Defiant Jose Mourinho trusts current Chelsea players to lead resurgence

The Barclays Premier League champions are 16th in the table, with three wins and seven losses in 12 games leaving them three points clear of the relegation zone and 15 adrift of leaders Manchester City.

Mourinho, who received support from Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo on Friday, says he will not ask for a change of players in the forthcoming transfer window.

"I will not ask any change to the board for January

I am happy with my players, I trust the players," Mourinho said.

"I don't need to clean the dressing room, like I heard was written somewhere

And I don't need to ask the club to spend money in January.

"We put ourselves in a great situation being champions

We have to be again together in ourselves to put it in the right place.

"The situation is good in the squad so we really believe good things are coming for us."

Mourinho was the subject of the first managerial vote of confidence in Roman Abramovich's 12-year ownership on October 5.

The caveat of the board's support was that results must improve, but Chelsea have won twice in seven games since ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at home to Norwich.

Emenalo reiterated the club's support for Mourinho in interviews on Friday.

"Nothing that went public is something that I didn't know before," added Mourinho, who signed a new contract until June 2019 in August.

"We were champions four months ago, not four years ago or 10 years ago.

"The manager is the same, the players are basically the same too.

"Nobody gives a four-year contract four months ago if they don't trust the person.

"There is trust and there are reasons for that trust

The power is in the hands of the owner and the board.

"It's time also for us to give a positive answer, which I think we are giving, but not in the results.

"It's important for us to go to a good period, because the owner deserves, the board deserves, the supporters deserve so much.

"Even more than them I deserve, we deserve

We're working a lot and fighting together.

"I believe a good moment will arrive

Lots of matches are coming now

Four months without national teams."

Mourinho is experiencing the worst results of his trophy-laden career

He said: "When you play well and lose it's more difficult to cope with it.

"We have to try to play well and hopefully get the result we need.

"In football and in management every experience is positive, but I still prefer the experience of winning."

The season has been marred by disciplinary offences and Mourinho was absent from the loss at Stoke due to a stadium ban.

He returns to the dugout on Saturday, but declined to discuss his banishment.

Mourinho, who has a suspended one-match ban hanging over him after losing an appeal, said: "It's over, let's forget it."

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (knee) and striker Radamel Falcao (undisclosed) are nearing returns from injury, but Mourinho declined to say when the pair would be back.

On Courtois, he said: "December

Between the first and the last day of December.

"Things are going normal and the pictures that you have are not photoshop

He's training with the team in some exercises."

Source : PA

Source: PA