Hull City 2-0

Independent:

Chelsea 2 Hull City 0
Jose Mourinho victorious in first match back as Chelsea manager
By SAM WALLACE

Jose Mourinho tried hard to keep it low-key when he finally emerged from the tunnel to take his seat yesterday. The problem is that when more than 40,000 people are singing your name, some of whom are wearing masks bearing your likeness, the situation requires more than just a cursory wave.
He stood up and sat down three times, eventually blowing kisses to the Chelsea supporters and then, as the game started, he began writing notes on a pad. The love-in was clearly a source of anxiety for him on his return to Stamford Bridge as manager after almost six years away but he needed not worry. His unbeaten home record in the league was never going to be challenged yesterday.
This was a typical Mourinho victory. The high-octane, aggressive approach in the first half that yielded a penalty, missed by Frank Lampard, and then after that two goals in the first 25 minutes was just about enough to break any hopes Hull City might have nurtured of some kind of return on their day. In the second half Chelsea choked the life out the game.
In his first spell at the club, it was in this fashion that so many games were won. Often it would be a goal in either half, before a holding midfielder – often Jiri Jarosik or Tiago – was sent on to lock the door once and for all.  This time there was no sensible midfielder sent on, unless you include the six minutes that Marco Van Ginkel got at the end, but Chelsea shut the game down nonetheless.
What will be remembered was the pace and intensity with which Chelsea started the game. Reprising his excellent pre-season form, Kevin De Bruyne was selected as the No 10 between Eden Hazard and Oscar and the 22-year-old De Bruyne, making his competitive debut for Chelsea, was impressive. It was De Bruyne’s pass into Oscar on six minutes after Hazard had carried the ball from the left wing and the Brazilian scored beautifully.
Even before then, Lampard had a penalty saved by Allan McGregor after the Hull goalkeeper came out and, in trying to get the ball away from Fernando Torres, managed to punch the Chelsea man in the face. It was a strange day for McGregor. He reacted well to save the penalty but then later failed to save Lampard’s free-kick on 25 minutes which was close enough to be stopped.
There was a debate over the award of the free-kick in the first place, one which looked like it had been won by a dive by Torres when he was challenged by James Chester. From that free-kick, Lampard struck a dipping shot that had plenty of pace which McGregor flapped at and missed and the game was completely out of sight.
In those early stages, Chelsea succeeded in breaking Hull’s resistance. The attacking was relentless and there was an obvious effort to send every pass forward. Oscar looks to have come back from that long Confederations Cup summer sharp. Hazard started well. They are all clearly galvanised by the competition for places and a manager who is not prepared to accept anything but the best.
Of course, there will always be the Torres conundrum. He ran onto Ramires’ pass to win the penalty and, in the moments he got the ball, he did look like he was much less lethargic than his worst moments in a Chelsea shirt. Even so, when the three men behind him are moving the ball around as quickly as they did yesterday the expectation will be that Torres scores regularly. He struggled for a clear-cut chance yesterday although Mourinho seemed to appreciate his effort.
The Chelsea manager said that his team had simply run out of steam after their first half performance, especially his three creative players behind Torres. “We can't play that way for 90 minutes,” he said. “We had no physical energy [after half-time] to play that way.” But by then the damage was done
As for Hull, they rallied in the second half when Chelsea turned down the dial. McGregor saved well in injury-time at the end of the first half from a Branislav Ivanovic header which was so close to crossing the line that the new “goal decision system” goal-line technology was activated. The computer said ‘No’ to Ivanovic and Chelsea went in just the two goals up.
The introduction of the new signings Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore, the latter of whom is on loan, made a difference after the hour. They gave Hull a bit more stability and direction in midfield. But that had to be balanced by the options that Mourinho had at his disposal, including Andre Schurrle who narrowly missed with a shot over having come on after 69 minutes.
Hull’s best chance of the game was a Curtis Davies header in the second half that was saved by Petr Cech. Up in his executive box, Roman Abramovich gave a shy wave to the supporters when his face was beamed up on the screen. Earlier he had imparted a rare message to the fans on the cover of the programme, 29 words in all thanking them for supporting the club over his ten years in charge.
Later Mourinho said that the billionaire had been in the dressing room before the game to speak to the players, the first time that he had done so during Mourinho’s time in charge on the first day of a season. Yet the one thing that Abramovich does not appear to be able to conjure up is a deal for Wayne Rooney. It seemed when Mourinho talked around the subject of the Manchester United player after the game that the penny has dropped he will not be sold to them.
So if not Roo, then who? Romelu Lukaku was a late replacement for Torres but Mourinho still lacks that profile of striker that he outlined during the summer. That is, one to make things happen in the tight spaces rather than playing on the shoulder of the last defender and running in behind, as Torres does.
Even so, without Juan Mata and David Luiz this was an impressive start. Before the game, the Chelsea pitch announcer Neil Barnett, no stranger to controversy, had declared on the mic that he was “looking forward to introducing this manager more than I did the last one.” That was hard on Rafa Benitez, who delivered a trophy and Champions League football. But they know what they like at Chelsea.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 6; Ivanovic 6, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Cole 6; Ramires 7, Lampard 7; Hazard 7, De Bruyne 8 (Schurrle 6, 69), Oscar 8 (Van Ginkel, 84); Torres 6 (Lukaku, 75).
Substitutes not used Schwarzer (gk), Essien, Mata, Ba.

