at the start of the season but remains firmly behind
coach Jose Mourinho.
Diego Costa has revealed he returned to pre-season training at
Chelsea out of shape and that has contributed to his poor form
this season.
The Spain international has failed to replicate his stunning
performances of last term, managing just one Premier League
goal in 2015-16 so far - a tally not helped by his three-match
ban for lashing out at Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny at
Stamford Bridge on September 19.
Costa admits he only has himself to blame after a summer of
indulgence.
He said: "I got injured at the end of the season and then I went
on holiday.
"Maybe I got out of my diet and when I came back I was not the
way I was supposed to be. I was a little bit overweight. That
affected my game."
Chelsea's last game ended in a 3-1 home defeat by
Southampton - after which beleaguered coach Jose Mourinho
insisted the only way he would leave the club is if he was
sacked.
The club have subsequently offered their public backing to the
Portuguese and Costa insists the players also remain firmly
behind Mourinho.
He added: "You can be selfish and blame it on the manager but
I'm not going to do that. I'm responsible 100 per cent and so
are the other guys.
"We need to blame the players because we came back from
holiday very confident.
"We thought we could go back into the way that it was last
season.
"Then, by the time we actually realised the situation we were in,
the team was already in a bad position. All we can do now is
train very hard, work very hard and try to get back to where we
were last season.
"If you ask a million players who they want as their manager,
they will all come back with a top three list of Mourinho, [Pep]
Guardiola and Diego 'Cholo' Simeone.
"It was one of the reasons I joined Chelsea. You know when you
have a manager that is always successful, is always in the title
race and always playing in the Champions League.
"He is competing at the top level, he is going to help you
develop and become a better player. And help you win titles in
your career."
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