Steve Holland (Chelsea's first team coach assistant) : About Match againts Newcastle United

‘The second half was better than the first half,’ acknowledged Holland. ‘Our performance level has been very good and consistent this year. In the first half we dropped below that, Jose was very clear to the players at half-time with what they needed to do, and the performance in the second half was more like the Chelsea we’re used to seeing week in, week out. In the end it was a fairly comfortable win, which didn’t look like it would be the case at half-time.
‘The second goal in particular was very typical of our play around the penalty area. Oscar deserves credit for scoring the first goal and assisting the second, two big impacts on the game.
‘It’s very difficult to hit the levels people expect every week, particularly in this country because we play so many matches, especially at this time of year. The players have had a real battering over Christmas and to reach the level everybody wants to see week in, week out is almost impossible.’

About Mourinho said to the players at the break :
‘He’s a highly experienced manager who knows what to say and when to say it. He wanted the team to play further up the pitch, press further up the pitch, to be mentally more aggressive and assertive with and without the ball. He wanted us to play at a quicker tempo and sustain attacks in their half.’

About Kurt Zouma, who made his first Premier League start :
‘The club gets a lot of stick for not giving young players a go, Kurt Zouma is 20 and that wasn’t his first performance of the season but he was immaculate today. We all have belief in him but ultimately Jose, as the leader and manager, has to make the decisions, and he showed great faith in him today by starting him. That faith was repaid, I thought he was immaculate and I can’t think of one thing he did wrong.’

About Cech, Courtois & Cahill :
‘Thibaut had an injury to his finger which he sustained in the Tottenham game; he could have played but he had some pain. We’re so fortunate to have two goalkeepers at the highest level and it was an easy decision to make in the end, why take the risk?
‘We play for nine months, we look like we might play 60 matches, we’ve just come out of a Christmas period where Gary played in every game and we have faith in all of the players in our squad. That faith was repaid today."

chelseafc.com