Chelsea vs Norwich: 'I have no right to ask for signings', says Jose Mourinho ahead of January transfer window

Chelsea manager shares responsibility for poor start with his players and admits he does not deserve any January arrivals

Jose Mourinho leaves a press conference at Cobham on 20 November (Reuters)

Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, said yesterday that his side’s poor form had cost him the right to demand that the club spend money on new players in January.

The champions have taken just 11 points from their 12 Premier League games so far and go into today’s match at home to Norwich City one place and one point behind Alex Neil’s promoted side. It is, by any measure, one of the most dramatic collapses in modern football history.

Mourinho retains the backing of the club, with director of football Michael Emenalo confirming in an interview this week that board still “trusts a manager who has delivered this much”. But the Portuguese conceded at his press conference yesterday that, while he is always looking for players, and not ruling out moves, he was now in no position to take a list of demands to Emenalo and owner Roman Abramovich when the transfer window re-opens.

“I will not ask for any changes, I will not ask the board in January,” Mourinho said. “I’m not saying I won’t sign anyone. I’m saying I won’t ask the club to do that. I don’t have the right to do it, in my opinion. I’d be more than happy with the squad I have now.”

Mourinho explained, when asked why he said he had “no right” to demand signings, that it was for him and his players to rescue a situation they had created.

“Because our performance during the Premier League season is not good enough,” he said. “If I ask for players, or if the club gives me a handful of players, it is like taking a bit the responsibility away from us, and saying we need extra to reach our objectives.”

Having been trusted by the club so far to rescue the situation, Mourinho said he wanted himself and his players to continue feeling obliged to find a solution to their unexpected plight.

“I want the responsibility in my hands, the players to have the responsibility in their hands,” he said. “I want the players to feel I trust them and don’t need other players to reach the objectives. So, I think, we should go together, me and the players.”

Mourinho is keenly aware of the fact that this is largely the same Chelsea squad that won the Capital One Cup and Premier League title earlier his year, but draws strength from the fact that they are still trusted, despite this season’s disastrous run of results.

“We were champions four months ago, not four years ago, or 10 years ago,” he said. “The manager is the same. The players are basically the same too. Nobody gives a four-year contract four months ago if they don’t trust the person. Nobody gives new contracts to players, like we did to so many of them in the last couple of months, if we don’t trust the players. There is trust. I think it is time for us to give a positive answer.”

Mourinho, though, did admit that he “always looks at players”, and that he would not be averse to the club presenting him with a big name if they could find one.

“We believe in ourselves, we trust ourselves,” he said. “I would be more than happy to go with this group to the end. I always look at players but, in the last week, if every name connected to us was true we’d have to build a new training centre because there are already 126.”

Having been banned from the Britannia Stadium for Chelsea’s last game, a 1-0 defeat by Stoke City two weeks ago, Mourinho will be back managing the team this afternoon, and is hoping that an upturn in performances leads to what would be Chelsea’s first league win in four matches.

“I finished the Stoke game sad for the players and the situation, but not disappointed with the performance,” Mourinho said. “Immediately I had positive feedback with the players.”

The manager has been reunited with the players who have been away on international duty, and Mourinho had a curt response to Spain coach Vicente del Bosque’s remark that striker Diego Costa should “smooth out” his behaviour.

“Now they are my players for four months and I hope the national team managers show me the same respect I show them,” Mourinho said. “The best way is not to speak about my players.”