Champions League, 2015: Grilled Jose Mourinho optimistic of Champions League

Mourinho was pleased to receive the support of former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who on Monday said Chelsea would be “foolish” to sack the Portuguese.

Mourinho is under pressure to turn around the champions’ faltering season following an eighth Premier League defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Chelsea face Mourinho’s former club Porto at home on Wednesday for their final Champions League Group G tie.

Mourinho signed a four-year deal until June 2019 in August and received a vote of confidence from Abramovich on October 5, but the team have so far failed to deliver on a couple of promising performances with four wins and five losses in 11 games since.

“I think I have done enough good things at the club for the owner to know the quality I have”, Mourinho said. There are no ifs.

If the club have accepted that a top four finish is beyond them at this point, then most Chelsea fans will be expecting a big effort tomorrow, as winning the Champions League for the second time in the club’s history would also secure a place in next season’s event.

“I know the wind of the results is an important wind”.

The reigning Premier League champions have been in abysmal form this term, with Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to newly-promoted Bournemouth the latest disappointing result.

“I still think Jose is the right man for the job even though a lot of people are asking when is he going to get the sack”, he told Express Sport. Yet, the manager still ensured he delivered a blunt message to Roman Abramovich just in case the owner was thinking about firing him.

“You might have eight players at a top level and three a bit down, but this season maybe it’s been the other way around and it’s more hard, but we are still the same players from last season”.

Dynamo Kiev is bidding to reach the Champions League last 16 for the first time in 16 years, but it will have to do it in an empty stadium. “There is another possibility which is to win the Champions League”.

“I think Mourinho had to leave Costa out after the incident last week but I think he’ll bring him back on Wednesday night as his job is genuinely on the line”.

Jose Mourinho will look to start his best defenders for the crunch game.

Owen, though, does not fancy Arsenal to join Premier League rivals Chelsea in the knockout stages of Europe’s premier club competition.

“Sir Alex is my friend and they are nice words”.

A feeling that is becoming all too familiar for everyone associated with the club, as Chelsea tend to have the lion share of possession but lack an ability to convert them. Our chances are higher than ever. You have the numbers, you read the numbers, you get some conclusions.