Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has confessed that not everything he says in the Premier League title run-in will be the truth.
“Everything I say is mind games, everything I do is mind games, everything is mind games, you know. The only thing that is not mind games is the results,” he told reporters on Friday.
Mourinho fooled no-one on Monday when he ruled his team out of title contention after masterminding a 1-0 win at free-scoring Manchester City that left his team two points behind leaders Arsenal.
The Portuguese coach had a glint in his eye when he described his side as “a little horse that needed milk” in a race with the “two big horses” of Arsenal and second-placed City.
And he carried on that tone by maintaining that his squad’s big goal for the season was simply to finish in the top four places of the Premier League.
“Big objective for all of us is to finish top four, if possible top three, with direct qualification to the Champions League.”
However, his stance has now softened because Mourinho acknowledged that Chelsea could land the crown in May although he confirmed that they were outsiders.
“I am not saying we are not going to win, I am not saying that. I am saying we are not candidates. I am saying that we are outsiders,” he said on the eve of Saturday’s home league game with Newcastle United.
“Do we dream to win the Premier League? Of course, if you don’t do, we don’t play.”
Mourinho also hailed Chelsea’s improvement this season compared to their last campaign under Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael BenÃtez.
“I think last season in this moment, how many points we had less, how many points we were from Man United, I think huge difference. I think in this moment Chelsea was for sure outside of every possible race and struggling to get a top four position to play Champions League, so the people is enjoying. I see the boys enjoying the situation very much and that’s what I want them to do.”
