Chelsea showed the qualities of champions at QPR, says Graeme Souness
Monday 13 April 2015 14:57, UK
Graeme Souness hailed Chelsea after their win over QPR, describing their dogged display as "the mark of champions".
Jose Mourinho's side won 1-0 at Loftus Road in the Premier League on Super Sunday, courtesy of Cesc Fabregas' 88th-minute strike but were pushed all the way by their local rivals.
It was a far from vintage Chelsea display, but Souness argued that it was their winning mentality that saw them through in the end.
"I thought it would come from a set piece because the pitch didn't allow for their quick, accurate passing when they got in the last third," he said.
They (Chelsea) just dogged it out and went challenge for challenge, effort for effort and just got across the line. That marks out champions.
"But that is the mark of champions, when you can win games without being anywhere near your best.
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"It was windy, it was bobbly but they got there and that is the sign of champions. They've got that mental attitude where they think 'we will not lose today and somewhere down the line we will get a breakthrough and win 1-0', like they did."
As for QPR, the former Liverpool midfielder believes it will be hard for manager Chris Ramsey to lift his players after a sixth home defeat on the spin.
"He'll be saying to them right now that if we play like that every game between now and the end of the season, then we'll survive - but that's a blow," added Souness.
"We're talking about a sixth game they've lost at home now back-to-back. 59 goals conceded and you look at the type of goals they've conceded and that demoralises you, that lowers the confidence throughout the team."
Souness saved his final words for the title favourites though and reinforced his point about Chelsea's champion-like qualities.
"I think for Chelsea, you would normally say that's the performance of champions when they go out and beat someone 3 or 4-0 and been fabulous from start to finish," he concluded.
"But that was the display of champions again today, in the manner that they won the game. They just dogged it out and went challenge for challenge, effort for effort and just got across the line. That marks out champions and that's what Chelsea were about today."
