Chelsea answered ‘stupid’ critics, says Mourinho

Jose Mourinho said Chelsea’s players answered their critics with their performance at Stoke.

The holders went out of the Capital One Cup after losing on penalties, having drawn the game 1-1 after Loic Remy had equalised for them in the final minute of normal time.

With the Blues having made a miserable – and controversial – start to the season, there has been .’

speculation that Mourinho could lose his job as manager, while his players have come in for criticism.

But he insisted they deserved praise for their display at the Britannia Stadium, where Jack Butland saved Eden Hazard’s penalty to clinch Stoke’s place in the quarter-finals.

Mourinho declared: “What the players did tonight was face some people that write and speak, and said: “You are stupid’.”

He added: “A few months ago I won a few matches and I was champion. People were saying there are things more important than results.

“Now people are saying results are the most important thing. It’s a contradiction.”

The result means Chelsea, who face Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday, have won only one of their last seven matches.

Mourinho admitted another defeat was desperately disappointing but believes they can take plenty of encouragement from the game.

He said: “It’s difficult. It’s more difficult when you play bad and lose than when you play well and lose. We go with sadness, but also with a positive feeling.

“The team played so well. They kept going after the Stoke goal and when we scored our goal it was no more than we deserved.”