Jamie Redknapp has rubbished Jose Mourinho's suggestions that there is a campaign against Chelsea and criticised the coach for avoiding the media.

The 51-year-old was absent from Friday's press conference prior to the Blues' 2-0 win over Newcastle United at the weekend.

The decision for Steve Holland to take his place came about after Mourinho was charged by the FA for claiming that referees are being influenced by a "campaign" against his team.

In his Daily Mail column, Redknapp said: "People say he is being clever and trying to turn the screw on referees. No he's not. He's in a panic because he had a bit of a rough spell and saw an eight-point lead over Manchester City disappear.

"There is certainly no campaign against Chelsea from the referees or the media. He wants to create an 'us against the world' mentality because he loves his teams to be the underdog. Unfortunately, he has a team that is ready to win the league."

Chelsea remain at the top of the Premier League table with a two-point lead over Manchester City.