Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on the possibility of complacency creeping in, reports linking Lionel Messi with the club and the Ballon d'Or

Jose Mourinho talks about Chelsea’s current run of form, Lionel Messi and the Ballon d’Or

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has dismissed the possibility of complacency creeping into the ranks when the Premier League leaders go to the north-east to take on Sunderland, the team who defeated them last in the Premier League.

The west London outfit are currently six points clear at the top of the table, and are coming fresh of a 5-0 drubbing of Schalke in the Champions League group stage. Last year’s loss to Sunderland at home saw Mourinho’s 77-match unbeated streak at home, in what was an ill-tempered match.

“Complacency is not a risk we have”

Everyone expects Chelsea to secure the title easily, but Jose Mourinho is not ready to listen to all that, saying: “Complacency is not a risk we have,” Mourinho said. “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.”

He also denied that complacency played a oart in Chelsea’s defeat to Sunderland last time around, saying, “I don’t call that complacency. I call that other things. Lots of water passed already under the bridge. That match was impossible to win. But we move on.”

No truth to reports linking us with Messi

Commenting on the latest reports linking Chelsea with the capture of Lionel Messi, the Portuguese said, “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.”

Team honours more important than individual honours

With both Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard nominated for FIFA’s team of the year, Mourinho also indicated that he prices collective honours more than individual awards.

“I think these kind of trophies are not good for football,” Mourinho 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 Fàbregas and Hazard, I think clearly they don’t think about it. Clearly they think about the team, playing well and trying to win matches.”