Jose: Premier League poorer since I left

The Portuguese chief spent three highly successful seasons at Stamford Bridge, winning two Premier League titles, two Carling Cups and the FA Cup with the Blues.

But the west London outfit are already onto their third new coach since Mourinho's departure in September 2007, with Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari trying, and failing, to bring some silverware back to the club, while temporary boss Guus Hiddink has been in charge for just five matches, winning all of them.

And the outspoken Inter boss believes that, since he left England, no team has even come close to creating a team to rival Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering Manchester United side, who won both the Premier League and Champions League last season and remain on course for an historic quintuple in 2009.

“Yes, Manchester United are the best in England but you have to ask how good has the Premier League been since I left?” he told the News of the World.  

“United have won it with ease since I have gone because no manager has put together a team that can rival them.

“They have a great squad but are their players really that much better than Chelsea’s or Liverpool’s? I don’t think so. So something else must be the problem and somebody has to take responsibility for that.

“Chelsea have had no stability. Arsenal are nowhere and Liverpool threatened but I don’t think anybody really thought they were ever going to win it.

“I would not allow a team of mine to be so far behind. It is embarrassing in early March.”

Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.