English FA PremiershipMatt Scott finds the Chelsea manager in good humour as he dismisses Manchester |United's league title chances

Manchester United's relentless pursuit of his team, reports of furious disputes with Peter Kenyon and other Chelsea executives and a loss of form for his key players; these trifles do not trouble Jose Mourinho. What worries him is a force of nature from Scotland. And it is not Alex Ferguson.

"For me, pressure is bird flu; I am feeling a lot of pressure with the swan in Scotland," revealed Mourinho when asked about the Manchester United manager's attempts to turn the psychological screws on Stamford Bridge. Naturally, the reaction of his audience was dismissive.

"I am serious. You are laughing but I am serious. I am more scared of the bird flu than football. What is football compared with life? A swan with bird flu, for me, that is the drama of the last two days. I have to buy some masks and stuff.

"I am serious. Maybe for my team as well."

Apart from after matches, it was the first time Mourinho had deigned to address the press for a number of weeks and he was in good humour. There appeared to be no artifice to his mood as he sat back and responded to every question with benign candour.

This was not the spiky, sneering Chelsea manager sometimes seen before but rather an engaging and entertaining character apparently giving his time willingly.

After so many negative reports about the club in recent weeks, the Stamford Bridge public-relations team must have wished that every football fan in the world could have crammed into the room to witness the warmth of their manager.

"(The media) have already told that I want to leave or that Chelsea want me to leave or that I have a lot of problems with Peter Kenyon and with the dog and with the cat," said Mourinho.

"I (am supposed to) have problems with everybody.

"But I think it's a good opportunity to say - again - that I have a contract until 2010, and I want to be here. We are preparing the next season. I don't believe the club is preparing the next season with me if they think I'm not here the next season. I have a contract and I want to stay."

The magnifying glass behind which the Premiership champions exist has concentrated the heat in recent weeks, making United's narrowing of the margin between the two teams from 15 points to seven seem like searing pressure for Chelsea.

A defeat to Fulham, a draw at lowly Birmingham - 50 years, almost to the day, since Devon Loch's infamous Grand National collapse, it was inevitable this should be raised, but Mourinho had a Portuguese parable of his own with which to counter it.

"I tell you a story, because in Portugal there are no Devon Lochs and no horses," he smiled. "We're in the sea and we're in a boat and the boat is one mile from the beach. I jump, because I'm a good swimmer, and this fellow wants to chase me, wants to come with me to the beach.

"I go, lots of different styles, I go, he goes, he goes, he goes. I come to the beach and walk on the beach. He comes to the beach, he dies. We call it "Dying on the beach". He shouldn't chase me! He should say to the boat, 'please take me a little bit closer!' He's so enthusiastic chasing me, bah, bah, bah, bah, but has a heart attack. That's our Devon Loch."

Ferguson, who suffered from the cardiac complaint supraventricular tachycardia two years ago, should not take the allegory to heart.

Ferguson's jibes have been widely reported in recent weeks, but Mourinho shrugs.

The Portuguese refers to the Scot's attitude as "optimistic" and the statistics would support his insouciance. Six games remain and Chelsea have a significant cushion. "I think he has to be optimistic," he said.

"If not, he's not in this job for so long. I'm not in the job for so long but I think I also have reasons to be optimistic.

"Because I can win my fourth consecutive title and if United beat Arsenal, the difference can still be seven points if Chelsea beat West Ham. And the difference is United people will watch Chelsea against West Ham with a very high heartbeat and we can watch Man United against Arsenal very calm, very cool. So I am not happy with the results but a seven-point lead, I am very happy with."

It is, says Mourinho, home comforts that will ease his team to the title. "Our bad results in the last two or three months have always been away from home, never at home," he said.

"And if we win our matches at home, we are champions."

The smart money would back him. It does not feel like Mourinho's swansong yet.