Babayaro: Mourinho is Chelsea's talisman

14 April 2012

After eight years at Chelsea, Celestine Babayaro left just as things were getting interesting. The Nigerian left-back won the odd trinket during his time at the club, an FA Cup winner's medal here and a European Super Cup trophy there, but his former team-mates are preparing to collect silverware with all the zeal of some rather manic magpies - and he's stuck in Newcastle!

For all the spending power of Roman Abramovich and the great players he has brought to the club, Babayaro believes that Chelsea's transformation from also-rans to runaway leaders is largely down to one man: Jose Mourinho.

Babayaro, who is hopeful of playing against his old side in the FA Cup on Sunday despite limping out of the win over Heerenveen last night, also played for Gianluca Vialli and Claudio Ranieri after Ruud Gullit signed him from Anderlecht as a timid teenager. But in just six months with Mourinho his horizons were lifted.

Babayaro, 26, said: "Mourinho's great strengths are confidence and organisation. He knows exactly what he is doing. He came into Chelsea and changed everything. Some people say he's arrogant but I just think he has confidence in everything he does. He's instilled that into the boys and they really believe in themselves, which is a big change for Chelsea.

"Last season we went into games thinking it was going to be hard and we might get a draw, but this year they expect to get three points from every game. No one even thinks about the possibility of losing. Mourinho's-approach to the game is so professional, the most thorough manager I've worked with. We used to watch videos before every game, but Mourinho made us watch the same video three times.

"A couple of days before the game he puts down notes on each player's peg of who you're playing against so that everyone knows their job.

There's this incredible feeling of togetherness and belief that they're going to succeed."

Such has been Mourinho's impact that Chelsea are fighting on four fronts and on course for an unprecedented quadruple, with Babayaro's Newcastle the next obstacle.

The next week is arguably the biggest in the club's history, with the Champions League clash with Barcelona sandwiched between the Carling Cup Final and Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie at St James' Park.

The trip to Newcastle seems almost mundane by comparison with Chelsea's other forthcoming ventures, not that it will dim Mourinho's hunger to succeed.

Babayaro is convinced they have the ability to win four trophies, but is determined to deprive them of the FA Cup. He said: "Chelsea are nine points clear in the league and still in every cup competition, so you have to say the quadruple is possible. But let's see what happens on Sunday before we talk about four. It's our job to knock them out of the Cup, though I'd be happy if they win the rest.

"The whole of Newcastle is looking forward to the game and we're really up for it. Chelsea are flying at the moment but no team is unbeatable and anything can happen in football. When I was at Chelsea we went up to Manchester City and lost, which gives us a bit of hope. "They'll be without two key players in John Terry and Arjen Robben so you never know. We're just going to go out there and do what we can, as the FA Cup is our best chance of winning a trophy this season."

Newcastle haven't looked like winning an argument, never mind a trophy in recent years.

With rumours of dressing-room cliques, the atmosphere could not be more different from the unity of Stamford Bridge, though Babayaro insists relations remain cordial.

Within weeks of his arrival in the northern hotbed he had to witness the unedifying spectacle of a public slanging match between Graeme Souness and Craig Bellamy, but he believes the manager was correct to get rid of his most talented player.

Babayaro said: "Newcastle were struggling before I arrived, but we've not lost in the five games I've played. Things are not that bad and the crowds are tremendous.

"They're very demanding but when they support they support with their whole heart. You can feel the passion around the whole ground and they've got more supporters than Chelsea.

"I walked straight into the Bellamy situation but tried to stay out of it. The problem between the manager and the player was already there and he had to do something.

"I'm a Geordie now and, though I still have sympathy for Chelsea, if I can play I will be doing my best for Newcastle. I took a knock on my knee and was disappointed to come off against Heerenveen but the doctor said it's just a knock so hopefully I will be fit for such a big game."

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Babayaro: Mourinho is Chelsea's talisman

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