LONDON -- Jose Mourinho angrily dismissed the theory that "third season problems" are behind Chelsea's poor start to the season, insisting there are no deeper issues with his squad other than the need to fix results.
The Premier League champions have started their defence of the title badly, picking up just four points from their first five games this season.
This has come amid speculation of poor fitness preparations, a flat atmosphere in the club, rumours of tension within the group and talk of how Mourinho's third seasons at clubs generally involve a huge drop-off because he cannot maintain the same intensity.
The Chelsea boss, however, rejected the "third season" idea when asked about it during his prematch news conference ahead of Wednesday's Champions League opener against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, pointing to his achievements in such campaigns throughout his career.
"My third season in Porto, I didn't have a third season," he said. "In Inter, I didn't have a third season. My third season at Chelsea, the first time, I won the FA Cup and the League Cup, and I played the Champions League semifinals. The third season in Real Madrid, I won the Spanish Super Cup, lost the Copa del Rey final, and I went to the Champions League semifinals.
"These are my third seasons. So click on 'Google' instead of asking stupid questions. You spoke about the third season, and I'm telling you the question is stupid. I know the point -- it is that the question is stupid."
It was also put to Mourinho during the news conference that he has never attempted to build a dynasty at a club during his career.
"I think that's another question. I haven't done that," he replied. "This is the first time I'm going for that, and I don't have experience of it in the past. I have nothing to show to anyone. Nothing."
Asked if he was in trouble at Chelsea, the Portuguese said: "Why some managers can't be in difficult situations five, six, 10 years and I am the current champion of England? Why should I be in trouble? Why? I think that's a good question you don't know how to answer.
"The same music the fans sing every game -- 'we know what we are, champions of England.' It's not because we start so bad, and it really is so bad, that somebody can steal what we are. Nobody can steal our trophies, our history. Nobody can do that. You can try, but you can't do that. We know what we are -- champions of England."
Regarding the potential reasons as to why Chelsea are struggling at the moment, Mourinho was just as dismissive.
"It's sad that it's like that," he said. "It's so simple to accept the results are not good because that's football, because every season you have some teams who don't start well and have bad results.
"It's so easy to connect that with football, with injuries, with bad luck, with bad moments. It's so easy to do that, so it's quite sad that people go in other directions and try to find problems that don't exist.
"But our problem would be if problems are real. The only real problem we have is we don't have good results. Our lives are about getting good results but, you know. At other clubs you have to go back two, three, five, six, 10 years to remember good results. In our case you have to go back three months. Three months ago we were the best team in the country, the best manager, the players. So we're not happy, but we know what we are.
"We are not all smiles, laughing and joking. It's a basic answer. When people are not getting their success that you work for, and I promise you we work a lot for that, people are frustrated and not happy. That's basic."
Mourinho did admit that he would make changes to his team on Wednesday, but pre-empted questions about whether this was because players are now out of favour.
"I can make changes," he said. "But I know the consequences of that because if I make a couple of changes in my team, instead of you saying, 'He has a squad, he has more options, he is looking for a new dynamic, he wants to give a couple of chances to people who have been working hard,' I know what you will say.
"If I leave out [Cesar] Azpilicueta, it's because I have a problem with him. Same with [John] Terry, same with [Cesc] Fabregas. I know the consequences. But I cannot be worried about what you say or write. I have to be just worried about my team and players.
"Yes, I will make a couple of changes because I have to try a different dynamic, I have to try a couple of different faces, and to give chances to people who have not been playing but have been working hard.
"I don't have theories. I have different opinions from me, players, assistants. It's not an absolute truth: I can't say it's because of this or that. It can be because of this, this and that.
"There is one point that is fundamental in football for sure, and that is the confidence levels. Especially with people who are used to winning all the time. When you don't it's a strange feeling. Some people have more experience of that, some deal with that negative moment better than others."
Mourinho, meanwhile, said Oscar is back in the Chelsea squad after returning to fitness, but Radamel Falcao will miss out with "a little problem" picked up in training.
"[Oscar] fit, because not injured? Yes," he said. "Fit with condition top? No. But involved in the game, selected? Yes. Baba [Rahman]? Yes, also selected. Falcao? Little problem, a little problem. But nothing important."