Jose: Don’t moan about losing Matic
MOURINHO DIG AT CONTE
JOSE MOURINHO has told Antonio Conte that Chelsea cannot blame the £40million sale of nemanja Matic to Manchester United for their problems.
Conte has described Matic as a ‘great loss’ and is understood to be unhappy over the board’s decision to sanction his move to United during a turbulent preseason at Stamford Bridge.
But Mourinho insists that Chelsea’s ability to bring in Tiemoue Bakayoko as a £40m replacement for the Serbia midfielder and bid for Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater means there can be no cause for complaint.
Asked if the uncertainty surrounding players at most of their Premier League title rivals has given United an advantage this season, Mourinho said: ‘when people say, for example, Chelsea lost an important midfield player, if you lose one but you buy Bakayoko and Drinkwater, for example, what’s the problem?
‘The problem is when you sell and you don’t buy. when you sell and you keep buying, what’s the problem? You are probably even stronger, so i think every top team in the Premier League is potentially strong enough with the financial situation to be fighting for everything.
‘They have very good teams, very good players, and i don’t see any reason for them not to be fighting for the title.’
Mourinho warned yesterday that United’s 4-0 win over west Ham on the opening weekend, in which Matic played a starring role, does not make them a ‘dream team’.
And he insisted that he still considers Chelsea to be favourites for the title despite his old club’s shock defeat at home to Burnley.
He added: ‘For me, the favourite is the champion. Always. Because for some reason they were the champions. it doesn’t mean you are going to win it. i think it is the stamp that you have when you are champion, it is that the next season you are the favourite.
‘we’re not favourites, we’re not the dream team. we’re just a team with more confidence than last season, with more time of working together. But i’m calm.’
United face Swansea into today’s lunchtime kick-off and the welsh club’s head coach Paul Clement admitted that he was shocked by Chelsea’s decision to sell Matic to their rivals.
Clement, who was assistant to former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti during Matic’s first spell at Stamford Bridge, said: ‘i was surprised Chelsea let him go. i don’t know how that deal managed to happen. it’s not too good for Chelsea and Antonio Conte has made it clear he did not want it to happen. it’s a win for United.’
Mourinho confirmed that Luke Shaw and Ashley Young will play in a Under 23 fixture against Swansea on Monday as they near a return from long-term injury.