‘I trust the players’ – Jose Mourinho insists Chelsea do not need to launch January spending spree
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho insists he will not look to buy his way out of trouble in January.
The Blues have endured a disastrous start to the Premier League season, with seven losses in their opening 12 matches leaving them just three points clear of the relegation zone and 15 adrift of leaders Manchester City.
But Mourinho trusts his current squad to reverse their slump in form and sees no reason to make major additions when the transfer window re-opens.
"I will not ask any change to the board for January. I am happy with my players, I trust the players," Mourinho said.
"I don't need to clean the dressing room, like I heard was written somewhere. And I don't need to ask the club to spend money in January.
"We put ourselves in a great situation being champions. We have to be again together in ourselves to put it in the right place.
"The situation is good in the squad so we really believe good things are coming for us."
The caveat of the board's support was that results must improve, but Chelsea have won twice in seven games since ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at home to Norwich.
Sporting director Michal Emenalo reiterated the club's support for Mourinho in interviews on Friday.
"Nothing that went public is something that I didn't know before," added Mourinho, who signed a new contract until June 2019 in August.
"We were champions four months ago, not four years ago or 10 years ago.
"The manager is the same, the players are basically the same too. "Nobody gives a four-year contract four months ago if they don't trust the person.
"There is trust and there are reasons for that trust. The power is in the hands of the owner and the board.
"It's time also for us to give a positive answer, which I think we are giving, but not in the results.
"It's important for us to go to a good period, because the owner deserves, the board deserves, the supporters deserve so much. Even more than them I deserve, we deserve. We're working a lot and fighting together.
"I believe a good moment will arrive. Lots of matches are coming now. Four months without national teams."
Mourinho is experiencing the worst results of his trophy-laden career.
He said: "When you play well and lose it's more difficult to cope with it. We have to try to play well and hopefully get the result we need.
"In football and in management every experience is positive, but I still prefer the experience of winning."
The season has been marred by disciplinary offences and Mourinho was absent from the loss at Stoke due to a stadium ban.
He returns to the dugout on Saturday, but declined to discuss his banishment.
Mourinho, who has a suspended one-match ban hanging over him after losing an appeal, said: "It's over, let's forget it."