Hull (4-3-3): McGregor 5; Elmehamady 5, Chester 5, Davies 5, Figueroa 5; Koren 6, Meyler 5, (Huddlestone 6, 59), Brady 6; Aluko 5 (Boyd, 78), Graham 5 (Livermore 6, 59), Sagbo 5.
Substitutes not used Harper (gk), Rosenior, Bruce, McShane.

Referee J Moss (Tyne and Wear)
Booked: Hull Meyler
Man of the match De Bruyne
Rating 6
Attendance 41,374


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Guardian:

José Mourinho enjoys stylish return as Chelsea cruise against Hull
Daniel Taylor at Stamford Bridge

The stadium announcer cleared his throat and held up his microphone to address the stands. "I'm looking forward to introducing this manager more than the last one," he told the crowd. Stamford Bridge bellowed its approval and the new era was under way.
In the more amorous moments, it was possible to find grown men throwing rose petals to José Mourinho from the stands. Well, not quite. Yet this was an unrelenting love-in and it has been a long time since Stamford Bridge has felt such a contented place. Mourinho milked the moment with some extravagant blowing of kisses (both hands, naturally). Roman Abramovich waved to the crowd and the team played with enough panache in the first half to make sure there was never any danger the homecoming would not go to plan.
On the contrary, they are probably entitled to feel they could have marked the occasion with a proper old-fashioned thrashing given the way they pummelled their opponents in that opening period. Chelsea's pace dropped after the interval. They had started to look a little jaded before the end and, for 10 minutes or so, Hull were even emboldened enough to threaten Petr Cech's goal. Yet the damage was done inside a first half when Chelsea played some wonderful, slick football and the crowd never tired of serenading the returning hero. "The reception was amazing," Mourinho said afterwards, though he did follow that up by saying it was time the Chelsea fans started singing about the players.
Both goals arrived inside the first 25 minutes and the photographers, with their lenses permanently trained on Chelsea's dugout, would have had another of those fist-pumping celebrations if Frank Lampard had not whacked a sixth-minute penalty too close to Allan McGregor. Lampard simply shook his head clear and when there was a chance to make amends, with a free-kick closer to the centre circle than the penalty area, his shot, dipping, swerving and soaring into the top corner, demanded immediate inclusion in his portfolio of great goals.
For Hull, that was probably the first reminder of how brutal this league can be. They will not always be confronted by teams with this speed of thought and movement but there was a telling moment, just before half-time, when Mourinho became engaged in conversation with Steve Bruce and the Hull manager could be seen clasping his hands together and looking to the skies. Bruce looked as though he were praying for some kind of mercy. Afterwards he said he would like to play with 13 men next time – and had just asked Mourinho for Lampard on loan.
Oscar, in particular, shimmered with menace during that exhilarating 45-minute period, playing just behind Fernando Torres but often dropping deep, such an elusive opponent. Kevin De Bruyne slipped seamlessly into the side, Eden Hazard was a constant threat and, though Torres faded after the break, there were other moments that encouraged the sense the Mourinho effect could have therapeutic effects on his Chelsea career. Lampard, meanwhile, played with so much control and authority to remind us how preposterous it was that last season Chelsea were seriously considering not keeping him on. His free-kick came from a good 35 yards and he almost scored again from similar range with another rocket in the second half. What a wretched mistake it would have been to move him on.
Hull were obliging opponents from the moment McGregor charged off his goal-line and clattered into Torres for the early penalty. Bruce said afterwards he felt McGregor might have done better with Lampard's free-kick. Yet the Scotland international, to give him his due, did more than anyone to ensure Hull emerged with some respectability. His penalty save was impressive enough but the reflexes to claw out Branislav Ivanovic's point-blank header just before half-time might have even topped it. In between, Mourinho might have lost count of the number of other chances his team created. All this from a side with Juan Mata, their outstanding player of the last two seasons, on the bench because he is lagging a little in terms of match fitness.
No wonder Bruce was praying. "Thankfully we won't be playing Chelsea every week," he said. "What a difference to 12 months ago. The whole ground was behind them. Everybody was united. Even the owner was waving. A lot of teams would have found it difficult because they will be a force again with this manager. They were incredible in that first 25 minutes." Mourinho said he could rarely remember a better 25-minute period of attacking football.
The breakthrough came after 13 minutes. Hazard instigated the move, cutting in from the left and playing the ball into De Bruyne's feet. The debutant slipped a beautifully weighted pass into Oscar's path and the Brazilian was suddenly running through, stretching out his right boot and poking a shot beyond the oncoming McGregor.
Lampard's free-kick followed a foul from James Chester on Torres – an exaggerated tumble from Torres but a free-kick, nonetheless – and at that stage it was difficult to imagine Hull would get to the finish without more damage being inflicted. The promoted side do, however, deserve some credit for the way they settled in the second half and it needed a fine save from Cech to keep out Curtis Davies's header before all those home-made "Special One" posters came out again at the final whistle.

Man of the match Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

http://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2013/aug/18/premier-league-chelsea-hull-gallery


