JOSE MOURINHO attempted to lift his “devastated” Chelsea players by saying a place in the Champions League final will be the perfect antidote to blowing the title.
The Chelsea manager tried to motivate his players with a stirring team-talk after they fell five points behind Manchester United, an hour after they were on course to pull level. Mourinho told his downcast men history was still within their reach, with a chance of three cup finals in a year.
Chelsea face Liverpool tomorrow in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final and Mourinho believes a place in next month’s final in Athens will help sweeten the bitter pill of almost certainly losing their Premiership crown.
Mourinho said: “I wanted them to remember where we are and what we’re doing and what we have to do. Just basic, normal things.
“They’ve still achieved a lot and have a lot they can win. They have a big chance on Tuesday to do something incredible for their careers and for this club. We won two titles in England in the previous two seasons and we tried, and keep trying, to get the Treble.
“But if we can reach another final, like we reached two already this season, if we can reach the Champions League final, be second in the Premiership and reach three finals, that will be an unbelievable feeling.”
Mourinho also continued his attack on fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he is just an ill-educated boy.
“He is not showing maturity and respect,” he added. “Maybe it is because of a difficult childhood, no education.
“That was the reason why I had to give an answer. Sir Alex Ferguson felt after that he had to protect his boy. I have no problem with the boy. For me, it is nothing.”
Chelsea will now be without Michael Ballack, who had surgery on his ankle on Friday, and Ricardo Carvalho, who limped off with a knee injury.
Carvalho’s loss was a major blow against Bolton, particularly as his replacement in the back four, Michael Essien, was at fault for Kevin Davies’ equaliser, the goal that effectively ended the Blues’ reign as champions.
Essien went to sleep at Idan Tal’s free-kick and left Davies all alone to head home.
The goal ended a 35-minute spell when Chelsea fans believed the title race was swinging their way. United were losing at Everton and had the games stayed the same way, the title rivals would be level on points this morning.
But United’s amazing comeback and Bolton’s soft equaliser means the gap is five points and Mourinho said: “I saw the scores going up but when you see a result during a game you imagine it can be turned around in the space of 10 minutes. Of course I preferred it when I looked up there and saw that they were losing. But I never thought it was done.”
Chelsea’s day began badly when they fell behind in the 19th minute, failing to defend Andranik Teymourian’s free-kick for Lubomir Michalik to smack a loose ball home.
Within three minutes Chelsea were level, thanks to Salomon Kalou’s diving header from a pinpoint cross by Wayne Bridge, and the Ivory Coast striker saw another header headed against the bar by Tal, before the ball hit Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskalainen’s leg for an unfortunate own-goal. Chelsea tails were up, but only until the Davies equaliser on 54 minutes.
Bolton assistant manager Sammy Lee said: “We all know what our game plan is and, more often than not, we get what we want out of the game.”
All the same, Mourinho must think he blew it by making six changes from the team that beat Liverpool in midweek. The Anfield return has now taken on even greater importance.
CHELSEA 2 BOLTON 2
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 7; Geremi 6, Carvalho 7 (Lampard 29, 6), Terry 7, Bridge 8; Diarra 5 (J Cole 60, 7), Mikel 6, Essien 6; Wright-Phillips 5, Kalou 7, Shevchenko 4 (Drogba 46, 7). Goals: Kalou 22, Jaaskelainen 34 og.
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