Last year's Champions League semi-final defeat by Liverpool was a blessing in disguise for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and his players, who are preparing for the new season with a hunger to improve.
Mourinho led the big-spending Londoners to their first league championship for 50 years and also snagged the League Cup in his first season in charge to give owner Roman Abramovich a pleasing dividend from his massive investment.
The Portuguese coach says a repeat this season would represent another wonderful achievement but such is the standard he has set himself and his squad that nothing but European glory will truly satisfy.
"I have many players frustrated with two consecutive semi-finals," Mourinho told reporters as he referred to the back-to-back Champions League failures against Monaco and Liverpool. "I did not enjoy losing last year."
Mourinho, who won Europe's premier club competition with Porto in 2004, says his challenge is to make Chelsea a stronger club every year and he wants to do so without the major upheavals that are a regular occurrence in Spain and Italy.
With the backing of Abramovich he has the pick of the world's talent yet, despite showing an interest in much of it, his purchases have been relatively minor as he follows his belief that a "happy house" is preferable to an overcrowded one.
PLAYER MEETING
Mourinho said he sat down with his players last week on their first day of training and asked them to list the qualities that made them domestic champions.
"We came up with 16 I think. I can't remember most of them but hunger was high up and we have the hunger to improve this year," he said.
"Last Wednesday was a very good feeling. You could see players coming back from surgery in the summer who would not normally be ready to play but they were there and ready to train.
"What we did last season was incredibly good but will be difficult to repeat. Our rivals will improve because they know they have to.
"I don't believe we will again finish 37 points ahead of Liverpool, 18 above Manchester United or 12 above Arsenal.
"Tactically we must be one step ahead to try to jump to another level of quality but we must retain the things that made us champions."
CRESPO RETURN
Mourinho's only major signing has been Spanish fullback Asier del Horno. Ghana midfielder Michael Essien appears set to stay at his club Olympique Lyon for now after talks between the French champions and Chelsea on Tuesday.
Essien is keen to join Chelsea but Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas does not want to sell.
"It's difficult to resist but Michael is not for sale. We will do everything to keep him," Aulas said.
The return of Hernan Crespo and Carlton Cole after spells on loan has given the coach fresh options up front.
"I'll now have Crespo, Cole, Didier Drogba and Eidur Gudjohnsen. It is impossible to ask for more," he said.
"I have four strikers and we haven't signed any of the forwards we've been linked with. I'd rather have Crespo than any of them," said Mourinho of the Argentine who left the club for AC Milan a year ago after his family failed to settle in London.
"We have balance now and cover for just about every position and I'm cool. If another one or two come in the next month then fine, if not, still fine.
"The most important thing has been to keep my champions and when I look to the squad which played most of the games, all of them are still here."