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Hull City 0
Henry Winter

This felt like a testimonial for Jose Mourinho at times rather than a contest for Premier League points. When Chelseawere awarded a penalty, one half-expected Mourinho to be invited on to do the honours. Hull City stirred only in short periods, mainly being outclassed by hosts galvanised by Mourinho’s return.
Chelsea, particularly in the first half, played with a real tempo, pressing hard, moving the ball quickly, scoring through Oscar and Frank Lampard and enjoying a highly promising display from the debut-making Kevin De Bruyne. The sun shone, the points were claimed, the fans celebrated and all seemed well at the Bridge.
This was more than a win. This was a club re-united after the divisions of last season, and occasional fractious outpourings from the terraces. This new mood was wrought by Mourinho. Chelsea fans welcomed the Happy One (the artist formerly known as the Special One) with a banner of “We are the happy ones”. Others declared him to be “one of us” and “simply the best’’. Mourinho reciprocated with a regal wave, some blown kisses and gushing programme notes to “my Blues brothers” that made Mills and Boon read like Kafka and Plath.
Conveniently forgotten in this love-in was Mourinho’s previous game here, the 1-1 Champions League draw with Rosenborg in front of a restless 27,973.
The team languished fifth in the Premier League at the time, Mourinho and Roman Abramovich had fallen out and Chelsea’s love affair with the Special One was hurtling towards divorce, the decree nisi announced on Sept 20, 2007. By “mutual consent” of course.
Other managers have come and gone, some like Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto di Matteo and Rafa Benítez delivering trophies. But the strange Benítez era of last season saw the Europa League collected but the club divided. The fans’ issues with Benítez saw them even turn briefly on their benefactor. “Roman Abramovich — is that what you want?’’ they asked at Upton Park when losing.
Now peace reigns. Chelsea fans always held a candle for Mourinho. As the memory of the dark days of 2007 faded, the candle burned brighter. His restoration to huge acclaim had them singing the name of their owner, thanking him for a remarkable decade and also for their special present. Abramovich responded with a self-conscious smile and wave. Marking his 10th anniversary, Abramovich paid tribute to the supporters in a special wrap-around cover on the programme: “We have had a great decade together and the club could not have achieved it all without you. Thanks for your support. Here’s to many more years of success.’’ Twenty-nine words. That’s an expansive, no-holds-barred interview by the usual standards of the reticent Russian.
The visiting manager, Steve Bruce, noticed Abramovich responding to the crowd and referred to Chelsea as feeling “united” again. Mourinho and his team face far tougher assignments than Bruce’s willing if outclassed Hull, but this was a good start for the hosts. Chelsea and Mourinho may have their Taylor and Burton moments but the re-marriage looks strong.
