JOSE MOURINHO REVISES AIMS

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said a top-six Premier
League finish may be the best his side can hope for after an
eighth defeat of the campaign against Bournemouth on
Saturday.
Substitute Glenn Murray's 82nd-minute header at Stamford
Bridge condemned Chelsea to a 1-0 loss that left them three
points above the relegation zone and 14 points adrift of the
Champions League places.
Mourinho had previously insisted that Chelsea were still
capable of breaking into the top four, but he admitted that
he might have to revise his objectives after the champions'
latest abject result.
"Before this game it was realistic to think that our quality
would take us out of this position, but maybe now we have
to think about top six," he told Sky Sports.
"I am concerned, of course. There is no chance that Chelsea
will be fighting relegation. That is not the problem. It is that
our objective is to finish top four."
Chelsea had shown an improvement in their recent outings,
notably in last weekend's 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur,
but Mourinho said that a deep-seated malaise may have
taken root with certain players.
"If you analyse matches, and especially match after match,
you can clearly identify a few players that it is difficult for
them to be consistent," he said.
"Sometimes you feel there is an evolution, but the next day
you realise there is no evolution. You realise that was an
individual moment where the player did better than he's
doing.
"To get results, you have to be consistent, and we have not
been consistent because of some individualities."
Mourinho felt that his side had been denied a "clear penalty"
when a cross from Diego Costa struck the prone Simon
Francis on the arm and also suggested that Bournemouth
had indulged in time-wasting.
"They played in a way that some call intelligent, some say is
not fair play," he said.
"They were taking time, calling for the medical department
and drinking water like it is a basketball time out."
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said his side's win was
"the biggest result in the club's history" after seeing them
haul themselves out of the relegation zone.
"I don't think we have defended too badly (this season). It's
just been individual mistakes and setbacks," said Howe,
whose side are now only two points behind Chelsea.
"But the players have come in and worked hard for the next
game and tried to improve themselves. It was really
emotional in the dressing room afterwards, so I'm so proud
of them."