Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that he could not understand the reasoning behind Norwich City’s defensive tactics in their 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The Portuguese manager had expected the canaries to come out all guns blazing in an attempt to win points to help them avoid relegation.
Instead though it was the Blues who attacked having 23 shots on goal while Norwich sat back hoping to catch Chelsea on the counter attack.
“We had one team that needed three points to have a chance to survive, and they didn’t play to win,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.
“You had a team that needs one point to finish third, and in the Champions’ League group phase and that team played like the one needing three points so it was a bit of a contradiction.
“(Their gameplan) surprised me but anyone plays like they want. It’s not my responsibility, it is their responsibility.
“We were waiting for a kind of crazy game, especially in the second half, where they would gamble everything to try for a last chance to survive, but they didn’t. Even worse – they defended much more but that’s their problem. We have not a right to criticise.
“I think we lost 45 minutes because in the first half we were very slow. Like the weather, players were playing very slow with no intensity.
“In the second half the intensity was completely different, the dynamic too. The players they wanted it much, much more and we tried everything.
“We know we have no chances to be champions and we know we need one point to finish in the group phase of the Champions League, which obviously is not a cup for us but affects the next season. It affects pre-season and it was important for us to finish third.”
