José Mourinho pleased with points but not the performance

QPR manager Harry Redknapp bemoans ‘soft’ Chelsea penalty that denied his side

Manager of Queens Park Rangers Harry Redknapp (left) and  Chelsea counterparrt José Mourinho (right)  after the Barclays Premier League match   at Stamford Bridge. Photograph:  Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Manager of Queens Park Rangers Harry Redknapp (left) and Chelsea counterparrt José Mourinho (right) after the Barclays Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Both Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and QPR counterpart Harry Redknapp were less than impressed following the Premier League leaders' 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

Redknapp felt the decisive penalty award for an Eduardo Vargas foul on Eden Hazard, who converted from the spot 15 minutes from time, was "harsh" and "soft".

Mourinho, meanwhile, was unhappy with the fitful intensity shown as Chelsea extended their unbeaten start to the season and moved nine points clear of defending champions Manchester City, who play Manchester United on Sunday.

The Blues boss said: “My team didn’t play well or well enough or so well as I was expecting. We had periods of good football, not consistently. I was expecting more.

READ MORE

“I’m happy with the points. I think we deserved (the points), no doubt.

“But one thing is deserve and another thing is deserve and play very, very well, which we didn’t.

“With our quality I would expect us to be stronger and to get a different result.”

Chelsea scored a sublime opener through Oscar, two minutes after the floodlights had been switched on to brighten a darkening autumnal day. Mourinho believes the moment also enlivened a quiet crowd.

“I think the man responsible for the lights was in the same mood as the crowd, because everybody was sleeping,” Mourinho added. “He took 20 minutes to understand that it was dark, but I took 30 minutes to understand that the stadium was not empty.

“When we scored was when I realised ‘woah, the stadium is full. Good’.”

Mourinho also admitted being culpable for his team’s lack of impetus. He added: “It was my responsibility. I was not intense, they were not intense.”

Oscar’s goal was brilliant, as, from Cesc Fabregas’s pass, he hit a first-time shot with the outside of his right boot into the far corner.

“The goal is not impossible in a very talented boy,” Mourinho said. “For 90 minutes I think he was our best player. Not for the goal, but for the dynamic, for the intensity, for the transitions. He was always sharp.

“He was fantastic. He played Sunday (at Manchester United), he played Tuesday (at Shrewsbury), he played today.

“Some other guys didn’t play midweek, so I would expect other people to be sharper than Oscar, but in the end Oscar, for me, was our best player.”

Oscar appeared to be the only Blues player immune from criticism as the assessment of the prolific Diego Costa was less than strong after his four-game absence with a hamstring problem.

“He didn’t have a very good performance like the team,” Mourinho said. “A muscular injury is not just your body, it’s also your brain.

“After that you are afraid of a reaction and it brakes (slows) you a little bit. Normally the next match for him, he will be better.”

Mourinho praised the organisation of QPR and Redknapp was pleased, but believes his side were worthy of a point and that the penalty award was unfortunate.

“I thought it was a harsh penalty,” Redknapp said. “I’m not saying it was not a penalty. It was a soft penalty.

“It was shoulder charge. They both hit each other. Two tiny little guys — Vargas is only 5ft 4in, 5ft 5in and so is Hazard.

“Our guy is very strong and powerful and he bounced him off (but) I wouldn’t say he dived.”

Charlie Austin had equalised with an improvised finish from Leroy Fer's mis-hit shot for his third goal in a week after his double in the defeat of Aston Villa last Monday.

Redknapp, who also praised Rob Green, Richard Dunne and Steven Caulker, added: "It's good for Charlie to be scoring. He's on a good run at the moment, scoring some goals. I was pleased all round.

“I thought the keeper was excellent, the two centre-halves defended for their lives and I couldn’t be more pleased in the way we worked.

“It’s difficult to come here because they have so much talent, so much ability, so much strength.

“I felt we deserved something for how hard we worked. When you work that hard and don’t lie down against the best team in the country, for that we deserved a point.

“We have to work as hard as that every game if we’re going to pick up points and get out of trouble.”