Jose
Mourinho has dismissed the possibility of complacency creeping in against
Sunderland as runaway leaders Chelsea prepare to face the side that ended
their 77-game unbeaten home run.
Chelsea are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table after 12
games and are unbeaten in 19 matches in all competitions this season.
Mourinho's side beat Schalke 5-0 on Tuesday night to advance to the knockout
stages of the Champions League and travel to Sunderland seeking to
consolidate their position at the top of the standings.
It was Gus Poyet's side who ended Mourinho's 77-game unbeaten home Premier
League run in April in a bad-tempered meeting which remains Chelsea's most
recent domestic defeat.
Chelsea are widely tipped to romp away with the title, but Mourinho is
adamant his squad will not get ahead of themselves. "Complacency is not a
risk we have," he said.
Stronger
"It's not a profile of this group in this moment. We have all the other
risks. The risks that belong to football - the risk of a bad period,
injuries, unlucky matches, other teams growing up and becoming stronger.
"We were winning 5-0 against Schalke and in minute 88 Eden Hazard made a
sprint to defend. There was a clear evolution and I don't think the group as
a group can be complacent."
And Mourinho denied complacency was a factor in the loss to Sunderland,
which prompted an irate response from the Chelsea boss and his assistant Rui
Faria, who was issued with a six-match stadium ban for criticising match
officials.
"I don't call that complacency. I call that other things. Lots of water
passed already under the bridge," said. "That match was impossible to win.
But we move on."
Chelsea were linked with a move for Barcelona's Lionel Messi this week but
Mourinho has dismissed it out of hand.
"In this moment it's so easy to have non-truths circulating, it's so easy
that some people put news without confirming it. Obviously, it's not true."
Honours
Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard have impressed this season and been nominated
for FIFA's team of the year, but the Portuguese values collective honours
ahead of individual awards.
"I think these kind of trophies are not good for football," he said.
"Sometimes it looks like we're looking for stars. We're looking for people
more important than other people and this is not the culture we want in this
club.
"The mentality here is not to be worried with that. And when I see Fabregas
and Hazard, I think clearly they don't think about it. Clearly they think
about the team, playing well and trying to win matches."
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