19 Apr 2014

'Unbelievable': Why Jose Mourinho's post-Sunderland rant is absolute genius

Sunderland's stunning victory over Chelsea has all but ended the Blues' hopes of winning the Premier League title, and short of an unlikely catastrophic collapse from Liverpool, the title is on its way back to Anfield for the first time in 24 years. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is always good value when he talks to the media, and his post-Sunderland press conference is, IMO, absolute genius.

Speaking to the press after the game, Mourinho refused to take questions, but made clear his anger at the result with some amusingly ironic criticism of the referee, Mike Dean:



I have to admit, this cracked me up. It's funny stuff, and Mourinho's po-faced demeanour just makes it funnier. I'm an anarchist at heart, and I love to see legitimate acts of defiance, and given the exceedingly poor refereeing standards this season, Mourinho has a legitimate gripe.



Where is the foul? Azpilicueta slides away from Altidore, whose standing leg connects with the Spaniard's foot. It's Altidore's fault that he goes down; Azpilicueta had nothing to do with it.

I don't really understand why rival fans are getting on Mourinho's back here. He praised Sunderland for their victory, which is a touch of class. He also rightly excoriated the ref, but cleverly did it in a way that means he can't be charged by the FA for his comments.

Mourinho's ire is understandable, and I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot, Liverpool fans would be similarly enraged.

I'm not the Portuguese's greatest fan, but his press conferences are frequently hilarious, and this one is no exception. He's a character, that's for sure, and the Premier League is a far more entertaining place with him in it.

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115 comments:

  1. What about the behaviour on the touchline???, absolute disgrace!!!

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  2. Mourinho and Chelsea have been on the benevolent end of some poor refereeing decisions throughout this season.Too late to gripe now.Go Liverpool.

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  3. Yes, but that wasn't Mourinho; that was his assistant. I personally don't think LFC fans should take the moral high ground over Chelsea. The club's ill-advised public defence of Luis Suarez during the Evra fiasco is far worse, as is the embarrassing media statement released after Suarez was charged; the T-shirt incident etc.

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  4. He's not a character, he's an idiot. As are you for thinking he's a character !

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  5. So have Liverpool. Lots of dodgy decision went the Reds' way this season (including several penalties), and if a horror decision goes against LFC tomorrow, the same fans castigating Mourinho will be spitting venom at the ref; and if Rodgers slams the ref after the game, I doubt fans will get on his back.

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  6. It appears Wengers not the only ' specialist in failure '

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  7. spare a thought for our fellow Scot, Stevie Clark who should
    have been the 1st one to beat him there but didn't due to
    a " dodgy decision " and shortly after was sacked.
    Not sure what to say now apart from
    "these things even themselves out over a season" or
    "what comes around go's around"

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  8. sorry but i have to disagree here who knows what happened between suarez and evra and i for one am glad liverpool stood behind and supported suarez through this dilemma

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  9. You don't see BR or our coaches acting like Chelsea do.....................no way!!!

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  10. Sarcasm the lowest form of wit and after all he was only speaking the truth when he said they weren't in the title race !

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  11. He is a classless little man whose only real success was at Porto. Since then he has been bankrolled everywhere he has gone. Ramires should have been sent off today, but I guess that would have been the referee's fault like it was against Villa!
    His assistant Rui Faria was a disgrace and should receive the same sort of ban as Alan Pardew. Granted, he did not physically attack anyone, but that was only because he was restrained.
    We are clearly in the driving seat - we win tomorrow and then next Sunday and mathematically it is only Man City who can take it away from us. It is so close now - bring it home Redmen, YNWA!!

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  12. Don't be so sure that he can't be disciplined by the FA. His contempt for the refereeing wasn't hidden much better than Rodger's earlier in the season and Rodgers got punished.
    Hilarious that Mourinho and some Chelsea players, like Cech, were trying to say the pressure was on LFC, but it's Chelski that have cracked. How would they have done had Ramires been rightfully sent off?
    We have suffered enough of our own bad ref decisions. Overall, the standard of Premiership refereeing has been appalling this season, but despite claims elsewhere, LFC have had more than their fair share, so Mourinho should stop crying and concentrate on winning something.

