Calling 'his boy' Ricardo Carvalho 'f***ing s***' and John Obi Mikel an 'elephant': Joe Cole reveals what it was like to be on the wrong side of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea - and even he admits he had to change

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Joe Cole has revealed what it was like to be on the wrong side of Jose Mourinho during his time at Chelsea.

Mourinho, 60, enjoyed two highly successful spells at Stamford Bridge, including a first stint between 2004 to 2007 that saw the Blues win back-to-back Premier League titles.

Cole played a crucial role in Chelsea's success before Mourinho left in September 2007, amid a series of disagreements with the club's hierarchy.

And while Mourinho departed as the club's most successful manager with 124 wins in 185 games, Cole explained how the Portuguese coach was regularly involved in heated confrontations with his players, which included the former attacking midfielder being on the receiving end of his ire.

'I loved Jose but people always think we had a bad relationship,' Cole told The Obi One Podcast with his former Blues team-mate John Obi Mikel.

Joe Cole has revealed what it was like to be on the wrong side of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea

Mourinho's first spell at Chelsea was hugely successful as he won two Premier League titles

'I played a league game and we won 3-0 at home. I set two goals up, thought I played well, but probably took a few little flicks around. 

'I've gone through one-on-one with the keeper late on and should've slotted it in but instead I gave it to Crespo, but he's not run anywhere near it and the defenders got it. 

'I thought nothing of it, but we were doing the warm down the next day and Mourinho came over and he said, "see you do that s*** again boy you'll never f***ing play for me again" and I was like what!?

'Another time I scored winner against Liverpool and they were our big rivals. I thought I was the bee's knees and we'd gone out and had a great night.

'The next morning my phone's blowing up and he's battered me in the press. It was just a way of keeping us down but I think he knew every time he did that to me I'd respond.'

Cole went onto explain how Obi Mikel and Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho were among Mourinho's favourites, but it didn't make them immune from criticism.

He explained: 'John was his baby and there's only one time I heard him shout at John. He loved him. We were playing Rangers away in a friendly, none of us are playing well and he's up and irate at us.

'I was right in front of him and he's going "John, John, you're playing like a f***ing elephant" and he's done the trunk sign and I'm there laughing.'

Obi Mikel added: 'When he's angry he picks one person that he will really go after and that day Jose killed me. 

"You play like a f***ing elephant, you can't run", he destroyed me. I went back and after 10 minutes he took me off.'

Cole then went onto reflect about the Carvalho incident. He explained how, despite the defender being one of the Blues' star men over six years at Stamford Bridge -  before joining Mourinho when he took over at Real Madrid - he once badly lost his rag.

'It was a belter when he dug out Riccy Carvalho. Riccy's his boy, he took him everywhere and loved him, but I don't know why (he went for him),' Cole said.

Cole went on to explain how John Obi Mikel and Ricardo Carvalho were among Mourinho's favourites, but this didn't stop the Portuguese boss from digging both players out

Cole described Carvalho as Mourinho's 'boy', but reflected on one occasion when the then-Chelsea boss threatened to play the kitman ahead of him in defence

'There was sometimes no rhyme or reason for it (his dressing downs). He never played badly for more than two games, hardly ever made a mistake. 

'He's gone to Riccy "you're f***ing s***. I'm not going to play you. I'm going to play JT then Gallas. Then I'm going to play Robert Huth then I'm going to play the youth kid Steve Watt.

'"If I don't play him, I'm going to play the kitman, I'm not going to play you". And I get the giggles when there's things like that.' 

Cole remained at Stamford Bridge for three more years after Mourinho's departure, but struggled with injuries, before he joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2010.