Where There's Blame There's A Claim

I’m a big admirer of Jose Mourinho. I like his arrogance, I like the way he winds the media and rival managers up and I like the fact he has brought a bit of style - since copied by several other managers including Glenn Roeder - to the Premiership with that black trench coat and scarf ensemble of his.

But I just wish he and Chelsea would stop going on about the terrible injury to goalkeeper Petr Cech.

It was an awful incident and the news the Cech international will not play again this season because he has had two metal plates inserted into his skull following the collision with Stephen Hunt during the win at Reading is shocking.

But Hunt did not mean to do it, he was going for the ball, it was an accident and the sort of thing that can happen in any sort of contact sport.

However, Mourinho and Chelsea have kept going on about how action should be taken against Hunt because of his challenge and others, most notably Arsenal’s Jens Lehmann, have insisted goalkeepers don’t get enough protection.

Enough protection? How many times have we seen a goalkeeper jump up into a striker with his knees raised and hands in the air only for the striker to be penalised?

And how many times have we seen a goalkeeper charge out and clatter thigh high into a striker as they run in on goal?

Do strikers need more protection as well Lens? They might get hurt. In fact, while we’re at it, let’s ban challenges on goalkeepers all together and let’s ban sliding tackles, they’re dangerous, people lose the ball and sometimes fall over and hurt themselves. Dangerous that, could end a career.

And, while I’m on a rant, isn’t this the same Mourinho and Chelsea who claimed their players were being picked on after there was similar "public" outrage about Michael Essien when the Ghana international twice assaulted, sorry made bad tackles, on rival players last season?

Hmm, is that the ball, nope, not interested in that, your knee looks a far more appealing target so I'll just go over the ball and plant my studs there if you don't mind. Oops, sorry ref, accident, honest.

Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones Jose!

Anyway, I’m off to fall down a hole or trip over a kerb on my way home so that I can put a compensation claim in to the local council. Where There’s Blame There’s A Claim - maybe that’s why Chelsea are making such a fuss!?

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