Mourinho’s men take on Stoke tonight as they look to re-open their gap at the top of the table to three points.
Chelsea have been impressive domestically and are still favourites to clinch the title in May.
And Mourinho has revealed that happiness at the club has to be sacrificed in order to achieve success: “I’m very club, club, team, team, club, group [orientated].
“I think everybody has to be ready to sacrifice for the team, to give everything for the team, to think about the team, not to be selfish. This is the way I want a team to be.
“I think it is right when you say that players are unhappy or players are frustrated, that they need to be patient. I don’t have a secret to keep players happy.
“But the reality is that, to be professional and work at a high level, you don’t need to be happy. All of them are professionals.
“The team is more important than themselves, and the club [is].
“Even the ones not playing like [Mark] Schwarzer, who hasn’t played a second, but if he has to play tomorrow he would be ready. Why? Because he is very professional and he trains very well.
“We don’t have a secret to keep them happy because we don’t keep them happy.
“We may have a secret to make them work every day at a high level.”
Veteran keeper Petr Cech could be left unhappy if Courtois, recently back to full fitness, is chosen to face Stoke and Mourinho maintains that his tough approach is important to the side’s development.
“I put the team up. It’s my decision and the players may not be happy with the decision, or not agree with the decision, but they know my decision is not to favour somebody or to punish somebody.
“It’s what I think is best for the team at a certain moment. This is the way I do it.
“It’s one of the first things I say to every squad at the beginning of the season: I don’t give explanations to players unless they ask me for one.
“If somebody come to me and ask me to explain, obviously [no problem]. But, by principle, I don’t explain things.
“I have to see if Courtois is 99 per cent or 100 per cent. If he’s 99 per cent he doesn’t play for sure.
“I have to make life easy for me. If I explain to one, I have to give them all explanations. In Christmas, I’d spend all the time giving explanations.”
By Phil Wellbrook
