His record speaks for itself – Drinkwater defends Mourinho

Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater defended Jose Mourinho from critics who claim Manchester United play negative football, telling them to look at his record as a successful manager.

Ahead of Sunday's clash between Chelsea and United at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho's side sit second in the Premier League table after winning seven of their first 10 games.

However, United have received criticism for their approach to matches against other big clubs, particularly their 0-0 draw at Liverpool and the 1-0 defeat of Tottenham, secured by Anthony Martial's late strike.

On both occasions Mourinho's men were accused to employing defensive tactics, but Drinkwater believes someone of the Portuguese coach's calibre should not be second-guessed.

Speaking exclusively to Omnisport at a joint Hublot and Chelsea event at Stamford Bridge, Drinkwater said: "I'm a player so tend not to look to much into that.

"But his history of getting results speaks for itself. He has a great record, but hopefully we'll do the job against him on Sunday.

"It's a long season, but in terms of the three points, it's a big one. They have a lot of strengths.

"They're a top-quality side with a lot of quality individuals and a few big, strong lads, so their presence will be difficult."

Chelsea have endured a somewhat underwhelming start to the season and Antonio Conte has reportedly found himself under pressure and frustrated with some of his players.

Drinkwater has seen no signs of his boss cracking under the pressure, however.

"He has been great with me since I joined the club," the former United youngster said.

"I love the way he manages to the team, and he has made me feel part of the team pretty quickly.

"He's a top-class manager. I'm sure within himself he can deal with the pressure of managing a big club like Chelsea."