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  13. it wasn't sarcasm; it was irony.

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  14. I listen to the Guardian football podcast and even the jouno's on that are bored of Mouinho now. One was saying the way he goals about things these days lacks the charm he once had.


    I have got to be honest I think he is odious. Not since coming back to the prem has he once even slightly amused me. I don't quite get why anyone would really.


    It's not a foul but Eto's on Suarez was. They got a non foul against West Brom and there is just two of the top of my head which gives them four points to this title race so I couldn't care less that they didn't get that one.

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  15. Yes, the decisions by refs leave a lot to be desired, Eto should have been red carded against us at the bridge, and of course the penno that was not awarded in the same game, did'nt hear him criticise the ref then.
    Beat Norwich 2moro, then hopefully face an understrength Chelsea due to their CL games, its in our hands now, wow what a season so far, and what displays by Suarez this season, dreams can come true. YNWA.

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  16. Dalglish had to publicly apologise to a reporter for being rude in a post-match interview. LFC is not immune to that type of behaviour.

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  17. Sarcasm is the use of irony.

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  18. And we've been denied many penalties!

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  19. Does the fact that Journos are bored of Mourinho actually matter to you? Who cares what they think?

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  20. Never happen BR has Class

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  21. Not as a general rule. It can be, but often is not.

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  22. I sincerely hope you're right, Jaimie... but you keep saying that "but for a catastrophic collapse" on our behalf the title will end up with us, when in truth all it takes is one defeat and it's back in Man City's hands. Right?

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  23. Irony, sarcasms ugly sibling. The FA will spot irony just as well as they spotted BRs sarcasm. Hope they come down hard on Mourinho.

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  24. My point is that even though he is easy copy (making their jobs easier) they still find him a bit dull. Lots of Journos were gleefully licking his bum when he came back over but now they seem to care much less. I just used the jounos to make the point that even his biggest fans are rolling their eyes.

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  25. No I am pretty sure that it is a general rule.

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  26. Name one dodgey penalty that changed a result in our favor?

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  27. I'm not getting into a pointless semantics discussion. let's just agree to disagree.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm#Usage

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  28. It was funny to see Redknapp have a pop shot at Jose after the interview. You could hear the fear in his voice knowing that Mourinho's is gonna get him back one day.

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  29. What does that have to do with anything? Just because a result didn't change doesn't mean the award of a dodgy penalty wasn't a refereeing mistake.

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  30. So wiki? The thing that can be written and amended by anyone? Instead of say the Oxford English dictionary?

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  31. True the reffing this season has been quite poor. Just making the point that Chelsea have already gained more from it than we have this season.

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  32. How do you establish/quantify that Chelsea have 'gained more' from poor refereeing than LFC?

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  33. Irony, sarcasms ugly sibling. The FA will spot irony just as well as they spotted BRs sarcasm. Hope they come down hard on Mourinho.
    2nd posting of this comment. For some reason my original post is still awaiting moderation.

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  34. how you consider that to be no foul is ludicrous. Azpilicueta trailing leg basically hooks and drags the standing foot of Altidore, completely taking advantage and a possible goals scoring opportunity away. Automatic call, the ref also made the correct decision not to give a card. No menace and accidental, but took away advantage and that is all that matters.

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  35. Right. but think City have another blip in them.

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  36. West Brom! They don't get that late pen they are two points fewer in the league. We could and should have gotten a pen against them. That makes it four. These are late in the game result changing decisions. So that I suppose.

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  37. Totally disagree. Please watch the video again.

    * Azpilicueta slides in.

    * the ball goes to the right.

    * Altidore stretches out his left leg and connects with Azpilicueta.

    * Altidore goes down.

    Azpilicueta does not slide in and take Altidore out. It is the Sunderland player who causes the 'foul', just like cheating attackers create penalties by laving their legs in to make it look like defender-contact.

