Mourinho upbeat over pre-season work ethic

BEVERLY HILLS, California: Coach Jose Mourinho believes FA Cup holders Chelsea is in much better shape preparing for next season than it was this time last year.

The London club is on its fourth consecutive pre-season tour to the United States, and Mourinho is delighted he has a squad close to full strength with a strong work ethic.

"Last year was a disaster because we started the season with half of the team," Mourinho told a news conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday after introducing new signing, Israel defender Tal Ben Haim.

"And after that, every two to three days, some players arrived depending on their (national) team's performance at the World Cup.

"We had players who were out in last 16, out in the quarterfinals and then finally the Portuguese and the French guys because they had reached the semifinal stage. It was a complete disaster.

"This season we are starting with everybody. Only Pizarro is not here and Ballack with injury."

Striker Claudio Pizarro, who recently moved to Chelsea from Bayern Munich on a free transfer, has been given extra time off after playing in the Copa America for Peru.

German midfielder Michael Ballack is out of action with an unspecified foot injury.

Working hard

"Everybody here is working very hard," added Mourinho, who has landed five major trophies in three seasons at Stamford Bridge: two league titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup.

"The motivation is there. Everyone is training like they play, almost, with their attitude, intensity, concentration and strength. The training is becoming very real."

Although Chelsea suffered a spate of injuries last season before losing its Premier League title to Manchester United, Mourinho said he preferred not to use that as an excuse.

"I think it had an influence at the beginning of the season when we played the Charity Shield and we were not ready," he said.

"We couldn't play a game against Liverpool, especially because Liverpool at that time was already playing a Champions League qualifier and they had been training for two months.

"To be fair, I don't think the injuries had a relation on the season because all of them were traumatic, not the kind of injury that sometimes happens, like muscular injuries, tendon injuries.

"I think it was a lot of bad luck that some of the boys had last season and I don't want to use it an excuse."

Chelsea play its first pre-season match against Mexico's Club America in the Disney Friendship Cup in Stanford, California on Saturday.

The London club will then return to Los Angeles for the World Series of Football where it will take on the Suwon Bluewings on July 17 and the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 21.

Agencies

(China Daily 07/13/2007 page23)