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“West Ham abolished slavery”: Mourinho clarifies 19th century comment

"There's nothing braver than going away to a top team and parking the old-fashioned steam train."

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19th century football team
Forever blowing bubbles…

José Mourinho has moved to elaborate upon his assertion that West Ham United played “19th century football” at Stamford Bridge last night, claiming it to have been meant in a positive way.

The Chelsea boss, happy-go-lucky, was at first critical of the Hammers’ backs-to-the-walls approach in securing a 0-0 draw despite the home side mustering 39 shots on goal to the visitors’ one.

However, the Portuguese, infectiously laid-back, was quick to issue a statement once he’d remembered that he takes his own side to table-toppers Manchester City this weekend.

He said: “Yes, I accused Sam Allardyce of getting his team to play 19th century football – I meant it as a compliment.

“Lots of great things happened in the 19th century, like the widespread abolition of slavery, advances in medicine and the industrial revolution.

“West Ham’s defending was slave-abolishingly good, so resolute in fact that we’ll have to advance medicine and revolutionise industry once again just to figure out how to cope with it.

“There’s nothing braver than going away to a top team and parking the old-fashioned steam train or horse-drawn carriage, so I trust I shall be lavished with praise when I escape from the Etihad with the kind of point I’ve already wrenched out of Old Trafford and the Emirates this season.

“Now stop pestering me, I’ve got to get Yaya Touré and David Silva out of my Fantasy Football team.”

NOW: See the Mourinho interview in which he accuses West Ham of “19th century football”