Jose
Mourinho leapt to the defence of his players after Chelsea were knocked out
of the Capital One Cup in a penalty shoot-out by Stoke.
The holders looked set to come back from the brink in the fourth-round clash
after Loic Remy's late equaliser cancelled out Jon Walters' strike, but
despite Stoke being reduced to 10 men, Chelsea could not grab a winner in
extra time and eventually lost 5-4 on penalties as Jack Butland saved from
Eden Hazard.
The loss means the Blues have won just one of their last seven matches in
all competitions and adds to the growing pressure on Mourinho.
There have been reports that this weekend's clash with Liverpool could be
crucial for his future while some have questioned whether the players are
behind him.
But he was defiant in defeat, saying: "You honestly think the players are
not with me? You think they didn't give everything to win the game? That's
really sad, it's not sad for me, it's sad for the players.
"It's a lack of respect to the players, not to me, for me it would be a
fantastic situation if the players are against me, then I can say we aren't
getting the results because the players are against me.
"What some people write and say is really bad for the players, my players
tried everything. I don't want to speak about last Saturday [against West
Ham], but if anyone saw the second half, with 10 men, then they will see
[what is written] is a lack of respect for the players."
Talk had already been rife before this tie about the sack looming for
Mourinho, whose Premier League champions were left 15th in the table by
Saturday's 2-1 loss at West Ham, in which he was sent to the stands.
But the Portuguese - who has subsequently been hit by another misconduct
charge from the Football Association over events at Upton Park, and had not
spoken publicly since that match - said following the Stoke contest: "My
general situation is fantastic.
"I have a day off tomorrow, a fantastic family. I can sleep well every
night. I'm going to enjoy my day and Thursday. It will be one more day like
I have had in the last 15 years of my life - honest and dedicated.
Pushed further over whether he had had any more reassurances since the
weekend about his job, he said: "I don't need more."
Mourinho refused to blame Hazard over the penalty miss that proved decisive
and said there was plenty in Chelsea's performance that meant their players
would leave feeling positive.
He added: "He (Hazard) is our best penalty taker but the last thing I do is
to blame. If I have to blame someone it is the ones who tell the manager I
don't want to take it and run away.
"It is more difficult when you play very bad and lose than when you play
well and lose. I think they (Chelsea's players) go with sadness but with a
positive feeling.
"How can they go home with lack of confidence? Lack of confidence, why? They
played well."
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