Jose Mourinho bemoans continued absence of killer instinct in his Chelsea ranks

 
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Sam Johnston26 December 2013

Jose Mourinho bemoaned his side’s failure to kill off their opposition as Chelsea held on for an edgy 1-0 victory over Swansea at Stamford Bridge.

Eden Hazard’s first-half goal proved enough to secure the points for the Blues as Samuel Eto’o missed a handful of opportunities to put the tie beyond the Swans on Boxing Day.

Despite the victory, Mourinho was frustrated at how difficult his team continue to make things for themselves.

Mourinho told Sky Sports: "It is almost the same story as we had in previous matches - lots of chances, their goalkeeper did very well.

"We could not kill the game again. When you do not kill the game, you are always feeling the pressure.

"It is a game that if you score the second goal, the picture is completely different and you enjoy the game.

"If you do not score, the team is under pressure when the time goes on and on and you change your mind a little bit instead of going for the second goal."

Chelsea host Liverpool in Sunday’s top of the table clash and will have to take on Brendan Rodgers’ men without Ramires, as the Brazilian incurred a one match ban for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

The Chelsea manager refused to lay any blame on Ramires and insisted his side would find a way to succeed without the Brazilian.

Mourinho admitted that the yellow card “is obviously a problem for us but it is not a time to cry.”

He continued: “Ramires’s yellow card was for the team. I will think of a solution without him for the game against Liverpool.

"It is a time to forget. It means he will have a rest and will be back in a strong condition to play on 1st January."

Mourinho also praised the performances of returning stars Ashley Cole and David Luiz. The duo, who have found themselves on the bench more often than not in recent times, contributed to a solid defensive display.

He said: “Ashley Cole and David Luiz did well. I had no problems to make the changes. The level of the team was the same.”

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