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Post by dorf on Jan 2, 2015 11:16:50 GMT
Jose Mourinho: Referees must offer Chelsea more protection or Eden Hazard could leave English football
Chelsea manager claims Belgian could eventually decide to leave Stamford Bridge if opposition defenders are allowed to keep getting away with kicking him
Jose Mourinho has widened his conspiracy theory that there is a campaign against Chelsea by claiming Eden Hazard could be driven out of the club and English football.
Tottenham Hotspur became only the second team after Barcelona to score five goals against a side managed by Mourinho with a stunning New Year’s Day victory over Chelsea at White Hart Lane.
But rather than criticise his side’s defending, Mourinho preferred to concentrate on the performance of referee Phil Dowd and the fact Hazard is not being given enough protection.
Mourinho was furious that Chelsea were not awarded a penalty after they had gone ahead through Diego Costa, when the ball appeared to strike the hand of Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen.
He was also incensed during the game that Spurs defender Federico Fazio was not sent-off for a challenge on Hazard, which the Belgian later told Mourinho was not a foul.
Tottenham hit back from Costa’s opener through Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Andros Townsend to claim a 3-1 half-time lead. Kane looked to put the game beyond Chelsea with his second goal seven minutes after the break, but Hazard gave the Blues hope.
Nacer Chadli netted Spurs’ fifth and sealed their three points, before Chelsea captain John Terry pulled back a late consolation.
“Their fifth goal killed a bit our fantastic reaction,” said Mourinho. “After that there is an action on Eden Hazard which Hazard, honest as always, tells me in his opinion was not a foul or a red card. So that is good, in spite of the fact Mr Dowd was too slow to follow that ball. He was 40 yards away, but made the right decision. The decision he was 10m away (Vertonghen’s handball) he couldn't make.”
Sir Alex Ferguson claimed Dowd was not fit enough to keep up with play, when he booked five Manchester United players in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in April 2013.
Asked to explain his comments on Dowd’s fitness, Mourinho was more forgiving, saying: “It is difficult for him and difficult for everyone, not just for him. That situation is something you accept is difficult. Recover the ball, Fabregas puts the ball in the space, Hazard attacked the space and after that it is difficult. That's the kind of situation we accept. The first one, in the first half, which is clear - like the one against Southampton, which was also clear. They're the ones that are difficult to accept. But managers and players, we win and lose. And Mr Dowd didn't lose.”
The defeat to Tottenham was Chelsea’s second of the season and Mourinho added: “I hate to lose, of course, but I prefer to lose like I did against Newcastle with a clean performance by (referee Martin) Atkinson, an unlucky performance by us, a lucky performance by Newcastle. But a game you lose because of football.”
Having claimed there was a campaign against Chelsea after the draw at Southampton, Mourinho once again suggested that his team are not just having to overcome their opponents.
And Mourinho also claimed that Hazard could eventually decide to leave Stamford Bridge if opposition defenders are allowed to keep getting away with kicking him.
“At the end of the day, we are speaking about two matches, six points, we had one out of six when two crucial decisions would give us six points,” said Mourinho. “What matters are the points. The decisions, the normal tendency is for people to forget the decisions.
“We are going to do what we are doing up to now, knowing clearly that, in 20 league matches, the most offensive team, the team with more creative players in the attacking area, we had two penalties in 20 matches and I also think that people in love with football in this country, people must be in love with Eden Hazard.
“The way match to match he's being punished by opponents and not protected by referees, maybe one day we won't have Eden Hazard. It's one, two, three, four, five, 10 aggressive fouls against him. They kick and kick and kick, and the kid resists. He's a very honest guy in the way he plays, but that's another problem.”
Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard scored the winning goal that means Manchester City are now level on points with Mourinho’s men at the top of the Premier League table after it was confirmed he will stay at Eastlands until the end of the season.
“They can bring any player from New York FC,” said Mourinho. “They can bring anyone and nobody will stop them. If they find other good players in the New York team, they can bring them over.”
Tottenham moved above Arsenal with the victory over Chelsea and head coach Mauricio Pochettino was understandably delighted.
“The most important thing today is to congratulate my players,” he said. “A great day for us. A great atmosphere out on the pitch, and for our supporters to. A great victory. We deserved the victory. We were better than Chelsea.
“For me, it's only three points. It is a good victory against Chelsea, one of the best teams in the world. But this is nothing. It's only three points.”
by Matt Law / Telegraph
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