Jose Mourinho demonstrated yet again that the art of playing mind games with the opposition is still one of his greatest skills by claiming Liverpool will do all they can to get top scorer Didier Drogba booked in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge.
Drogba is a yellow card away from a suspension that will rule him out of the return leg at Anfield and Mourinho fears the worst.
Yet the Portuguese coach was not content to merely voice his concerns over Liverpool's potential treatment of his 31-goal Ivorian striker, he also hinted the Merseysiders were not as big as Chelsea because they had concentrated solely on the Champions League.
The Chelsea coach is clearly on a roll after Sunday's boast that new rules in the game prevented penalties being awarded against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Mourinho delivered that comment after the Blues' goalless draw at Newcastle left them three points adrift of United in the race for the Premiership and were clearly designed to heap pressure on officials during the climax to an enthralling season.
But Mourinho is already preparing the groundwork for two cataclysmic semi-final games against the team that he still maintains beat them at the same stage of the competition two years ago without scoring a goal.
But while he insists that 'revenge' is not on his mind, he was quick to point out that Liverpool must be favourites because of Chelsea's injuries, fatigued players and a dire disciplinary situation.
Joe Cole and Lassana Diarra, like Drogba, are just one booking away from missing the second leg and Mourinho believes Rafa Benitez's side will make the most of it - especially where Drogba is concerned.
Mourinho declared: "The fact is they don't have players on yellow cards. They had an easy group in the Champions League and had a chance to 'clean' cards.
"For example Dirk Kuyt getting a card in the last minute against PSV was because he didn't want to play in the second game to be clean for the rest of the competition.
"We have Essien suspended and a lot of players with two yellow cards and it would not surprise me if they chase Drogba for 90 minutes to try and get him suspended for the second game.
"So even on that they are on a different level than us. They have more conditions than us, but we will see who wins. Our intention is to play the game and try to win."
But, in typically ebullient fashion, the Portuguese coach went on to outline just why Liverpool are in a better situation to win the two-legged tie than his side.
He added: "Two years ago Liverpool were just playing for the Champions League and this season they are doing the same. Two years ago, before we played them, we were fighting to be champions. This season we are fighting to be champions again.
"Now we have a lot of injuries and a suspension. We can say that our opponent has been preparing for this game for a long time and we have been preparing for it since yesterday.
"Fatigue is obvious. Everybody knows that in this moment of the season, maximum power is absolutely crucial. In this moment many things are decided by that and not with quality.
"If you ask me about the favourites, Liverpool should be the favourites.
"They are favourites because in the year 2007, we have played 27 matches and Liverpool play three or four.
"Steven Gerrard didn't play the last game. Do you think Gerrard and Frank Lampard have the same conditions to compete against each other tomorrow - I don't think it will be a fair fight.
"If you are not a big club, you choose one competition and you fight in that competition and forget the others.
"Big clubs - we cannot do this. We have to go on until we can and try the maximum we can. It is a risk to try and win everything or nothing, or almost nothing because we have the Carling Cup.
"In the last three seasons in the Premiership, Chelsea have more than 60 points more than Liverpool. That's a lot. If they are a great team in knockout competitions, we have to admit that and praise them for it. They are good in knockout.
"But if you play only one competition for half of the season, then you have great conditions. Since January they have played only Champions League. So they arrive into this crucial moment of the season in a great situation."
Benitez has yet to steer Liverpool to the league title and when Mourinho was asked if he would still be in his job if he had failed to bring the Premier League crown to Stamford Bridge in the last three years, Mourinho could not resists having another sly dig.
He added: "Three years without a Premiership? I think you have to ask Mr. Buck (Chelsea chairman), but I don't think so."
Yet the Portuguese coach was not content to merely voice his concerns over Liverpool's potential treatment of his 31-goal Ivorian striker, he also hinted the Merseysiders were not as big as Chelsea because they had concentrated solely on the Champions League.
The Chelsea coach is clearly on a roll after Sunday's boast that new rules in the game prevented penalties being awarded against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Mourinho delivered that comment after the Blues' goalless draw at Newcastle left them three points adrift of United in the race for the Premiership and were clearly designed to heap pressure on officials during the climax to an enthralling season.
But Mourinho is already preparing the groundwork for two cataclysmic semi-final games against the team that he still maintains beat them at the same stage of the competition two years ago without scoring a goal.
But while he insists that 'revenge' is not on his mind, he was quick to point out that Liverpool must be favourites because of Chelsea's injuries, fatigued players and a dire disciplinary situation.
Joe Cole and Lassana Diarra, like Drogba, are just one booking away from missing the second leg and Mourinho believes Rafa Benitez's side will make the most of it - especially where Drogba is concerned.
Mourinho declared: "The fact is they don't have players on yellow cards. They had an easy group in the Champions League and had a chance to 'clean' cards.
"For example Dirk Kuyt getting a card in the last minute against PSV was because he didn't want to play in the second game to be clean for the rest of the competition.
"We have Essien suspended and a lot of players with two yellow cards and it would not surprise me if they chase Drogba for 90 minutes to try and get him suspended for the second game.
"So even on that they are on a different level than us. They have more conditions than us, but we will see who wins. Our intention is to play the game and try to win."
But, in typically ebullient fashion, the Portuguese coach went on to outline just why Liverpool are in a better situation to win the two-legged tie than his side.
He added: "Two years ago Liverpool were just playing for the Champions League and this season they are doing the same. Two years ago, before we played them, we were fighting to be champions. This season we are fighting to be champions again.
"Now we have a lot of injuries and a suspension. We can say that our opponent has been preparing for this game for a long time and we have been preparing for it since yesterday.
"Fatigue is obvious. Everybody knows that in this moment of the season, maximum power is absolutely crucial. In this moment many things are decided by that and not with quality.
"If you ask me about the favourites, Liverpool should be the favourites.
"They are favourites because in the year 2007, we have played 27 matches and Liverpool play three or four.
"Steven Gerrard didn't play the last game. Do you think Gerrard and Frank Lampard have the same conditions to compete against each other tomorrow - I don't think it will be a fair fight.
"If you are not a big club, you choose one competition and you fight in that competition and forget the others.
"Big clubs - we cannot do this. We have to go on until we can and try the maximum we can. It is a risk to try and win everything or nothing, or almost nothing because we have the Carling Cup.
"In the last three seasons in the Premiership, Chelsea have more than 60 points more than Liverpool. That's a lot. If they are a great team in knockout competitions, we have to admit that and praise them for it. They are good in knockout.
"But if you play only one competition for half of the season, then you have great conditions. Since January they have played only Champions League. So they arrive into this crucial moment of the season in a great situation."
Benitez has yet to steer Liverpool to the league title and when Mourinho was asked if he would still be in his job if he had failed to bring the Premier League crown to Stamford Bridge in the last three years, Mourinho could not resists having another sly dig.
He added: "Three years without a Premiership? I think you have to ask Mr. Buck (Chelsea chairman), but I don't think so."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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