O Don't I Just Love His Arrogance

'Gerrard is a great player and we want an English core very much,' Mourinho told The Times. 'We normally play a midfield triangle and you can imagine that Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard, with (Claude) Makelele just behind them as protection, could be a very strong team but I think it is Gerrard's loss more than Chelsea's.

'Why? Because Chelsea have good solutions; a good team with the conditions to improve and a club which will be one of the best in the world in a short period of time.

'So when he decides not to join this club, I think it will be a loss for him, for his career.

'He can say `I was European champion at Liverpool' and I have to say that is correct.

'But I can say to him in the next 10 years we will compare trophies at Chelsea and trophies at Liverpool. And he will lose.'