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As Chelsea take on Manchester City today, Shaun Wright-Phillips will be hoping to add to the 18 minutes he played against his former club last season. José Mourinho believes the winger is an improved player for his year in London.
Wright-Phillips was not included in the squad for the visit to the City of Manchester Stadium last Christmas and only entered March’s return home game in the 73rd minute. Although in total he started 15 games and made 24 sub appearances last season, it was in-and-out involvement such as that against City that led people to suggest the 24 year-old would have been better off without the transfer.
His failure to score last campaign and subsequent exclusion from England’s World Cup squad gained support for the theory.
Mourinho disagrees and has explained that it’s reasonable to take a year to adjust to his methods and the top team surroundings. Wright-Phillips, having just finished his first complete Chelsea pre-season claims he’s never felt fitter. Mourinho insists the pressure cooker environment at Chelsea is pushing the player upwards.
“I think Shaun is a better player than 12 months ago because he is working with a different reality,” he says.
“It is not easy to play at this level when you are not used to this level of responsibility. You have to win every game; you have to perform every game. If you don’t perform you are out of the team because there is a good player on the bench.
“If you don’t win one day you go to the second position in the league and second is no good. If you play for Man City, I think if you stay between 5th and 12th position, it is a good season. At Chelsea a good season is to be first.
“At Chelsea we have Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole, Arjen Robben and Salomon Kalou. It is a completely different habitat and to be ready for this is not easy.”
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Looks like SWP has finally got his ar$e in gear and began to show some form for the blues. I think he and Robben will probably start today.
Wright-Phillips was not included in the squad for the visit to the City of Manchester Stadium last Christmas and only entered March’s return home game in the 73rd minute. Although in total he started 15 games and made 24 sub appearances last season, it was in-and-out involvement such as that against City that led people to suggest the 24 year-old would have been better off without the transfer.
His failure to score last campaign and subsequent exclusion from England’s World Cup squad gained support for the theory.
Mourinho disagrees and has explained that it’s reasonable to take a year to adjust to his methods and the top team surroundings. Wright-Phillips, having just finished his first complete Chelsea pre-season claims he’s never felt fitter. Mourinho insists the pressure cooker environment at Chelsea is pushing the player upwards.
“I think Shaun is a better player than 12 months ago because he is working with a different reality,” he says.
“It is not easy to play at this level when you are not used to this level of responsibility. You have to win every game; you have to perform every game. If you don’t perform you are out of the team because there is a good player on the bench.
“If you don’t win one day you go to the second position in the league and second is no good. If you play for Man City, I think if you stay between 5th and 12th position, it is a good season. At Chelsea a good season is to be first.
“At Chelsea we have Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole, Arjen Robben and Salomon Kalou. It is a completely different habitat and to be ready for this is not easy.”
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Looks like SWP has finally got his ar$e in gear and began to show some form for the blues. I think he and Robben will probably start today.
