• Premier League

Willian: Mourinho was frustrated with us

ESPN staff
November 3, 2014
Mourinho: We didn't play well

Jose Mourinho has called for more consistency from his players after Willian revealed the Chelsea manager was frustrated with their first-half display against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Chelsea eventually beat Harry Redknapp's struggling side 2-1 to keep their four-point cushion as Premier League leaders, but it took a second-half penalty from Eden Hazard to secure the win after Charlie Austin had cancelled out Oscar's impressive opener.

Jose Mourinho was less than impressed with Chelsea's efforts in the first half against QPR © Getty Images
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Mourinho has since said the Stamford Bridge supporters are "getting worse" after describing the ground as feeling like an "empty stadium" on Saturday, while Willian says Mourinho left the players in no doubts as to their efforts at half-time despite their 1-0 lead.

"At half-time [Mourinho] was frustrated and told us so," Willian told reporters. "He was not happy and told us we hadn't played well and had to do better.

"It was dangerous for us, to be only 1-0 up. So we had to improve. And he was right because even then QPR came on to the pitch for the second half and scored their goal to get level.

"But at least we reacted. We had to. We had to run more, keep the ball better, get at them more.

"The pressure is good for us. I'd rather have this, with us top of the league. We know we have to continue, keep those standards, and that is the only way."

Mourinho suggests Chelsea's fixture schedule may have had an impact on their performance on Saturday, saying: "We have to be more consistent and play better. The week was very strange. You play Manchester United on the Sunday, on the Monday you travel.

"Some of the players had two days off. Some of the others had to go to Shrewsbury immediately. Some of them in Shrewsbury played 90 minutes. Some had a free day the next day but it was a working day for the others.

''So it was a very strange week to work and be focused. We tried, but the individual performances weren't there and neither was the collective performance. Do QPR have some responsibility for that? I think they do. You have to give credit to a team that comes and is so well organised from a defensive point of view like they were.

"In the end we deserved to win. The result could've been more. It's important to win when you don't play so well."

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