Jody Morris has insisted he retains the “utmost respect” for Jose Mourinho despite previously poking fun at the Tottenham boss on social media.
Morris posted a video of himself jokingly pretending to cry on Instagram in November after Mourinho said he was “still worried” about Chelsea’s chances this term.
Mourinho had revealed his fears for new boss Frank Lampard’s youthful squad, with the club having been unable to recruit in the summer due to their FIFA transfer ban.
Morris hit back on social media, but has now moved to defend his post as a light-hearted reaction that does not detract from the high regard in which he holds Mourinho.
“A lot of people misread my laughing at Jose’s comments,” said Morris.
“Listen, I’ve got nothing but the utmost respect for Jose.
“He’s an absolute legend and one of the best managers in the game.
“I personally was just laughing at the fact that he was worried whether we would be winning that much.
“I don’t think he’s that bothered whether we’re winning that much. And neither should he be, as a pundit.”
Chelsea’s assistant coach Morris insisted he took no greater delight in the Blues’ 2-0 win at Tottenham last month given Mourinho’s role as Spurs manager.
Mourinho was out of a job when acting as a pundit for Sky Sports and making the comments about Chelsea that led to Morris’ social media post.
But the former Chelsea manager endured an afternoon to forget against Lampard and Morris’ Blues, who stole a tactical march with a formation switch that led to the win on December 22.
“It’s always nice beating Spurs and Arsenal anyway,” said Morris.
“To come out on top against Spurs And Arsenal is good, but you’ve got to go out and carry on this form and continue the momentum.
“And that’s the most important thing about the games coming up, it’s not just about going and beating Arsenal and Spurs.
“The manger was quick to remind the players we need to get more points on the board and be more consistent.
“To get to where we want to be we’ve got to be more consistent.”