    I don't think Altidore did anything wrong here, but he stood on Azpilicueta and went down. I don't see how that's a foul.

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  38. agree its not the worse decision and it could of gone either way. again when Mourinho's deflecting tactics are forgotten, we all know they miss a clinical striker...which is the so called special one's biggest mistake

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  39. Absolutely! But everyone keeps forgetting that if City drop a single pair of points (they have tough fixtures - Everton & Palace away), we can afford to lose one and still win the league. Moreover, we could even get away with a loss and a draw and win the league on goal difference. Somewhat a similar scenario if we lose one and City are assumed to take 12/12 points.

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  40. Nar Altidore has to stretch his leg a bit to stand on the full backs ankle. If anything it was a foul the other way.

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  41. And across an entire season, you think that's enough to argue that Chelsea have benefited more than LFC from dodgy decisions? With respect, I think you're on shaky ground.

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  42. Posted and then read what you said. I agree.

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  43. Agree with you mate. His trailing leg catches Altidore or does Altidore put his leg on Azpilicuetas trailing leg. Debatable!

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  44. Have to say Jamie, I agree with you wholeheartedly on this one. Love him or hate him, the Premier League is certainly more entertaining with Mourinho in it!

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  45. If the penalty awarded to Sunderland had not changed the result, I doubt Mourinho would be spitting chips. Don't forget the disgraceful celebration the very unspecial-one went through at City when Pellegrini refused to shake his hand. No class, and deserves all he gets.

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  46. Mourinho does not want to take the blame for Chelsea not winning the title this season and considering what happened, this was the opportune moment to let everyone know how everything has gone against him.


    The question is, will Mr Abramovich accept this excuse?

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  47. This is now JK, not 2011.

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  48. Doubt it and not if they don't win CL

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  49. Jose Mouriniho is mo genius he just comes across as a sore loser with zero class who has to be centre of attention... He's been negative all season that chelsea couldnt win the league!!! Why Chelsea have spent millions, people say he's the master of mind games the only people he's playing mind games with is his players and its back fired... He's not Special just BITTER

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  50. Definitely. Losing one, IMO, is not a catastrophic collapse as Jaimie said. Conversely, given that we've won 10 on the trot, it's understandable that certain people 'expect' us to win the next 4 and not collapse, so to speak. I certainly don't, but it would be an unbelievable achievement!


    3 points is just another step closer tomorrow.

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  51. All i can say is thank you Sunderland u have put the title race in our control and regardless of a poor decision should truly have been over run by superior opposition sides.

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  52. Sorry JK


    You are just wrong. This was not a legitimate act of defiance or amusingly ironic. This was a statement designed to blame the referre and not Chelsea and avoid questions about Ramires. 'Praise' for Sunderland was negated by the subsequent comments.


    You are just so wrong about this..

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  53. Hey Jamie.
    I think given the amount of dissecting of the video that has occurred post penalty shows the very fine margins that referees endure every game!
    For as long as refereeing of games continues to be managed by human beings then errors will continue to occur.
    If we try to perfect the game the way the NFL has attempted to do then the natural stripping of the games soul will continue! Goal line technology being the first.
    I for one like the controversy and debate caused by this kind of talking point, i suspect there are quite a few other people who are of the same opinion as well.
    Without controversy even your site would be very boring.
    Y.N.W.A!

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  54. Mourinho is just irritating.. But maybe ill give him, that he makes the League more interesting and an edge.. but just as amusing it is to see him at press conferences, just as boring is it to see his team on the field.. So it1s in my opinion good not to se this kind of boring football win the League, and would rather see man c win it. but Liverpool has been playing so beautyful football, they simply must win it.. YNWA

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  55. Ah yes, the Ramires incident that was not punished. He should have been sent off! Would Mourinho want to admit to that?

