Jose Mourinho writes a weekly column entitled 'Hotel Chelsea' for the Portuguese sports daily 'Record'.

In this section read a translated summary of Mourinho's fascinating insights.

10 October 2005

Astonishing Anfield

I’ve never seen that before and I have to take my hat off to them. Liverpool were losing 4-1 at home, and Anfield was proudly singing the club anthem. Astonishing!

Carvalho back to his best

I was missing Ricardo Carvalho at the highest level. After the match against Sunderland I told him in my office: “You’re making my life easy, playing like that. Del Horno comes back and you’re out in the cold. Then you’ll be crying!”

The next day it was recuperation training for those who had played and development training for the others. Ricardo asked to train, certainly thinking about the two matches against Liverpool.

In the Champions League match he put in an excellent display, with just a single mistake in a dead-ball situation, and a few fouls whistled by a strict referee in his battle against Crouch. In the following game he played a staggering match - tight on Crouch’s movement, first to the ball every time, perfect timing in his jumping and marking, winning everything in the air. He brought the ball out of defence and didn’t fail a pass. He maintained absolute concentration and, together with Terry, intelligently pushed the team ten metres up the pitch to escape the danger coming from second wave attacks.

A spectacular match that makes my selection difficult. These are the kind of difficulties I love – having players at their best. That is where players should do their talking - on the pitch! And obviously, playing like that… they have to play.

Hard times at Sporting

Sporting are going through hard times and the search is on for scapegoats. It’s normal, and as ever the coach has to bear the brunt of the criticism.

But is he the only guilty party? When Liedson worked in a supermarket in Brazil, if he had insulted the manager, would he be working the next day? Wasn’t this great player also partly responsible for the defeat against Halmstad due to his absence [For internal disciplinary reasons]? Wasn’t he also largely responsible for the defeat at Paços de Ferreira due to his premature recall and the consequent negative affects in terms of cohesion and harmony in the squad?

Shouldn’t the captain and other senior players attack negative attitudes, giving the coach the best possible chance of success? Shouldn’t the board take some disciplinary measures into their own hands, thus alleviating the onus on the coach? Is it normal that when Peseiro left the changing room at Paços de Ferreira under a torrent of abuse, Liedson was handing out autographs to the fans? Shouldn’t the Sporting fans direct their frustration in more than one direction?

In some countries it’s always the same people who have to pay the price. It’s always the same ones who come out fighting and it’s always the same ones who go into hiding or watch idly by as the ship goes under.

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