Post the article below before it gets edited to appear elsewere. Once it does appear I will give you the link:
"I really feel that I have right of reply to an article posted on the 5th Feb that headlined 'The lack of Chelsea back-up that Mourinho must account for.'
What is the writer on? Where has this writer been?
Jose Mourinho has proved that he is The Special One and I am not going to even mention TWO Premiership titles and a Carling Cup success. Why? Because I am not and don't have to. This article is all about what Jose has acheived this season and before any silverware enters the cabinet.
At the time of writing, Chelsea Football Club is still involved in FOUR competitions: Premiership, Champions League, FA Cup and there is a Carling Cup final to look forward to in a couple of weeks against London rivals, Arsenal.
Are Arsenal still involved in four competitions? Nope only three (Come Wednesday night it could be two). Are Man Utd still involved in four competitions? Nope only three.
Chelsea's season as Champions began very well. Beating Man City 3-0, followed by a surprise defeat at Middlesbrough. Then the team went on an unbeaten run of thirteen games in ALL competitions (including two matches against Barcelona) before the defeat at Tottenham in November. During this period Chelsea lost TWO goalkeepers in one game at Reading in October - Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini.
In the next nineteen games in ALL competitions Chelsea lost twice. Away to Werder Bremen in the Champions League and to Liverpool in the Premiership. Well when you lose Carvalho on the morning of the match and the team has Crouch and Kuyt to face up to without recognised central defenders - what else do you expect? You can hardly expect the returning Petr Cech to perform miracles can you?
Since the Liverpool defeat Chelsea hasn't lost and hasn't conceded a goal and Chelsea now have Captain John Terry back making his first start for two months in Saturday's victory against Middlesbrough.
There have been a lot of politics going on at Stamford Bridge, lets not deny the fact. Jose has had his hands tied - ie the selling of Gallas and Huth on the last day of the transfer season, not being able to buy through the January transfer window. Why wasn't he allowed to buy? Well you had better ask Kenyon or Mr A, or was it that Jose (The Special One) felt that he didn't need to buy anybody because he knew that he had the right players to do the 'job' for Chelsea in the difficult period they were going through.
Only Jose Mourinho would use Michael Essien at a centre-back and get away with it. Essien has been Mr Chelsea this season with his powerful and dynamic performances in midfield. Only Jose would juggle various players at the problematic right back spot and almost get away with it.
I am referring to the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham where he had Ferreira at right-back till half-time then changed Ferreira at right-back with Boulharouz and then changed Boulharouz once Tottenham went 2-1 ahead. This is the game that 'lost' the title for Chelsea should Chelsea not win it this season.
Jose has used Ferreira, Boulahrouz, Geremi and now Lassana Diarra and after brilliant recent displays Diarra could have finally solved the right-back problem.
For two months Chelsea had been without John Terry, Ashley Cole hasn't really produced his Arsenal form, The Shev hasn't scored the goals that everyone, included me, expected but you just cannot dispute the man's work rate for the team. Michael Ballack though has been the major major disappointment.
Jose called Ballack one of his 'untouchables,' untouchable by a football I think. Ballack has been a disappointment, a major disappointment. When Ballack and Sheva signed I had many dreams of that sublime through ball being fed to Sheva from Ballack and Sheva running on and scoring goal after goal. Sometimes it looks to me that Ballack doesn't even know that 'The Shev' is on the pitch.
In addition to the above list of injuries - Joe Cole hasn't played, Boulahrouz got injured at Aston Villa, Wayne Bridge has been injured, players of the reserve team have been sent out on loan who could have been used, for example Michael Mancienne a centre-half who is getting rave reviews at Q.P.R. Adrian Pettigrew another reserve centre-half is on the injury list and now Chelsea has Ashley Cole on the long-term injury list.
So to end with. Chelsea are six points behind Man Utd in the Premiership, in the final of the Carling Cup, in the 5th Round of the FA Cup and in the last 16 of the Champions League - and this has been achieved without 'back-up' players."
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