Mourinho - graceless as ever as his team salvages a point

Couldn't Jose Mourinho find it within himself to simply admit that his team had been lucky to get their injury-time penalty against West Brom on Saturday?

It was, frankly, never a penalty as Ramires ran into West Brom defender Steven Reid and took the opportunity to "go to ground". Hapless referee Andre Marriner was fooled and awarded the spot kick. This was duly dispatched by Eden Hazard to keep Mourinho's unbeaten home record in the league with Chelsea intact.

Mourinho said after the game: "The penalty came at a moment when it's difficult for the team that is winning to accept. You are waiting for the last minute and the whistle to come, but this one was a penalty. I didn't know, no idea; but on the screen, no doubts."

He also tried to deflect attention away from this poor decision by claiming that his team should have had a free-kick before West Brom's second goal. He said: "It's a free kick just in front of the fourth official [what's that got to do with it?]. It's a big mistake from the referee." Wrong again. Branislav Ivanovic dwelt on the ball and wasn't strong enough to retain it under the challenge of Stephane Sessegnon.

For poor West Brom manager, Steve Clarke (assistant to Mourinho in his previous spell at Chelsea), it was a different viewpoint for the penalty decision: "I'm flabbergasted at the decision. I can't believe he gave it. I saw it at the time. I've been in the game a long time and I knew Ramires was already on the way down before anyone was near him."

Back to Mourinho's comment: it wasn't difficult to accept because of the time of the penalty; it was difficult to accept because it wasn't a penalty - big difference!

Championship half-time report

Of all the leagues the Championship is always the toughest one to call. Why this should be I have no idea, but it always seems to be tight and most prone to a team "coming from nowhere" to either gain a play-off spot or fall into the relegation places.

This season looks to be no different. Only seven points cover places fourth to 15th, so Cardiff, Leicester, Swansea, Sheffield United, Blackpool, Crystal Palace, QPR, Middlesbrough, Bristol City, Watford, Doncaster and Barnsley are all in range, and Preston and Coventry are only another one and two points respectively further adrift.

Newcastle United are at the top, six points clear of West Bromwich Albion - who have a game in hand. Nottingham Forest are in third, two points behind West Brom, having played a game more. Cardiff are six behind Forest with a game in hand, and Leicester are six behind Forest with two games in hand.

How can you call it?!

I'll take Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest for the automatic places.

In the play-offs I'll go for West Brom, Leicester City, Sheffield United and Blackpool. But don't ask me to justify any of those tips!

As for relegation, expect some juggling, but I'll go for Peterborough United, Plymouth Argyle and Scunthorpe United to slip through the net.

Friends in places

My local club Woking Football Club rose to fame in 1991 when they "giant killed" West Brom in the FA Cup second round, 4-2. At the time West Brom were languishing down near the bottom of Division 2 (equivalent to today's Championship) and Woking were in the Ryman League Division 1 (equivalent to today's Ryman League Premier Division). It was a friend of mine - Tim Buzaglo (who used to play for Weysiders) - who scored a hat-trick on the day to give them victory.

Woking climbed through the leagues to the Conference (finishing runners-up in 1995 and 1996 in the days before two went up to the Football League) and lifted the FA Trophy on three occasions in the '90s (incidentally, without Buzaglo, who had moved on).

Sadly, last season Woking were relegated out of the Blue Square Premier to the Blue Square South, where they currently sit in second place behind Dover Athletic.

Now another friend of mine - Shahid Azeem - is Chairman of Woking Football Club, and I wish him every success in his new role. Given their current position, things seem to have started well with new manager Graham Baker in charge.

Yet another friend of mine, John Moore, is one of the press officers down at Kingfield, so I wish him well too!

I've not been to watch Woking for a season or two, but with a couple of pals down there, I must get along!