Chelsea

Ruud Gullit: "Jose Mourinho deserves his negative label"

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 03 May 2015

Ruud Gullit slams the style of play adopted by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, suggesting that the club are failing to entertain their supporters.

Former Chelsea star Ruud Gullit has launched an attack on Jose Mourinho, claiming that the Portuguese makes his sides play 'ugly football'.

The Blues can win the Premier League title this afternoon should they pick up victory against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

However, the debate over Chelsea's style of play continues to rumble on, with Gullit the latest to accuse the West London club of being overcautious.

"After a great, attractive first half of the season, Jose Mourinho put the handbrake on," he is quoted as saying by The Mirror. "His team is boring when, in my opinion, the players he has deserve much better. Mourinho deserves his negative label because of the calculated way he makes Chelsea play.

"I find it astonishing, because his players are capable of brilliant football, as we saw on Wednesday for a brief moment when they were losing 1-0 at Leicester and were suddenly forced to put their foot on the accelerator. You could see their hunger to attack and the joy that playing like that brought to the players. They loved it. They were sparkling.

"Then, as soon as Chelsea were winning 2-1, Mourinho wanted to bring on Kurt Zouma, the defensive midfielder, to keep everything close up. When Zouma was waiting to come on, Chelsea scored a third goal, yet still the change was made to seal the victory. Why on earth did Mourinho do that when it was clear that his players wanted to keep attacking and demolish Leicester? It is because Mourinho hasn't changed. He has forever got his hand on the handbrake."

Gullit spent three seasons at Chelsea as a player, while also taking charge of the club for two years.