It's been a difficult start to the season for Chelsea, who have yet to get out of first gear, but it appears that the Happy One is still happy, following Chelsea's opening Champions League fixture.
Jose Mourinho's men recorded a 4-0 victory as they eased past Maccabi Tel Aviv, and not even an opening 10 minute penalty miss from last season's Player of the Year, Eden Hazard, could dampen the spirits of getting back to winning ways.
Speaking of the penalty, Mourinho told Chelsea's club website that it acted as "a big test for [the team]" and that "it was good [they] had a negative episode" as "the reaction was very good."
Did it mean more than just three points?
With the shock start to the season for the defending Premier League champions, the victory could be seen as crucial, and fans will hope it kick starts the season in general.
With Arsenal looming at the weekend, Mourinho admitted the momentum and importance of the victory could be worth more than the points themselves, saying that he "can imagine how difficult it would be for [the team] to wake up tomorrow after a defeat," which makes the win "very important."
However, the Special One did not neglect the importance of the victory itself in terms of Chelsea's hunt for Champions League success this season, adding that the points, "plus FC Porto’s draw with Dynamo Kiev," puts them in "a good situation".
Chelsea will be hoping to push further in the competition than last season, so the bright start will please the fans.
Appreciative of his fans
The Chelsea faithful made their feelings clear towards Mourinho throughout the game, singing his name every opportunity they got, clearly showcasing their love and admiration to the Special One.
It is rare that Mourinho would turn down a compliment or plaudits, but in this case he remained dignified, saying that, whilst he is "not waiting for that kind of support, obviously it’s welcome."
Given the negative way that the media has portrayed Chelsea and it's manager during this tough spell, the Portuguese international was pleased to hear the fans were behind him too, believing that it shows "they don’t read papers or they don’t have short memories."
But it wasn't just the boss that the Chelsea fans sung for, they gave great praise to several players, and the club in general and there was one individual who stood out to Mourinho.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek received praised from his boss following the European tie, having impressed since been given an opportunity with the first team. The Portuguese manager said that he was pleased to see him make the most of his minutes, admitting that "he played very well, which is very good for [the team]."
Mourinho continued, describing the youngster as "potentially a very good player" and discussing the importance of "feed[ing] these young players and [choosing] the right moment" to give them chances.
Looking Forward
With Chelsea's next game coming in the form of a local derby against title challengers Arsenal, the manager will be hoping for more of the same from his squad, as they face one of their biggest tests of the season.
But Mourinho insisted he was not even thinking about Arsenal just yet, as his entire attention had been on getting through this fixture, concluding with; "I will start thinking about it tomorrow. Everything was on Maccabi" - and it seems as if that paid dividends.