Records mean nothing to title-chasing Scolari

Luiz Felipe Scolari has warned his Chelsea stars that records will count for nothing if they don't win the Premier League title.

A victory for Scolari's side at Bolton on Saturday would surpass Tottenham's English record of 10 successive top-flight away victories set in 1960.

Scolari has been in charge for seven of Chelsea's 10 away wins but, after last week's home defeat against Arsenal, the Brazilian is more concerned with getting his team's title challenge back on track.

“Can we break the record? I don't think about this, only about the three points we lost at home to Arsenal. We need to recover these points,” Scolari said.

“We try to win another game and keep in touch with the other clubs. That is important, not the record or winning seven or eight games away. The points are more important than the record.

“For me, I feel the players don't think about records. They think about first position at the end of the season, not more than this.

“If we win 20 away and lose 10 at home, ok, it is a record but we need to arrive at the main objective.”

While Chelsea have been dominant on their travels, they have been less so at Stamford Bridge, where they have won only three of their eight home league games under Scolari.

The former Brazil and Portugal coach admits he has held a meeting with the squad to get to the root of the problem.

“We discussed this with the players about how many points we have lost at home. It is not good,” he said.

“But if we lost 40 points and we win the league it is not a problem for me. We need to win the league, this is the problem.

“We know if we lose many points at home it is more difficult than before. We try to play the best at home and away but sometimes away we have more opportunities and score more, but we don't play differently.”

If Chelsea are to take Tottenham's record, Scolari needs Nicolas Anelka to impress against his former club Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

Anelka has been given a rough ride from Chelsea fans and pundits despite being the club's top scorer this season but Scolari is convinced the France striker will win over the critics.

“Anelka tries to do the best in every game but some games he scores and sometimes he doesn't,” he said.

“He tries to do the best in every game and if some fans say something about him I understand, but I have confidence because he tries in every game. He has helped us many times.

“In this moment in his career, he has a very good chance to prove he is a very good player. He gives to me what I want.”