Jose Mourinho cut a forlorn figure despite seeing his team win their first three points of the season with a hard-fought 3-2 win at the Hawthorms against WBA.
"I felt we deserved to win," he said.
"It was difficult. But we deserved it."
Mourinho was clearly unhappy about the sending off of John Terry in the second half which reduced his side to 10 men for the second time in three league matches - the first against Swansea on the season's opening day.
But the Portuguese was reluctant to talk about it.
"I don't want to make a comment about it," he said. "If I do, then I have to speak about many other things in the game - some things people can see and other things we can see. And so many thing happened - one striker pushed a defender, it's a foul, it's. It a foul. Referee stops the game in midfield and a foul is a yellow card or not a yellow card. The penalty, he should have given us or he lets Azpilecueta shoot. What if he misses the target? It's not a goal nor. Penalty. So I prefer just to focus on us. And s for us, at 3-1 it was short when 11v11. With the chances we created and the spaces we found, and attacked their defensive line it was short at 3-1. And then with one player less, and we are getting used it it. We adapted well. But they hit a goal back and then the game is open. But I am happy because we controlled the game well at that point. We had the best chances to score another goal. I am happy with the spirit of the players, they really want to win. It was. Big disappointment (not to play) for some.
Did he blew Terry for his sending off for getting in that position.
Mourinho does not think so.
"No I don't, he said. The ball is in space behind the full-back. The full-back is pressing high but their striker makes the movement, and then Mr Clatternberg decides it's a red card.
Mourinho is frustrated about the decision, but feels an appeal, while justified won't go their way.
"normally, it's a waste of time for us to appeal," he said.
"I think we should appeal. Because when Matic got sent off against Burnley last year, it was a waste of time. When Costa got sent off against Liverpool, it was a waste of time."
Mourinho, as pragmatic as ever knows that these sendings-pff can happen at any time and he and his plays need to be prepared for it.
"I train 10 against 11. I'm not joking. We have to do it. We did it already in pre-season in Canada. We have to do more.
We have to know what to do when it's 10 men when we are winning, 10 men when we are losing. 10 men when we are chasing a result, 10 men when we a defending a result. The difference between the WBA game and against Swansea was exactly that. Against Swansea we had 10 but we wanted to change the result into. Win. Against WBA we were winning, and wanted to keep the result. We need to be clear bout it. So we do it in training. That is the only thing we can do - that's in our hands."
Pedro s ore the opener and me. Crucial assist doe the second and Mourinho was holy with his £21million signing from Barcelona, but he worked all week preparing the winger for the rigours of the Premier League.
"It's always important to win. And he is a very good player. But there is always a question mark about new players coming into the league from another country," he said.
" how many top players come to England and don't perform immediately? Then people are critical and say 'oh, was he a bad buy.' - How many of them? We have examples of that at our club and the are lots of e apples in other clubs. So it's very nice doe Pedro to come in straight away and to perform the way he did.
"I expected that of him because he he. Good pre-season with Barcelona. He playedd three competitive matches, two Super Cups against Bilbao and. European Super Cup against Servilla. So he cow to us with good minutes on the pitch - he had intensity. So it was not a question of condition for us. It was a need to get the right understanding with the players Nd we worked tactically, every day with him since he came, for him to try to understand the team and for the team to understand him, what he wants, what he needs. And I think it was very good performance."