The Mail on Sunday

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

Mourinho denies he’s feeling the pressure but...

- By Stephen Davies

Four points from five games is Chelsea’s worst start to a season in 29 years.

They have already lost three games — as many as they did in the Premier League last season.

Last season their defence conceded 32 goals, the least in the league. This time no side have conceded more than their 12 in five games.

No side have won the Premier League after picking up as few points in the first five games.

JOSE MOURINHO claims he is not feeling the pressure after yesterday’s shock 3-1 defeat at Everton and insists he is still the right man to lead Chelsea.

Steven Naismith’s hat-trick left Chelsea with just four points from five games, making it their worst start to a topflight campaign in 29 years.

The champions now trail leaders Manchester City by 11 points and Mourinho admitted: ‘The results are the worst in my career. The players are sad and frustrated. Confidence is low, we are an unhappy team.’

Chelsea have conceded 12 goals, the worst defensive record at present in the Premier League, and they conceded just three more throughout Mourinho’s titlewinni­ng campaign of 2004-05.

‘I am coping well. I am not feeling pressure. The refugees are under big pressure,’ said Mourinho.

Neverthele­ss, the heat is on although he insists that bad luck rather than poor form is conspiring against his struggling team. He said: ‘We don’t deserve this result. The biggest concern is that everything goes against us. We are making mistakes but we are punished immediatel­y. ’

And he is confident things will change. ‘I am the man for the job,’ he said. ‘I don’t think there is better man who could do my job. The title? I don’t know. It’s out of our hands.’

 ??  ?? PRESSURE: Jose Mourinho looks pensive at Goodison
Park yesterday
PRESSURE: Jose Mourinho looks pensive at Goodison Park yesterday

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