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  56. Couldn't disagree more. You must be pretty weak minded if you think this is genius. This was nothing more than a petulant, little sore loser trying to get away with saying whatever he likes and a blatant excuse for his side's failings.
    You will jump on Suarez's back for childish, reckless behaviour but it is OK for rival managers to? Hypocritical.
    Did you see his thug, supposed assistant manager, about to lamp the fourth official? Is that funny? Because by condoning the behaviour of his cohort you are condoning the behaviour of the this thug as well.
    Total lack of consistency.
    Plus, you berate Brendan Rodgers for his over use of superlatives - hardly a major crime - but you'll cite this as genius. Who do you support again?

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  57. On another note... I've been asking myself (being a psychologist) whether Morinho will end up regretting his 'tactic' of constantly ruling his side out as possible championship winners, even if it's just been publicly? The point being hearing that over and over again as a player you might start thinking 'that it's ok to lose it this time (since our manager doesn't expect it). What do you think, Jamie and co.?

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  58. It's not just 'any old thing' and you know it', and that argument about wikipedia is one of the most lazy going. Everything is referenced, and the section I posted is referenced to extremely credible sources.

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  59. So MOTD dudes saying stone wall pen. What did Neville and Cara say?

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  60. And when does Rodgers ever criticise his players for dodgy incidents? He's never criticised Suarez for any of his obvious stamps, and he eve defended Henderson's blatant red card last week. Yet it's not okay for other managers to do the same?

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  61. Eating too many sour grapes

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  62. Yes, but setting it up nicely to attack what has been an unforgettable season if we do slip up is how this site works essentially... take the opposite course

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  63. They've also ripped his team to shreds about their defending and Shearer condemned the way Mourinho acted after....have to agree after watching...only themselves to blame. Lets hope we do not mess up tomorrow like our rivals, get past tomorrow and I think we'll take care of chelsea next weekend.

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  64. Any old fella Jaimie not any old thing. As in right now I can go and write what I want in Wiki.

    Henry Watson Fowler may be credible, but more credible than than the dictionary he has once helped to contribute to?

    He also said "The essence of sarcasm is the intention of giving pain by (ironical or other) bitter words" Giving Pain is not necessary for sarcasm. Not my opinion the opinion of the compilers of THE most reputable source on the subject.

    Like you say we can agree to disagree

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  65. Yep didn't hear any praise from him for Mike Dean for not sending Ramires off ...... and right under his nose !

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  66. About the pen though? Did they think it was or wasn't. I don't think so myself.

    Bad defending is interesting though.

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  67. Terrible call about the penalty Jaimie. It is blatently a PK. Hopefully Ramirez will pick up a ban too. Mourinho has not done himself any favours with his behaviour this year but I don't suppose he cares. Anyway, we need to do the business at Carrow Road tomorrow.

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  68. Its a clear cut penalty to me. His trailing leg got him. How is it Altidore's fault when his STANDING LEG gets taken out from behind?

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  69. Are you a Liverpool fan or chelsea?

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  70. Stonewall said shearer and hansen agreed...they had enough chances to win and did not take them...happened to us quite a lot last season..no sympathy

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  71. His trailing leg takes the players left foot. Definitely a penalty

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  72. Just wondering what the sky pundits thought.

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  73. I disagree. Is that okay?


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    Phil
    Terrible call about the penalty Jaimie. It is blatently a PK. Hopefully Ramirez will pick up a ban too. Mourinho has not done himself any favours with his behaviour this year but I don't suppose he cares. Anyway, we need to do the business at Carrow Road tomorrow. 5:59 p.m., Saturday April 19

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    Phil’s comment is in reply to Jaimie K:


    Yes, but that wasn't Mourinho; that was his assistant. I personally don't think LFC fans should take the moral high ground over Chelsea ... Read more
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  74. some of them would have said...'you've got to love Jose....' etc etc

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  75. Yep, they said it was a stonewall penalty. When I watched, viewer poll also 67% if I remember correctly said, yes to penalty.

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  76. We don't care we are top of the league ! :-)

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  77. Didn't Eto get away with a blatant penalty against us at Stamford bridge. In fairness MS got away with quite a few this year too..

