Chelsea 4-1 West Ham: The Daily Mirror match report

He wasn't even there but everyone at ­Stamford Bridge was talking about him.

That, no doubt, is how Jose Mourinho likes it, how he wants to get into the heads of the Chelsea players and fans alike.

Carlo Ancelotti knows he has to lay the ghost of the Special One before his side can get round to the serious business of conquering Inter Milan in their Champions League ­showdown tomorrow night.

But he is convinced that Chelsea are better than ­Mourinho’s Inter, and that Blues have bounced back from their Manchester City wobble just as the Italians look like throwing away the Serie A title.

Maybe that’s why bookies make Chelsea favourites to go through to the last eight, even though they lost the first leg 2-1 at the San Siro.

Chelsea’s Italian boss said: “The hype around Jose Mourinho will not affect things.

“Before the game Mourinho will have a very good reception but as soon as the game starts Chelsea fans will support their team.

“I am excited because it is a fantastic game. All the world will be looking at this game, and that is a fantastic motivation for us.

“We have to stay concentrated, to have confidence and to have courage. With this we can win games. The Champions League is my favourite competition. It is the best competition in the world.

“But this is just a game. Chelsea against Inter. Not me against Mourinho. It will be a fantastic game.”

Chelsea’s statement of intent against West Ham could not have been better-timed, with Florent Malouda absolutely outstanding on the left flank and showing why he will not be playing at full-back tomorrow night like he did in the first leg.

Malouda’s perfect cross – one of many as he destroyed Jonathan Spector – was headed home by Alex before Scott Parker’s piledriver flew past Ross Turnbull, who will definitely start against Inter.

But Chelsea turned the gas up after the break, Didier Drogba notching either side of a solo effort by Malouda. The result and performance left Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack in bullish mood ahead of the Inter showdown. “This will give us confidence for sure,” he said. “Everybody knows what is expected of us on Tuesday.”

The reality, though, is that Mourinho, far more than Inter, is the issue. Former Chelsea star Parker, who failed to make the impact he wanted under Mourinho before moving to Newcastle, said: “Everything people see from the outside with Jose is exactly what he is like on the inside.He’s a very ­confident man. He prepares well and he knows what he wants from his team.

“As a player, you will know everything about who you are playing against. He’s an ­organised manager. He has great ­confidence and he likes to transmit that to his players.”

That confidence sways ­dangerously close to arrogance and his giant ego has not gone down as well at Inter as it did in London.

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola, who knows all about Stamford Bridge hero-worship, admitted: “He has stepped on a few toes in Italy but he’s not really bothered about that.

“He is the kind of guy who, when he’s got something to say, will say it. But every manager has his own style and you have to respect that. Many times when ­Mourinho does what he does there is certainly a meaning. And, of course, it works.”

The big question is whether it will work tomorrow. Ancelotti’s relaxed air suggests he does not fear it will. Now it’s all about making his players feel the same.