Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says that he is never nervous during a game and that he can “smell” a goal coming, and that his sense of smell can predict what is going to happen in a game.
It was the Portuguese managers two substitutions that brought the Blues their 3-1 win away to Norwich last Sunday, after they got off to a great start when Oscar put them one up after only four minutes.
Instead of trying to capitalise on the early lead looking to add goals they sat back and allowed the home side to pull level thanks to a goal from Anthony Pilkington.
Mourinho sent on Willian and Eden Hazard who both then scored goals to give Chelsea the win, but Mourinho admitted that low-cost Norwich had given the Chelsea millionaires a run for their money.
“I think that if you try to play like other people do, and you have no players for that, you are very stupid,” said the Chelsea manager.
“If you try to play like someone else does, you never reach their level. You have to try and be the best to the style of your players. That is very simple.
“When I say to (Branislav) Ivanovic: ‘Don’t make an early cross because (Didier) Drogba is not there,’ I know what I’m saying. He’d be crossing for what? Why would you want to play like another team? Don’t try to be clever because you will become stupid.”
Mourinho said that he knew when there was a point in the match that could have seen the game go either way, and it was at this point that he made his substitutions.
“During the game I am not nervous. I have feelings. I smell things, and when that easy (open) goal (from Ba) was missed, I had a smell that they would score a goal.
“We could have won or lost it at 1-1 because we, at that moment, didn’t want a point. We are trying to be top, so we tried to win it.”
With Norwich pressing for a winner Mourinho knew that he had to do something to get Chelsea back in the game.
“They come in and they change the game, the manager did very well. If they come on and make it worse, it’s a very bad decision by the manager. It is their responsibility,” the Chelsea manager said.
“We all knew that a point here would be a bad result for us, but I think the team – not just the boys who came on – coped well with the pressure.”