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  78. Said that myself further down. Just wondering what peeps with lots of angles and slowmos think.

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  79. Chelsea lost today because they just don't score enough goals. Not because of some penalty. They have been scraping through this season on the back of many poor 1 goal victories. Finally they got what all who do not score goals deserve.

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  80. OK but that makes you wrong as well. Can't have it two ways. You get so prissy and take everything so seriously when it relates to us but then you get amensia when it is someone else; which makes it so obvious that you are ultimately only setting out to stir.

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  81. also sold mata arguably one of their most creative when played in correct position and also loaned Lukaku who would have given them a half decent return of goals...the 'not so special one'

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  82. We all know its all done to cause debate...sometimes I take part other times I do not

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  83. That is good to hear. He helped shut messi out last week, which is pretty impressive!

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  84. Afzal Hakimuddin11:19 pm, April 19, 2014

    Go to History Channel then...

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  85. Surprised this point hasn't been picked up sooner. Mourinho has become too clever in his own eyes and has got the mind games totally wrong this season.

    He's destroyed the confidence of his strikers also. I accept that Torres isn't the player he once was, but BR would have put an arm around the shoulder and found a way to instil confidence, rather than publicly criticise his strikers, as Mourinho did.

    BR has managed expectations well within his squad and has kept the pressure off of them. Also, he recognises the importance of mental strength and how psychological factors influence performance; hence appointing a well respected sports psychologist to his back room staff. Also smart to make visits to said psychologist optional.

    Pellegrini has been sucked into the mind games as well, following his team's loss of points and hence, loss of control of their destiny. He had done well to keep quiet in the past, but desperation has dragged him into attempting to play mind games and he looks very amateur at it.

    If BR uses mind games, he is subtle at it. Mourinho's ego has expanded so much, that is challenging even the volume of the known universe. He needs a dose of humility. Hopefully LFC can give him what he needs.

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  86. definitely not special at all. Teams that do not score are affected much more by controversial refereeing decisions.

    We can complain all about refereeing decisions, or we can choose to acknowledge the fact that Chelsea was playing a BOTTOM placed side today and they could not score more than a single goal.

    Pellegrini was absolutely right about Chelsea.

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  87. That is a penalty every day of the week. No doubt in my mind at all. the defender slides in and takes out the attackers leg. Altidore doesn't need to be conscious of where he puts his feet, he has the ball. He gets taken out from behind.

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  88. Anyway changing subject lets all hope we get a decent win tomorrow, Lucas and Allen will both come in tomorrow with coutinho and sterling providing the ammo for luis...On the plus side of this, if things get awkward or tight stevie g might be able to push up closer to his old more attacking role...with lucas/allen providing defensive cover. Nice game for Luis to go back into main striking role...that's the theory!!

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  89. While I hope liverpool beat Norwich for their own obvious reasons I now also want them to win to give Sunderland a chance of passing them.

    4 points off direct liverpool rivals in the past week!

    Other than sending flowers to them it would be a nice gesture ;)

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  90. Not sure about that actually. Personally, I think there is room to have a debate without masking and stirring. I think you the site would still be just as popular.
    I do like the site for the record

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  91. I shrugging hat this website and I promise this is the last article I will read on here, consistent awful analysis and manipulation of stats and often incorrect stats.Pessimistic, takes quotes out of context and generally poor.Now this!! How can you blame the ref and agree with José's blame of the ref??? Look at his angle , how can he possibly see that.And you find it funny heat h is saying??reat example to younger children, if you lose don't look at yourself instead blame officials and do everything to ale others feel woes and yourself feel better.Awful manager, awful website.

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  92. Honestly think br does not play mind games with other teams just focuses on our team and their minds... No one else matters

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  93. Sunderland staying definitely makes things interesting - they are giant slayers, have beat or drawn most of the top teams at some point, but struggle with the lower half teams.

    Canaries dropping on the other hand is sad, what would happen to National Suarez Hattrick Day?