It’s not all sweetness and sunlight. A cloud, possibly blowing in from Catalonia, hangs over David Luiz’s future. Luiz was watching on, recovering from a hamstring injury, amidst increasing interest from Barcelona. The risk-taking Brazilian does not appear the type of centre-half or holding midfielder that fits the Mourinho mould. John Terry and Gary Cahill are Mourinho’s first-choice central defence. Ramires and Lampard anchored midfield (although Marco van Ginkel, a newcomer deemed suited to the defensive-midfield role, came on in an advanced position).
The conundrum that is Fernando Torres continues. His run won an early penalty (missed by Lampard) and his dive won a free-kick (definitely not missed by Lampard). Torres initially looked sharp but faded and was replaced by Romelu Lukaku. Having enjoyed such a prolific loan period at West Brom last season, Lukaku deserves a chance to prove he should be starting ahead of Torres. Mourinho’s confirmation that Chelsea will pursue Wayne Rooney until the Sept 2 transfer deadline indicated doubts over Torres. Rooney would certainly do more with all those chances presented by the quicksilver Oscar, Eden Hazard and De Bruyne, let alone Juan Mata who remained on the bench.
Bruce can only dream of such richness of resources. His Hull team were certainly not hiding here, certainly not “parking the bus”, with Sone Aluko and Yannick Sagbo racing forward in support of Danny Graham but they lacked a cutting edge.
Chelsea were soon in control. Allan McGregor dived to his right to save Lampard’s penalty after the keeper had charged into Torres. Chelsea soon made their chances count. De Bruyne was at the centre of much of the hosts’ best work, creating the first after 12 minutes by taking a pass from Hazard, turning and wrongfooting Hull’s defence before neatly playing in Oscar. The Brazilian stroked the ball under McGregor.
Chelsea made it 2-0 after 24 minutes. Torres patently milked a challenge from James Chester, falling to the floor, and fashioning a free-kick opportunity from 30 yards for Lampard. Hull’s wall was too poor, too easily distracted by the movement from those in blue shirts, opening space for Lampard to drill the ball in. He celebrated with a run towards the dug-out, stopping short of embracing Mourinho but clearly indicating his high regard.
Lampard almost added a third but McGregor saved well and then did brilliantly to repel Branislav Ivanovic’s header, then pushing it out as it almost fell over the line. Jon Moss, the referee, called on the goal-decision system — Hawkeye — for advice and it indicated “no goal” on the screen.
Those who want video technology introduced for other incidents will claim their case was enhanced after 62 minutes when Ivanovic was clearly pulled back and pushed over by Robbie Brady. Hull shouted for a hand-ball by Lampard as they responded briefly. Bruce had sent on Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore, but Chelsea remained in control.
The variety of Chelsea’s creative options was seen when André Schürrle came on for De Bruyne, whose contribution was noted warmly by the home fans. The game petered out but the homecoming party continued.

