Jose Mourinho on Chelsea's Strikers, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Art of Winning
Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o have each endured a difficult season in front of goal and Jose Mourinho has revealed whyโthey're not as vital as the rest of their teammates.
Speaking in Chelsea magazine, the Blues' manager explained it's the likes of Oscar, Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Willian who are the focus of his Chelsea attack, suggesting he will not alter his current tactics to improve the fortunes of his front men.
"[Playing with] two strikers is always an option. But it is not adapted to the strengths of our squad. We have lots of good players behind the strikers and our style of play is based on their dynamic and their creativity. So, we are more of a 4-2-3-1 team.
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If Mourinho had the likes of either of the Ronaldos at his disposalโCristiano or the Brazilian versionโhe may have a different approach altogether, however.
The Portuguese has been fortunate to work with some of the world's finest talents throughout his career, including the aforementioned duo, and he explained in his interview with the Blues' official magazine that their impact on his success hasn't been lost on him.
"I had Ronaldo and Ronaldo. I had Figo and Stoichkov; I had Ibrahimovic and Drogba; I had Lampard and Terry... I had, I had, I had... dozens of top, top players! I also had the ones without the same talent, but with big hearts โ and they gave everything to me."
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It's an impressive list of players, yet whoever Mourinho has had at his disposal, his teams have often carried the same qualitiesโendeavour, passion and a commitment to win at all costs.
We're beginning to see that quality in his current Chelsea team and despite more than a decade at the top, it's something alive and well in the Portuguese, also.
And when it comes to winning, Mourinho explained he isn't too concerned how his team goes about it.
"Football is about the balance between quality and mentality," he added. "Of course, I love to win easily with great attacking football, but I enjoy it a lot when there is a hard battle and a team has to really fight to getย the points."
*The latest edition ofย Chelseaย magazine will be available to download on your tablet from Jan. 13 at www.chelseafc.com/mobile
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him on Twitter hereย @garryhayes
