Reaction: Mourinho and Souness hail the history-makers
Reaction: Mourinho and Souness hail the history-makers
Sunday, May 15, 2005 Following a closing day draw at St James’s Park, supporters warmly applauding his champions at the end, José Mourinho reflected on a wonderful season and its place in the record books. “One day it will be beaten but it’s not easy,” he said, marvelling at the final league points total. “It’s an unbelievable record. 95 is a lot of points. I think away from home it’s incredible what we did. Lost won game, drew three, consecutive away wins. At home we are unbeaten. It makes you think the season was magnificent.” “The clean sheets [25 in total] was something that gave us a big push to be champions. At the beginning when the team was not so fluid in terms of our football, the clean sheets gave a us a lot of points.” Peter Cech, don’t forget, also set a new league benchmark of more than a thousand minutes without conceding a goal. But José was keen to mention the ever-reliable Carlo Cudicini, who superbly pushed round a header from Patrick Kluivert at 1-1, but who Chelsea would like to sign a new contract, even though he is contracted till 2008. “No doubt that Petr Cech was the best keeper in the country,” he said. “No doubt. But I think Carlo is the second best. I think he played magnificent in every competition he played. “He [Carlo] knows he has our trust, he has our respect and he has the love of every supporter.
I think we have the two best keepers in the country and I can sleep well at night. “This save from the Kluivert header is the one that gave us the record.” He was referring to yet another record for Chelsea 2005 — fewest goals conceded in a league campaign. Graeme Souness played in the 1978-79 Liverpool side that conceded just 16 league goals over the season. He hadn’t realised that his opponents today had just oustripped his old team. “Did they beat the Liverpool record today?” he asked, taken aback. “Unbelievable!” Chelsea’s 15, even though spread over 38, rather than 42 matches, really is incredible. He was certain what one of the key factors in that achievement is. “It’s not just the goalkeeper and the defence,” he said. “You defend as a team. You need people in front who are going to protect the back four and I believe Makelele is the best in the business in that position.” Invited to compare the Chelsea of 2004-5 with the great teams of the past, Souness sounded a cautionary note. “They’re a very good team,” he said. “They’ve won the championship once. Statistics tell you they still have a lot to do. When you start winning it every year it’s a different ball game. The chances are for the foreseeable future that they’re going to be there or thereabouts, for as long as Mr Abramovich chooses to put his money into them. For José Mourinho, there is satisfaction with all his “magnificent” players, some consideration of the need to improve possession from the back, and a warning that, come preseason 2005-6, the history-makers will “have to remember how we became champions.” by Rick Glanvill
