Chelsea manager cracked a smile on a
torturous evening at Goodison Park when reminded that his Chelsea "homecoming"
was portrayed as the magic wand for past grievances and future happiness at
Stamford Bridge. His response, in keeping with the Chelsea performance, was to
shatter the illusion it can be 2004 all over again.
Nine years ago his first Chelsea reign began
with a relentlessness that would deliver the club's first league title in 50
years by the season's end. Four points were dropped in the opening eight games,
a measly seven from the first 39 available, with defeat only arriving in
mid-October at Manchester City. Five have been dropped so far this term, after Steven
Naismith's header gave Roberto Martínez his first Premier League win as Everton
manager but statistics
alone do not illustrate Chelsea's vulnerability. So do the range of striking
options available to their manager.
"We are not unbeatable," said
Mourinho in reply to the pre-season expectations his return inflated at
Chelsea. "This is a different profile [to 2004]. This is a different team.
I came here to work – I won't say peacefully because I am the first one that
does not like to work peacefully – but to work with time, to develop the
players and play the best they and we can.
"We have to be
effective, be adult and not be naive. That is what we have to work on. We have to
transform the beautiful football we played into goals."
Beautiful football
was stretching it. Everton should
have devised their own downfall in the first half, only for several glaring
Chelsea misses, from debutant Samuel Eto'o and
André Schürrle in particular, and the luxury of a 45th-minute lead to provide
for a gradual but impressive improvement. Anchored by their own debutant, the
outstanding Gareth Barry, and tireless displays from Naismith, Leon Osman,
Kevin Mirallas, plus a resolute defence, Everton's composure and discipline
grew in tandem with the noise levels at Goodison.Chelsea provided a contrast.
In control for an hour and aggrieved Oscar was refused a penalty by referee
Howard Webb, the visitors became increasingly ragged and assisted the Everton cause
with hopeful crosses towards the tiring Eto'o. Mourinho's decision to replace
Juan Mata with Oscar after 57 minutes did not have the desired effect either.
Chelsea's bench would be the envy of most, with no room for new £30m signing
Willian, but in terms of changing style and competing with Everton's central
defence for physicality, choices were limited.
"This what we
have and I am happy with that," insisted Mourinho. "I am happy to
work the team in that direction and it is good to see some moments and movement
we had in the game. There were some fast combinations and it was very nice but
it is also very nice when the ball touches the net."
Mourinho did possess a powerful
alternative until recently – Romelu Lukaku – but the vagaries of modern
football meant the Belgium forward paraded in an Everton shirt before kick-off,
having joined on loan on deadline day, with Chelsea fans joining the applause.
"It is not our squad, it is not our profile, it is not the way we are
going to play. No chance," he added. "Drogba? He plays for
Galatasaray. Drogba made his history here and Drogba is gone. Now there is no
Drogba. We have a different profile of player and have to play according to the
qualities of these players. They [Lukaku and Drogba]