Money well spent?
Chelsea
Kevin De Bruyne was at the centre of many of Chelsea’s best moves, defensive midfielder Marco van Ginkel came on late in an unfavoured atatcking position while Andre Schurrle, another substitute, put a shot over the bar.
Hull City
Allan McGregor, a £1.5 million signing from Bestikas, saved Frank Lampard’s penalty and later brilliantly kept out Branislav Ivanovic’s header. Ahmed Elmohamady, who was on loan at Hull last season but joined permanently for £2 million from Sunderland in the summer, was tidy. Tom Huddlestone, a £5 million midweek signing and Jake Livermore, on loan, were lively substitutes.

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The Times:

Oliver Kay

 It started as a love-in and ended up as a lockdown. All things considered, José Mourinho's Chelsea homecoming brought just about everything he hoped it would: a blissfully happy atmosphere, a bold and stylish first period, a professional second-half performance and, naturally, three points.
 Of course, there will be far, far tougher tests ahead, but, for Mourinho, yesterday represented a more than satisfactory opening gambit. It was always likely to be so, with Hull City nothing like equipped to spoil the party, but, even so, the afternoon lived up to the highest expectations for the supporters who went to Stamford Bridge to pay homage to their "Special One" once more.
 Gratifyingly, there was more for them to cheer than that familiar, reassuring presence on the touchline. There were goals for Oscar and Frank Lampard and an encouraging debut for Kevin De Bruyne on the right-hand side. At times in the first half, with Oscar, De Bruyne and Eden Hazard combining well, they played with what Mourinho called "beautiful quality".
 It brought a smile to Roman Abramovich's face. The Chelsea owner had returned from holiday to witness the game and to enter the dressing room to wish his team luck beforehand. "It's the fifth season I start with Chelsea and it was the first time we had Mr Abramovich in the dressing room with us before the game," Mourinho said. "To have Mr Abramovich coming from his holiday to be there with us meant a lot."
 There might be times in the future when Mourinho considers the owner's presence in the sanctuary of the dressing room to be less benign, but for now it is entirely accurate to talk of his Chelsea remarriage as being in a honeymoon stage. The challenge will be to keep the feelgood factor alive - they are at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday and away to Manchester United next Monday - and to avoid the type of angst-ridden form that in recent years has taken hold too often at the first sign of trouble.
 Remarkably, this was Chelsea's thirteenth opening-day victory in the past 15 Premier League seasons. It was never really in doubt. Oscar and Lampard scored within 25 minutes, by which time Lampard had also had a penalty saved by Allan McGregor, and at that stage Steve Bruce, the Hull manager, looked like a man who feared the worst.
 When Mourinho rewatches the game, it is those opening stages that will please him. Chelsea began superbly, as both their manager and the atmosphere demanded. It took only 13 minutes for Oscar to score the first goal of the second Mourinho era, but it could have happened even sooner.
 With five minutes gone, Fernando Torres raced into the penalty area, beat McGregor to a bouncing ball and headed it beyond the goalkeeper, whose timing was all wrong, his outstretched fist felling Torres for a penalty. It seemed like the worst possible start for the Scot on his Premier League debut, but he swiftly made amends, diving low to his right to save Lampard's kick, to raucous celebrations from the Hull supporters behind him in the Shed End.
 The penalty save only delayed the inevitable. After Hazard, Oscar and Lampard threatened in quick succession, the Hull defence's resistance was broken. Hazard cut in from the left-hand side and passed to De Bruyne, in a central position near the edge of the penalty area. Oscar timed his run well and De Bruyne threaded his pass superbly, allowing the Brazilian to slip the ball underneath McGregor to open the scoring.
 Already there was a celebratory atmosphere, but Lampard still had some frustration to work out of his system after the penalty miss. After Torres tumbled to win a free kick more than 30 yards from goal, Lampard let fly, his shot dipping and swerving and leaving McGregor to flail unconvincingly, helping the ball on its way into the net. That was Chelsea goal No 204 for Lampard. Incredible to think that the club were willing to let him go at one stage last season.
 That was the high point of Chelsea's performance. Branislav Ivanovic threatened with a header just before half-time, with the Hawk-Eye technology correctly indicating that McGregor's excellent reaction save had been made on the goalline rather than behind it. It was a strange debut for McGregor, who excelled as a shot-stopper but not as a source of comfort for his defenders.
 Hull were struggling, with Bruce looking exasperated on the touchline by his players' inability to retain possession on the rare occasions that they crossed the halfway line. It should be said that Chelsea's back four looked resolute, although they were not up against much.
 Bruce's team improved in the second half after the introductions of Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore, their recruits from Tottenham Hotspur, but an injection of quality is needed, particularly in attack.
 The only slight threats to Chelsea came in the second half through a Robert Koren shot and a Curtis Davies header, but both were saved comfortably by Petr Cech. By that stage, Chelsea were in conservation mood, with Mourinho saying that De Bruyne, Oscar and Hazard were exhausted after their midweek international commitments.
 That at least gave us a look at André Schürrle, Romelu Lukaku and Marco van Ginkel - though not, interestingly, Juan Mata. Still, yesterday was all about one man. Victory over Hull City is no guarantee that the happy days are back at the Bridge for good, but Chelsea look ready and willing to ride this wave. This will do for starters.