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  94. he'll probably pick on someone else...probably leicester 'welcome to the premier league lads' be interesting to see how norwich play him tomorrow...too much attention could free up space for sterling/coutinho...reckon they'll put Fer on him

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  95. No, it's not done to 'cause debate'. What is it with people? Everything I post is exactly what I think. I am totally sincere with every article. It just so happens that I see things differently to most people. So sue me.

    Just because the majority think one thing doesn't mean I have to follow suit. If I just posted things to cause debate, the insincerity and hollowness would shine through, and people would see that. I hate insincerity, and it's not something I engage in.

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  96. If Tony Pullis was Manager of Chelsea, they would have won this match easy.

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  97. if you slide in the penalty box you give the refs decision to make. Over a period of a season things evens out. Ramirez divied to get a penalty against West Brom, he did the same against Everton our man even got to hit Larson on the face and get away with it. So chelsea got one against them atlast no point in moaning and throwing a tantrum

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  98. Keep it up Jamie, I enjoy the banter and discussion, and like to post my own little taunts from time to time.

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  99. haha, gotta love sarcasm like that.

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  100. you r a clown!!! i sometimes wonder if your even a liverpool supporter. its a stone wall penalty. Doom and gloom merchant as usual.

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  101. Jaimie, why don't you go out and support Chelsea....For all your stats etc...why is it that the majority of people agree that it was a penalty for Sunderland tonight... Why give out about Mignolet? He is our keeper this season and he's done ok...he earned Liverpool three points the first game of the season. Focus on the positive and support Rodgers...We could have the best goalkeeper in the league which we did have with Reina a few seasons ago and win nothing....

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  102. You'd only even have half an argument if azpilicueta slipped over, and had no control over where he slid as a result.
    But it doesn't matter if you're sliding away from him or toward him; seriously, what difference does that make when, at the end of the day, it was a clumsy, mis-timed ATTEMPTED tackle? Yes, he slid away, but he didn't slide away enough, did he?

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  103. Agree. We are all seeing the real Moanhino. Italy and Spain saw that too. An arrogant and a bitter man

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  104. You're being a bit defensive JK...

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  105. I will say Altidores foot lands on his. however I don't see the eyes in the back of his head that spotted azpilicueta foot behind him. nor did I know know that he had supernatural reactions to be able to make a mid stride adjustment

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  106. I agree. Semi-harsh penalty decision, but it's no fault of Jozy Altidore, he didn't con the ref in the decision at all.


    It's poor defending from Azpilicueta, and unfortunately for him, in an unlucky manner, he got punished.

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  107. Maybe if Mourinho had his most natural left sided defender (Ashley Cole) in that position he would of gone in with his most preferred left foot and cleanly won the challenge and the ball.


    Azpilicueta is silly for sliding in, especially with his right foot leading into the challenge. It's unfortunate for the defender that Altidore's left foot lands on Azpilicueta's leg, so his leg gets taken away from him, loses balance, falls over, contact, penalty.


    It's more poor defending than Altidore conning the ref. He is not even looking at the challenge when he slips because of the defenders leg, it's nonsense to call that blatant cheating.

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  108. Opposing fans get on Mourinho's back because he is a hypocrite. He sarcastically has a shot at the refs when things don't go his way, but nothing was mentioned when Eto'o was being a total nunce against us and Ramires milked one against West Brom. Over the course of a season it seems as if things have evened out.

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  109. I disagree totally.

    Watch Altidore's right foot before the contact. Feigning to shoot or cross as he runs out of space , he steps to the LEFT of the ball in order to check back on his right foot. The elongated left stride would be necessary to help shift his balance to the right; the slide from Azpillicuatta takes that foot further away and he goes down, still actually trying with his right foot to execute the turn.

    You should be well aware of that move, having been a forward yourself. Disagree by all means, but the relatively small amount of contact would still have been enough to make him lose balance and constitute a foul challenge.
    Penalty all day long and a poor decision by the defender.
    If one of our players had made such a challenge, like Sakho did last week, I would have expected more than one or two refs to have pointed to the spot..

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