The Blues cruised into 2006 with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge over strugglers Birmingham City on New Year's Eve to leave the champions 11 points clear at the top of the English Premiership.

But before admitting it had been an "unbelievable" year in which the west London side won their first league title in 50 years, Mourinho laid into his talented attacking midfielder, whose dazzling array of tricks has not always been combined with team-minded play.

"I just told him. One more match like this, he's off," Mourinho raged after the Birmingham win.

"That was not a joke. I am serious.

"One more match for himself and the public and not for the team and he is off."

Cole has featured in 22 of the Blues' 27 matches this season and wants to make himself an England regular in time for the 2006 World Cup, which starts in June.

The controversial Portuguese boss said he had left Cole to stew on his harsh words for a while as he cannot play in Chelsea's London derby on Monday.

"He is on holiday now. I gave him four days because he cannot play against West Ham."

Mourinho is banking that his outburst will not backfire.

"He came a long way to arrive at this position and I don't think he is ready to go back," he added.

Chelsea beat Birmingham thanks to two first-half goals from Netherlands winger Arjen Robben and Argentina striker Hernan Crespo, extending the Blues' 100 percent league home record this season to 11 matches.

However, Cole and Crespo conspired to muck up a chance to make it 3-0 before the interval and put the result beyond doubt, leaving Mourinho furious.

"I said to the players at half-time 'you cannot make these kinds of mistakes'," he seethed.

"Imagine in the second-half, they score one goal and you stay until the end of the game under pressure.

"You cannot forgive in relation to the opponent. You have the chances, you have to kill."

Once he calmed down, Mourinho said even he, the self-titled "Special One", was impressed with Chelsea's performance over the last 12 months.

"101 points from the Premiership in 2005, that's an unbelievable record. This half of the season, better than the last season, an unbelievable year for Chelsea."

He said that with Manchester United trailing in second place and European champions Liverpool able to cut the gap to nine points, Chelsea had to be confident but also wary.

"You don't believe you are going to lose a lot or draw a lot. I believe the team is very strong and in a very good moment," he said.

"It's very difficult for them to catch us but in football you have to believe in everything so we must play safe, safe safe."

Mourinho said he would not be prepared to let any of his squad leave Stamford Bridge on loan in the January transfer window.

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce also insisted he would not let anyone leave, calling it "crazy" to do so given the club's injury crisis and precarious Premiership position.

Bruce stressed that Uruguay strike Walter Pandiani, wanted in Spain, was staying put, while he eyed up a few bargains in the January sales.

"The players have got to be better than we've got -- and if funds are available. We are certainly not going to bring players in who are no benefit to us.

"I would like to bring in two or three defenders if I could but we'll see what happens. As for Pandiani, it would be crazy to let somebody out now.

We have had an offer which we haven't accepted from Espanol and Real Mallorca, but with the loss of Mikael Forssell and David Dunn, we can't be throwing anybody out the door just yet."