Cole puts manners on the middle class

Birmingham - 0 Chelsea - 1: Jose Mourinho was introduced to English football's middle class on Saturday and confessed himself surprised by its table manners. In Portugal mid-table teams know their place, speak only when spoken to and remember how to pass the port. Birmingham City were having none of that.

While their manager Steve Bruce acknowledged the potential of Mourinho's Chelsea side by adopting an away formation for a home match, with one man up and five in midfield, his players produced an attacking performance which, with better finishing, would have yielded a notable win.

As it was, with six points from two 1-0 victories, Chelsea found themselves Saturday night leaders of the Premiership after a shot from Joe Cole put them ahead in the 68th minute.

As Mourinho strives to blend the remnants of the side he inherited from Claudio Ranieri with the latest influx of expensive summer signings Chelsea's followers should be prepared for a few nondescript performances of this type. The team is still at the chrysalis stage and may need a dozen games to spread its butterfly wings.

Wings of any sort would be welcome just now. It will be another fortnight before Arjen Robben is fit and on Saturday's evidence his presence is urgently needed, though it remained a mystery why Damien Duff remained at home when Chelsea's need in his position is at its most obvious.

With Wayne Bridge penned back by a recent team-mate, Jesper Gronkjaer, on the left, and Stan Lazaridis and Julian Gray turning their defence on the opposite flank, Chelsea spent more than an hour crammed into a crowded central corridor.

As a result large areas of the match were dominated by Birmingham's midfielders, especially Muzzy Izzet, who consistently created space with clever passes or shrewd runs. But it wasn't enough.

The winning goal was a result of Cole going wide on the left to provide a target for Frank Lampard's pass. Cole then cut in for a low shot that ricocheted into the net off Martin Taylor's instep. "Sometimes football kicks you in the teeth," said Bruce.

At other times it elbows you in the face, which was what appeared to happen to Mateja Kezman, who had replaced Eidur Gudjohnsen, when Robbie Savage caught him in the closing minutes. Mourinho said he was surprised rather than angry "because in English football I was not expecting such etiquette. You are the kings of fair play".

The Chelsea manager hopes the FA video committee will examine the incident which occurred when Savage, with Kezman harrying him from behind, flailed his arms to shake off the challenge.

BIRMINGHAM CITY: Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Martin Taylor, Upson, Lazaridis, Johnson, Savage, Izzet, Gronkjaer (John 76), Heskey, Gray. Subs Not Used: Tebily, Bennett, Carter, Clemence.

CHELSEA: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Bridge, Geremi (Cole 63), Lampard, Makelele, Smertin (Tiago 45), Gudjohnsen (Kezman 45), Drogba. Subs Not Used: Gallas, Cudicini. Goals: Cole 68.

Referee: B Knight (Kent).