Wellcome to graceomama blog: Grow up! Mourinho slams Lambert following touchline spat over Ivanovic's brutal elbow on Benteke in Stamford Bridge controversy

Grow up! Mourinho slams Lambert following touchline spat over Ivanovic's brutal elbow on Benteke in Stamford Bridge controversy

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1: Thumping Ivanovic header rescues Blues as Mourinho and Lambert square up

Jose Mourinho put one over Paul Lambert last night at Stamford Bridge and immediately accused Aston Villa's manager of whinging, claiming that he lacks managerial maturity and that the Scot's team deploy long-ball tactics.

Jose Mourinho put one over Paul Lambert last night at Stamford Bridge and immediately accused Aston Villa’s manager of whinging, claiming that he lacks managerial maturity and that the Scot’s team deploy long-ball tactics.
Chelsea’s boss wasted little time in trying to put Lambert in his place following a feisty evening in which the hosts ran out 2-1 winners in controversial circumstances.
Christian Benteke had levelled an early Antonio Luna own goal on the stroke of half-time and Villa began to gain the upper hand.

Tempers: Jose Mourinho and Paul Lambert had a shouting match on the touchline at Stamford Bridge

Over the top: Villa boss Lambert was unhappy with Branislav Ivanovic's challenge on Christian Benteke

Branislav Ivanovic received a caution from referee Kevin Friend after a flailing arm caught Villa’s big striker in the face.
Chelsea’s right-back the rubbed salt into the wounds moments afterwards by heading the winner.
Lambert was furious at the decision. And his anger was only piqued when the match official refused Villa last-minute penalty after the ball struck John Terry’s arm.
Mourinho said: 'Paul has a certain type of personality and behaviour on the pitch.
'He reminds me of myself ten years ago when I was complaining about every decision when I want to coach my team and at the same time I want to have a whistle on my lip. He is the same.
'He will change. With time and experience he will change because he complains about every, every, every decision.
'But he is a young manager. Very intelligent. He adapts his style to the quality of his players.'

Booming: Ivanovic's header settled the game from a Frank Lampard free-kick

One apiece: Christian Benteke had levelled matters with a well taken finish

Pressed on Villa’s tactics, Mourinho added: 'They don’t play a lot. Every ball the goalkeeper kicks, so they don’t play but they created great difficulties.
'In Benteke they have a special player with special qualities. They play from him. They use this and they play on the counter-attack.'
Asked about the incident involving his defender and Villa’s goalscorer, the Portuguese brushed it aside, saying: “This is English football. For some reason, the world loves it more than any other league.
'One thing is the real aggression. Duals land in a certain way. It was a football fight between Benteke and Ivanovic.'
Mourinho has called a temporary suspension in his pursuit of Wayne Rooney until after Chelsea visit OId Trafford next Monday. He said: 'I don’t want Chelsea to do it before we go there and everyone on the board agrees with me. There is time to do things.

Replica: Mourinho said that Lambert was similar to he was ten years earlier

Careful eye: The fourth official was making sure things didn't get out of hand

Trying to keep his mind on the game: Lambert attempts to keep his players focused

'We did it before and we will do it later but I think with this period we are going to be quiet.' Lambert confronted the match official on the pitch at the final whistle.
'He was clearly furious. He said: 'We have been done by two big decisions that were wrong.
'I thought Ivanovic threw an elbow. I know it’s a physical game. But that’s what I thought.
'As for the penalty, there’s no ‘apparently’ about it. It’s handball. He’s won the header.' Lambert, who is six years Mourinho’s junior refused to become embroiled in a slanging match but added: 'If Jose said that about me, I’ll take it as a nice compliment because he’s a fantastic football manager.
'But he’s no shrinking violet.
'Having said that, we are a football team. We play football. Both of my full-backs are about five feet four inches tall. We play football.'

On target: Chelsea winger Eden Hazard had the shot which led to their first goal

All together: Chelsea celebrate after Ivanovic's winner

Full transcripts

Jose Mourinho

Were you fortunate to win?

It was a free-kick against Aston Villa. If somebody pushes an opponent especially in the box in a dangerous area it is a free-kick against them.

Was it a struggle for you tonight?

If in this moment we are here with a draw it wouldn’t be an unfair result. I think they fought a lot for a result. I don’t think they played a lot because they don’t play a lot.

Every ball the goalkeeper had every ball the goalkeeper kicks so they don’t play a lot but they fought a lot and they created great difficulties and if Petr doesn’t save the one on the far post from Weimann we probably don’t even get a point out of this game.

This is what they do. They have a special player with special qualities. They use him. Goalkeeper kicks it and Benteke is fantastic with the first ball and they play from Benteke.

