chelsea manager claimed that Souness has been left frustrated by a career that included jobs with Rangers, Galatasaray and Southampton, as well as at Anfield, and accused him of being envious of his own achievements.
Mourinho also hinted at having insider knowledge of Souness’ shortcomings during a spell at Benfica, where he was employed shortly afterwards. The tirade was a response to criticisms made on Sky Sports this week of Chelsea’s performance in their Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain, which Souness described as pathetic.
“The difference between me and Souness is this,” Mourinho said. “Souness as a player, up there. José as a player, down here. José as a manager, up here. Souness as a manager, down there. With another difference. I was not a frustrated man because I was not a top player. He is clearly a frustrated man [that he is not a top manager].
“I coached Benfica, so I know a lot about him, so much about him. But I have a certain kind of education, not just in football but in life, and I prefer to laugh. Envy is the biggest tribute that the shadows do to the man.”
Mourinho also hit out at Jamie Carragher, Souness’ fellow Sky pundit, who condemned the behaviour of Chelsea’s players in surrounding Björn Kuipers, the referee, during the 2-2 second-leg draw against PSG and after their elimination. The Portuguese defended his players by pointing out that Chelsea have been hit with only one charge of failing to control them this season, and accused Carragher of hypocrisy and having a selective memory after a playing career in which he was often seen haranguing match officials.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the PSG striker, had claimed that Chelsea’s players behaved “like babies” in an attempt to get him sent off in the wake of the Swede’s challenge on Oscar.
“You know the world is a bit strange,” Mourinho said. “Maybe because of diet and maybe the quality of the products we are eating, memories are getting shorter. Because when Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness speak about it, it’s because they are having a problem for sure.
“Jamie stopped playing a couple of years ago, and in two years he forget everything he did on the pitch. Mr Souness also, but he stopped playing a long time ago.
“If the players surround the referee, we are charged and we have to pay a fine, and if we do that the players pay the fine. We have, at this time, I think eight or nine months of competition and been charged once. We paid for that. It’s as simple as that.”
Mourinho insisted that his belief in his squad remains unshakeable despite their Champions League exit, the earliest he has been knocked out of the competition for six years.
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A frank exchange of views between players and coaching staff was held at the club’s training ground, which refocused their collective ambition to win the Barclays Premier League. Chelsea have a five-point lead at the top before tomorrow’s match against Southampton at Stamford Bridge, although Manchester City can cut the gap by winning away to Burnley this evening.
“My belief is unshakeable,” Mourinho said. “Absolutely. I have the same belief in these players. One thing is to be disappointed, and try and find the reasons why we — not them — didn’t succeed in these games. Another thing is to lose belief in the players. These are the same players who have been top of the league since day one. Not yesterday, or in August, and then down and up. Since day one.
“They have responded the way I expected: open communication, nobody afraid to speak, nobody shy. Not everybody spoke in the meeting, but there were good opinions. Their opinions were based on what they felt on the pitch, different from person to person. We closed the chapter.
“We closed the chapter, but we still have the book to write. We have 11 more matches to finish the book. Let’s see if the last page of the book is with the Premier League trophy in their hands.”