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 Chelsea had done well to stifle the Liverpool marksman before the
flash point in the final stages of their absorbing 2-1 victory at
Stamford Bridge on Sunday that left Mourinho and Liverpool boss
Brendan Rodgers in firm disagreement.
Trailing after goals by Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto'o following
Martin Skrtel's early strike, Suarez set off after Chelsea fullback
Cesar Azpilicueta only for Eto'o to block his run, leaving the
Uruguayan on the floor appealing in vain to referee Howard Webb.
"The player is amazing and I love his quality, commitment and
ambition to play," Mourinho told British media of Premier League top
scorer Suarez, banned for 10 games after biting Chelsea defender
Branislav Ivanovic in a game last April.
"I know him from his time at Ajax. A very nice boy. He does
everything to win, and Brendan has done a very good job with him
because he's changed. No doubt, he's changed.
"But when you are losing, the nature comes out of the player. The
wild nature, the cultural nature of the player. Culturally, people
from that area, they like it. Not just that area. There's a corner
in Europe, where I belong too, where they like that too.
"One of the things we have good in this country is we don't like
simulation. It's not good for our game. Azpilicueta had the ball, he
was leaving the box, and now Suarez is doing an acrobatic swimming
pool jump to try and get the penalty because he's so clever he knows
he's in the penalty area right in front of the Liverpool supporters.
"I hate players who try to provoke situations, and he tries too much
to provoke these situations. Suarez lost that duel with Azpilicueta,
Eto'o comes in and it looks like somebody shot him in the back. Webb
is 10 meters away and the only mistake he made was not giving him a
yellow card."
Cameroon striker Eto'o was at the center of a number of incidents in
the intense clash before he toe-poked home his third league goal of
the season that helped Chelsea to a 2-1 win to stay within two
points of league leaders Arsenal.
As well as the Suarez penalty claims, Eto'o was guilty of a poor
challenge on Jordan Henderson that resulted in the free-kick from
which Skrtel put Liverpool ahead in the third minute.
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WILD SHANK
"Let's talk about the first Eto'o incident when he should have
been sent off," said Rodgers, who previously worked with
Mourinho at Chelsea during the Portuguese's first spell in
charge.
"I know we scored from the free kick, but that was a wild shank
where he's come down his knee and shin and didn't even get a
yellow card.
"That's the first wild challenge. On the second one, Luis will
always provoke a challenge from defenders in the box. That's why
he's world class.
"What he wouldn't expect is it coming from somebody off the
ball. He blocks him. That could have been a penalty on another
day as obstruction in the area. But he (Mourinho) will defend
his players. I will defend mine."
The Northern Irishman said he "didn't like" his Brazilian
playmaker Philippe Coutinho and defender Mamadou Sakho swapping
shirts at the end of the first half with Chelsea duo Oscar and
Eto'o and he would speak with them.
That conversation appears to be the least of Sakho's worries
after the tall Frenchman limped away with a hamstring problem
near the end of the costly match for the visitors, who also lost
Joe Allen to injury.
Rodgers, whose side slipped to fifth and six points back of
leaders Arsenal, said reinforcements were required in the
January transfer window for his injury-hit side, who are also
without captain Steven Gerrard and striker Daniel Sturridge.
"We've shown that if we get the players back, and get some
help in January, we'll be in the shake-up. If we can add to it and get some
depth, that'll really help you in the second half of the season when you
need it," he said.
"It's still open. I'm looking forward to the fact we still have
to play every big team apart from Manchester United at home, and
Anfield's now a tough place to come.
"Christmas Day, eating our turkey, we were top of the league. A
few days later we're fifth. But it makes it really exciting."
(Writing by Patrick Johnston)
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