They do this and the counter attack. The counter attack we controlled fantastically. In 90 minutes they had the one situation and we controlled it very well and killed their counter attacks because we played with great balance between the lines and positionally we were very good.

The situation with Benteke is very difficult to control because the goalkeeper has the ball, you can’t press the goalkeeper. The ball is there and he kicks the ball and after that everything goes from Benteke. It’s difficult. They gave us a very difficult match.

Was Benteke in your thoughts as a striker to buy?

He is a great player but he is a great player for a certain style of football. We tried to play a different style of football.

We tried to play the way we played against Hull. We tried to play the way we train every day but the good thing from my team today was Villa gave us a different match and we coped with that.

Defensively we were strong. I think we could do better with the ball. Better decisions. Maybe my decision of not making many changes, only two, maybe was not the best.

Maybe it would be better to put more fresh players from the beginning because I felt my players found the midfield in the attacking areas were not very, very sharp which was understandable but the team fought very hard and sometimes you have to win because you play fantastic football.

Sometimes when you don’t do that you have to play based on other things and today other things gave us the game.

Did you fear Ivanovic would be sent off for an elbow?

No, first of all this is the Premier League. This is English football. For some reason the world loves it more than any other league.

One thing is a real aggression. Another thing is duals that land in a certrain way and I think the referee did very well and from minute one to minute 95 there was a real fight.

A football fight between Benteke and Ivanovic and fouls, foul on one side, fouls on the other side and I think that is football.

Two games, two wins but no goals from your strikers. Is it time to buy someone who can actually score?

In this moment we are scoring enough goals to win our matches and I try to I tried to put all my three strikers more or less the same time on the pitch.

Today I started Ba. Lukaku didn’t start but was the one who played both matches and I tried to give them the confidence to play and to get into the team. They did their work for the team in different matches.

They work hard, they open spaces for the team, they have a defensive job for the team they were humble on the service they gave to the team so I cannot say that I’m not happy with them.

What happened on the touchline?

When it is 1-0 nothing happened. When the game is over after 20 minutes nothing happens. From the minute until the 95th minute with the result unpredictable when nobody knows what is going to happen, Paul has a certain type of personality and behaviour on the bench that pushes for that.

He reminds me of myself 10 years ago when I was complaining about every decision, when I want to coach my team and at the same time I want to have a whistle on my lip. He is the same. He will change.

With time and experience he will change because he complains about every, every, every decision.

But he is a young manager, very intelligent. He plays very well adapted to the quality of his players. I wish him good. I like him and no problem. Just little discussions.

Have your side recovered?

Yeah, yeah. Today was today. We played Sunday and Wed after national team matches. Now we have four days with no football, absolutely nothing, and we have Friday, Saturday and Sunday and they are fine.

Are you more likely to go for Rooney after Monday's game?

I don’t want Chelsea to do it before we go there and everybody in the club in the board they agree with me. There is time to do things. We did it before and we will do later but what I think with this period where we are going to be quiet and just be thinking just about that game.

Paul Lambert
Do you feel hard done by?
It’s easy to sit here and think, ‘Sour grapes’ and all that sort of thing, but my team were outstanding. I don’t think we deserved to lose the game.
We were up against one of the favourites to win it. We have nothing to be ashamed about the way we played. I was proud of them on Saturday and I was proud of them tonight. We looked a threat. We have been done by two big decisions that were wrong.
Did you think Ivanovic's challenge was with an elbow?
In my opinion and people will differ but yeah, I do. It’s an elbow. I know it’s a physical game, but it’s an elbow.
Apparently there may have been a penalty in the second-half?
Apparent penalty? It’s a penalty. It’s handball. Agbonlahor has won the header. John Terry’s a good player but you raise your hand in the penalty box and it’s a penalty. I think he has missed two big decisions.
How does it happen that referees make different decisions, looking at Steven Taylor on Monday?
I’m not so sure. I know the game is hard. But I don’t think you can miss those ones. Not ones like that. They are big game-changers at certain times. My team never deserved that.
What did Kevin Friend say to you? He couldn’t have missed it because he booked him?
It’s between me and Kevin. He’s got his his opinion, he’s got mine.
Jose was saying that you remind him of himself ten years ago.
He’s a brilliant football manager. He’s done it in every country he’s been in. It’s probably a massive compliment. Is he ten years older than me is he?
Is he six? Bloody hell. Jose doesn’t stand there like a shrinking violet. If in six years time I’d be like him, I’d be happy.
He also said you don’t play a lot.
Everyone has an opinion on the game. I’m proud of the team. We don’t play long-ball. The midfield are small. The full-backs aren’t the tallest. Fabian Delph was fantastic. I’m proud of them.