Chelsea assistant Steve Holland: 'We don't really do draws, the objective is to win'

Jose Mourinho took a pass on Friday's pre-match press conference as some sort of protest vehicle against the FA's ham-handed disciplinary charges, so in stepped assistant manager Steve Holland.  Holland usually only gets to do low profile cup match press conferences, so he wasted no time in getting down to business in a more important setting.

After dismissing the Spurs match as more of a once-in-a-cosmic-revolution event than anything systemic that we should be worrying about, and re-iterating the lack of protection that players like Eden Hazard receive from referees, he re-emphasized the Chelsea mission statement, leaving no doubt about the squad's intent to keep our standards high and unfailing.

"At this club we don't really do draws, the objective is to win, that's never been different. If we go to Manchester United or Manchester City and draw, it's not a fulfilling feeling.  The standard at Chelsea is always that we go into every match hoping and expecting to win. That's what makes the club what it is and why it's had the success it has down the years."

"When you've had a couple of adverse results, or results when you don't win, whether it's a draw or defeat, the mood is always different to how it is when you're winning, that's a strength of the place. Dropping points isn't accepted easily, and certainly people don't walk around laughing or joking regardless of it. It's something that if it happens we recognise it has to change and change quickly."

-Steve Holland; source: Chelsea FC

And then, grabbing his lance and shield, he mounted his trusty steed, slammed his face-guard down, kicked his heels, and rode off into battle.  Hordes of Chelsea fans followed.  They fought like warrior poets and they won their freedom Premier League title.  It was beautiful.