Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater has leapt to the defence of Jose Mourinho by insisting that the Manchester United manager's record cannot be disputed.
The Portuguese has had to fend off criticism for a perceived bland style of play, used to carve out a goalless draw with Liverpool and 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur over the past few weeks.
Ahead of Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge this weekend, however, Drinkwater claims that the 54-year-old - a perennial title winner in his second season at a club - has the credentials to set his team out as he pleases.
"I'm a player so tend not to look to much into that," he told Omnisport. "But his history of getting results speaks for itself. He has a great record, but hopefully we'll do the job against him on Sunday.
"It's a long season, but in terms of the three points, it's a big one. They have a lot of strengths. They're a top-quality side with a lot of quality individuals and a few big, strong lads, so their presence will be difficult."
Drinkwater now plies his trade under Antonio Conte in West London, having arrived from Leicester City at the end of the transfer window, and he is happy with how things are going despite some mixed results.
"He has been great with me since I joined the club," he added. "I love the way he manages to the team, and he has made me feel part of the team pretty quickly.
"He's a top-class manager. I'm sure within himself he can deal with the pressure of managing a big club like Chelsea."
Mourinho won seven major honours across two spells with Chelsea, including a Premier League and EFL Cup double in the 2014-15 campaign.
Daniel Lewis
