• Premier League

Mourinho remains defiant over early handshakes

Jose Mourinho's early offer to shake hands with Paul Lambert and Roy Keane was labelled 'a disgrace' © PA Photos

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists he will continue to shake hands with opposing managers before the final whistle, despite "polite" criticism from Aston Villa's Paul Lambert and Roy Keane.

Mourinho attempted to say his farewells while the sides were still playing at Stamford Bridge, a move considered "disrespectful" by Lambert, while Keane branded Mourinho's actions "a disgrace".

'Going unbeaten not possible any more'

• Jose Mourinho insists it will be impossible for Chelsea to go through the Premier League season unbeaten.
• "I don't think so," the Chelsea manager said. "I don't think it's possible in England any more.
• "We are in the most difficult competition in the world. The Premier League is the only competition where every result can happen at every stadium, especially because we have five teams fighting for the title.
• "We know the team we are building, and obviously the feelings we have are very good, but I am not in hell when things are not going well. I'm not in paradise because we are doing well."
• "The same five that were at the beginning of the season, they declared their ambitions," he added. "The two Manchester teams, us and Arsenal and Liverpool, all five we are title contenders. That is my opinion."

"I appreciate the comments," Mourinho said. "I think they are both two great examples of polite and very well educated people. Because I am a guy who tries to learn every day and with every experience, I appreciate the comments."

Asked if the practice will continue, Mourinho was unequivocal. "Yes," he said, before issuing a curt "no comment" when asked if the move was arrogant or not entering into the spirit of the game.

Chelsea head to Crystal Palace on Saturday, the scene of one of his more costly defeats last season.

Palace's 1-0 win in March was a hammer blow to Mourinho's hopes of returning the Premier League title to Stamford Bridge, prompting the Portuguese to suggest that his side "lacked balls" against their battling London rivals.

"Last season we lost there because they were better than us in every aspect of the game," Mourinho conceded. "We have more personality to impose our game now.

"Sometimes you want to impose your style and sometime you want to adapt to the opponent's style. Last season, Palace were better than us. Now we have to play our game and not their game. At their game, they are better than us."

Mourinho admitted that Ramires, Didier Drogba, Diego Costa - who played both of Spain's Euro 2016 qualifiers, much to his manager's annoyance - Andre Schurrle and Jon Obi Mikel were doubts for the trip to Palace after the international break, but did not rule out any of them featuring at Selhurst Park.

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