London (AFP) - Chelsea manager
Jose Mourinho declared that he would "sleep well" despite seeing his
team's wretched season continue with a penalty shootout loss to Stoke City in
the League Cup.
Eden
Hazard, symbol of Chelsea's early-season woes, was the fall guy in
Tuesday's fourth-round tie at the Britannia Stadium.
Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland saved
the Belgian winger's spot-kick to give the hosts a 5-4 shootout win after the
game had finished 1-1 following extra time.
With Chelsea 15th in the Premier League and out of the
League Cup, both of which they won last season, Mourinho faces mounting speculation
that he could be sacked, but ahead of Saturday's home game with Liverpool, he said
that he was feeling calm.
"I have a day off tomorrow, a fantastic family, I can
sleep well every night," said Mourinho, whose side have already succumbed
to eight defeats in all competitions, including the Community Shield.
"I'm going to enjoy my day and Thursday, it will be one
more day like I have had in the last 15 years of my life -- honest and dedicated."
Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard shoots from the penalty spot
before Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butlan …
Chelsea's hierarchy gave Mourinho a public vote of
confidence following the recent home 3-1 defeat bySouthampton, but
he said that he did not need more reassurances about his position.
"I don't need it. I don't need more," he told his
post-match press conference.
He also hit out at newspaper reports that he has lost the
support of his players.
"Honestly, do you think they are not with me? That they
didn't give everything to win the game?" he said.
"That is really sad -- not sad for me, but sad for the
players -- and I think it is a lack of respect to the players, not to me
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (L) watches his players during
their League Cup fourth round match aga …
"For me it would be a fantastic situation if the
players are against me. I could say we don't have results because the players
are against me."
- 'You are stupid' -
Mourinho made only three changes to the team that had lost
2-1 in a stormy game at West Ham Unitedon
Saturday, which left him facing a Football Association misconduct charge after
being sent to the stands at half-time.
He was also recently fined £50,000 ($76,560, 69,370 euros)
and given a suspended one-game stadium ban by the FA -- which he has appealed
against -- for criticising the referee after the loss to Southampton.
Chelsea made a bright start, but lost striker Diego Costa to
a rib injury in the 33rd minute following an earlier collision with Butland.
Mourinho revealed afterwards that the Brazil-born Spain
striker had been taken to hospital.
Stoke went ahead in the 52nd minute when Jon Walters slammed
a shot in off the underside of the crossbar from the edge of the box.
But Chelsea refused to accept defeat and equalised in the
91st minute when Loic Remy,
Costa's replacement, fired home from close range after Kurt Zouma had
flicked on Willian's
left-wing corner.
Stoke lost Phil Bardsley to
a second yellow card moments later, but although Chelsea failed to make their
numerical advantage count in extra time, Mourinho felt that his players had
sent a message to their critics.
"What the players did tonight (Tuesday) is face some
people that write and speak, and said: 'You are stupid'," he said.
"What some people write and say is really bad for the players.
Maybe they think my players are like them when they were players. My players
don't do that. They tried everything."
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