Master Tactician! Jose Mourinho In Mind Games Play With Conte Ahead Of Crunch Tie

Jose Mourinho has ramped up the temperatures ahe

ad of Manchester United’s FA Cup visit to Chelsea on Monday by claiming the Blues’ lack of European football has worked to their advantage this season compared to their rivals.

Mourinho, no stranger to mixing things up ahead of key games, stated however that he was not trying to deflect credit away from Chelsea boss Antonio Conte who’s masterminded a 10-point Premier League lead for Chelsea.

Conte has revived the Blues after a disastrous title defence led by Mourinho last season, but the United manager – whose side is still competing in the Europa League as well as the Premier League and the FA Cup – is adamant the schedule was working in Chelsea’s favour, Goal
writes.

“The most difficult thing to have is the time to work [on the training pitch] and they have time to work,” Mourinho said.

“I know that he [Conte] said a couple of weeks ago that it’s not his fault that they are not in the European competitions – it’s my fault and the players’ fault.

“But the reality is that he got a situation in his hands where they have time to work, time to rest, time to relax, time to disconnect, time to travel, time to have holidays, time to go and enjoy America for a couple of days, they have time for all of these things, so they are in a position of privilege, the same privilege that Liverpool had a couple of years ago when they almost won the Premier League.

“But I don’t want to say that they don’t deserve credit for it. I know what I did at Chelsea but I am the kind of guy that when I move I have no regrets and I am not looking for bad feelings at all.”

The Portuguese tactician, who has bad memories of his last visit to Stamford Bridge following a 4-0 drubbing, says that the game held no special significance for him.

“It’s just another game for me. Am I sadder to lose against Chelsea than against another team? No. Am I happier to win against Chelsea than another team? No.

“So for me it’s just a game that comes in the wrong moment for us, because the Europa League is a competition that can give us a Champions League spot, and the FA Cup does not.

So the Europa League is more important than the FA Cup for us.”