Don’t believe Jose Mourinho when he says he doesn’t know his best XI

Jose Mourinho

It would be daft to say that a manager who has won two Champions League titles and the league in four different countries doesn’t know his best XI. It is what several people have been suggesting in the last few weeks. Strangely enough, Mourinho has himself admitted that he does not know his best XI.

Speaking to Chelsea TV, he said,

Of course, I don’t know [my best XI].

But the players have to give me the answers. I cannot dig and dig and dig looking for the best team. The players must give me the answer.

Of course, I have some doubts in some positions and I think it’s normal.

This just feels like the start of a mind game from Mourinho so as to deflect the attention from the team. He is very good at this and it will probably get some people talking about it, just as I’m doing now. A closer look, though, reveals that Mourinho has indeed a good idea of the players in his starting line-up.

Branislav Ivanovic, Eden Hazard, Ramires, John Terry, Petr Cech, and Ashley Cole have started all the five league matches.

Oscar has been missing from the starting line-up only once in five matches, while Frank Lampard and Andre Schurrle have both played in all these matches either by starting or coming on as a substitute.

Hence, Mourinho has largely stuck with the same group of players for 9 out of the 11 positions. Do you still think that he does not know his best XI?