Jose Mourinho offers to help England

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has offered his assistance to the Football Association’s newly-established commission.

The Portuguese is willing to discuss the long-term future of the England team with FA chairman Greg Dyke and offer his opinions of England’s prospect at Brazil 2014.

He told The Sun: “If they want to speak with me I will give them my opinion.

“If you concentrate on the here and now – not on the future in three or four years’ time – on the group of players at Roy Hodgson’s disposal to play at the World Cup, then England have more than enough.

“A World Cup without England is not a World Cup. They are one of the big football countries and even if at one moment the team is not at a high level, England always have to be in a World Cup.”

Although, the 1994 World Cup, the last one England failed to reach, was, by common consensus, the best of the last 20 years. Anyone who has seen England drag their tired limbs through a succession of international tournaments, would hardly bemoan their absence.

Mourinho admitted he was happy to see England reach the finals without the indignity of qualifying via the play-offs..

“I didn’t celebrate on Tuesday by jumping up and down or drinking because that’s not in my nature but inside I was happy,” the 50-year-old added.

“Part of me was also happy my Chelsea players won’t have the pressure of the playoffs in November and can play two friendlies instead, rather than worrying about Brazil.

“England deserved to qualify and the tournament will be better for having them there.

“With the pressure of the last two matches which they had to win, they coped well.”