Jose Mourinho says that he will have to be ‘cold’ with Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech since he wants the best for the team and the club.
The Portuguese is known as a manager for establishing great relationship, which have often brought the best out of them, with his players. The examples of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and Wesley Sneijder are more than enough to be a constant reminder of this fact.
Mourinho, though, is aware that he cannot have the emotions in his way with respect to Courtois and Cech. Ahead of the new Premier League season, Mourinho has a big decision to make with regard to his goalkeepers. He says that the best way to approach the situation is to become cold and avoid emotions. He said:
“It’s not easy because I don’t think any manager is happy to see one player in an uncomfortable situation, so from that that perspective it’s not easy for me. I like to see people happy. I understand that for goalkeepers who could play for any club in the world, and here one of them is going to be on the bench, it’s a difficult situation, but for Chelsea Football Club it’s a great situation.
“The best way for me to work is to think in a pragmatic way, in a cold way too. It’s to forget and hide the emotions around the situation and decide what’s best for the team and the club.
“Obviously during the season if one is definitely my first choice I will have to support and stimulate the other one. I can’t have one incredible goalkeeper on the bench for three or four months waiting for a Capital One Cup game.”
Petr Cech could be put in a similar situation to that of Carlo Cudicini in 2004. Cech’s move to Chelsea was agreed in February 2004, a few months before Mourinho’s arrival. After taking over, Mourinho made a 22-year-old Cech as his first choice ahead of the more experienced Cudicini. Thibaut Courtois, who turned 22 in May, is expected to start ahead of Cech in Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Burnley on Monday.
Chelsea are braced for offers from Real Madrid, Monaco, and Paris St Germain for Cech.
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