Jose Mourinho has issued Chelsea players with ultimatum: John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel believes Jose Mourinho is the best manager in the country and will give Chelsea the edge as they pursue silverware on three fronts.

Mourinho returned the club in the summer and his team are showing the same imperious form from his first stint that won five trophies between 2004-07.

Chelsea beat Derby 2-0 in the FA Cup third round on Sunday thanks to goals from Oscar and Mikel to set up a home tie against Stoke City in the fourth round.

They trail Arsenal and Manchester City by just two points in the Premier League and face Galatasaray in the Last-16 of the Champions League next month.

Much has been made of Chelsea’s squad strength but Mikel believes Mourinho is the key difference.

Asked if he sees Mourinho as the leading coach in the top flight that can make the difference, Mikel told Standard Sport: “Without a shadow of doubt. He’s great around the dressing room, around the training ground. He is unbelievable.

“He shows us that in training. We work very hard and he knows how to communicate with the players. He always wants us to play in a certain way and give 110 per cent. If you don’t, you’re out.

“As a player that’s what you want. You don’t want to slack. That’s the mentality he wants installed in this team and slowly but surely the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian are beginning to do that. You can see by the way we press up the pitch. That is important for the team and we’re doing well.”

Mikel is one of eight players to have won the league with Chelsea and is aware the other players are just getting used to the demands of a club fighting for every trophy, every season.

“It’s a matter of letting them know what it means when you come to the end of the season, what the Premier League and Champions League means to this club. If you don’t play for Chelsea, you don’t know what these trophies mean to this club.

“It’s not a team where if you come second, third or fourth, it doesn’t matter. Every year you have to win something and this is the pressure.

“Now they’re here, they have to feel the pressure and they are feeling it right now. That’s why we just want to keep doing well and they’re starting to understand that we don’t want to get beaten.”