I may have gone too far criticising the Chelsea support but it's only because I care so much, insists Jose Mourinho

• e-mail

He may be unbeaten this season but Jose Mourinho appeared chastened as he arrived in Slovenia where Chelsea can secure a place in the Champions League knock-out phase and attempted to explain himself to supporters upset by his stinging words.

Mourinho confessed he may have gone 'a little bit too far' by claiming Stamford Bridge was like an 'empty stadium' after Saturday's win against QPR, but he insisted it was only because he cared so much.

'Everybody knows how much I love the club,' said the Chelsea boss. 'How much I want it to improve and how much I want to be part of the club in the future. Everybody knows. Even a moment of criticism has to be analysed with different eyes, with the eyes of somebody who knows why I came back to Chelsea and why I'm here with my heart and why I want to stay for a long, long time. 

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho admits he may have gone too far criticising the Blues' support

The Blues boss, pictured at training on Tuesday insists the criticism was because he cares so much 

'I am just somebody who loves football a lot. I love my job. I am lucky to do my job in the club I like so much and feel such a connection and maybe that makes me lead the club with a different emotion.

'If I don't do it in a professional way and concentrate only on training and selection, it is because this is not, for me, just a job. It is more than that, because it's Chelsea. Maybe I go a little bit too far.

'But I see myself in the stands, watching Chelsea and I want to play, I want to help. If I'm not a player I cannot play, if I'm not a coach I cannot make decisions. If I'm just a fan what can I do to help? That's just my view.'

The Chelsea manager was perhaps also feeling tender because he was missing daughter Matilde's 18th birthday celebrations while in Maribor. 

Eden Hazard (left) and Oscar (right) scored a goal each to secure three points for Chelsea on Saturday

Jose Mourinho was unhappy with the crowd as Chelsea fought their way past QPR at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea currently lead Group G and would reach 10 points with a victory against Maribor on Wednesday

John Terry (right) and Didier Drogba applaud the Chelsea fans at the end - but Mourinho was less than happy

A single Chelsea fan before the match - but Mourinho claimed the whole match felt like the stadium was empty

WATCHING BRIEF 

Chelsea take on Maribor on Wednesday night

'I try to enjoy life but, for example, today is my daughter's 18th birthday, which is only once in her life and I am here, not with my family,' said Mourinho. 'I enjoy football and part of the enjoyment is to try always to be better.

'Part of the enjoyment is to play in the best competitions against the best opponents, coaching the best players, the best clubs, never being satisfied. If you look through coach's eyes you can always find things you can improve. Always.

'Especially when people have talent, because I don't like people to waste their talent. If you don't have talent you have live with what you have. But when you have talent – and I have talented players – they must feel there is always space to improve.' 

Mourinho will balance the idea of and resting players against Maribor - thrashed 6-0 in London two weeks ago - with the desire to win Group G quickly. His team have a lunchtime date at Liverpool on Saturday but he will be conscious of how a young Chelsea team made a meal of beating League Two Shrewsbury in the Capital One Cup.

Maribor boss Ante Simundza insisted there would be 'no fear' but it hard to imagine Chelsea failing to top Group G from this position. They will qualify for the last 16 if they win tonight(WED) and Sporting Lisbon fail to beat Schalke in Portugal.

Perhaps with Liverpool's team selection in Madrid in mind, Mourinho added: 'I like the concept of going with a big club, full of big players, to a city where normally they don't come. I think we have responsibility to play for us and also to play for the people. I know they don't want us to win but to play for the people is to play well, and show what we can do.'