Blues prefer to talk about Cech than rise to Fergie’s bait
Ferguson claimed it was “ludicrous” that the pair should meet at all and insisted that other managers would not be treated in the same fashion.
Mourinho agreed to meet Hackett after voicing his dismay at referee Graham Poll’s performance during his side’s 2-1 defeat to Tottenham last Sunday.
The Chelsea coach was unhappy with a number of incidents during the game, including the dismissal of captain John Terry, and Poll’s decision to disallow a goal by Didier Drogba.
Meanwhile, Mourinho and Terry have revealed their delight that skull-injury victim Petr Cech made was at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea’s 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa in the Carling Cup.
The goalkeeper fractured his skull against Reading last month and is expected to be out for the season after undergoing surgery.
But he was able to join the jubilant players in the dressing room after goals from Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Drogba had put them into Saturday’s draw for the quarter-finals.
The Czech international watched the match from an executive club box in the East Stand and Terry, who missed the game through suspension after his red card at White Hart Lane, said: “It was great for everyone to see Petr at the game on Wednesday, watching us win so well. He’s looking good and he’s doing well. I’m still speaking to him every day, and I’ve been round [to his house] as well.
“It was such a major injury he suffered, and he’s started out well on the long road back. That was great football [against Villa] to help him on his way.”
Mourinho added: “It was fantastic to see Petr in the dressing room before and after the game on Wednesday. He is still resting, but that was another stage in his recovery.”
Chelsea entertain Watford at Stamford Bridge tomorrow having opened the scoring in all 11 Premiership games so far – the only club in the division to do so and also the only club to have scored in all of them. Mourinho believes they must make the most of their home advantage against both the Hornets and West Ham next week.
Chelsea are currently three points adrift of Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premiership following their defeat at Spurs.
Mourinho must decide whether to recall Hilario in goal after selecting Carlo Cudicini against Villa in the Carling Cup. It was Cudicini’s first game since he was concussed in the same Reading game which saw Cech injured.
Left-back Ashley Cole and Arjen Robben, both rested against Villa, should return along with Terry, who has now served his one-match ban for his dismissal at Spurs.
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