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Mail:

Chelsea 2 Hull 0: Oscar and Lampard make it easy for Jose as Blues beat tame Tigers
By MATT BARLOW

It started with a kiss. It ended with a hug and a custard cream. And in between, Chelsea swiftly adopted the traditional look of a Jose Mourinho team.
Three points were banked thanks to an exceptional early burst of intensity, with two goals in the first 25 minutes from Oscar and Frank Lampard before Chelsea coasted in.
There were traces of the ‘what-we-have-we-keep’ mentality and the clean-sheets on which Mourinho’s two Barclays Premier League titles were built but this was not a day to quibble about such matters.
For Chelsea, this was a day to celebrate being a happy family again, with Mum and Dad patching up their differences and heading out in public for the first time, cheered on by more than 40,000 hysterical offspring, praying they can hold it together this time.
Mourinho seemed genuinely moved by the noisy reception afforded him before the game. He blew kisses to all sides of the ground and sank into his seat until the din had subsided.
‘I’m a bit shy,’ said the manager as he gladly pocketed a handful of custard creams from the press-room steward who remembered the biscuits he liked best. It is a happy home indeed. Those who predict it will end in tears must hold their tongues for now. ‘I want them to sing about the players and the club, not Jose,’ he added. ‘I know how much they love me.’
Just 30 seconds into the game, Mourinho was on his feet, furiously scribbling notes into a miniature notepad which he slung into the crowd after the final whistle.
Steve Bruce was in no doubt the mood had worked against his Hull team and he was probably right. Those who made it interim hell for Rafa Benitez with their songs and their cardboard-and-marker-pen creations generated an altogether different atmosphere.
Fans were settling into seats 20 minutes before kick off so as not to miss the homecoming hero.
There was no ovation for Roberto di Matteo in the 16th minute but there was when Roman Abramovich’s  face was flashed onto the big screens.
He has thrown millions at this club for a decade but he has had to recall Mourinho to become truly loved. No wonder he gave a wry smile as he realised the applause was intended for him.
Chelsea swamped Hull for the opening 10 minutes without scoring. Fernando Torres won a penalty which was taken by Lampard and saved by Allan McGregor.
But belief did not waver. Had a game started this way under  Benitez — or Andre Villas-Boas or Avram Grant for that matter — the frustration might have seeped down from the high tiers at  Stamford Bridge. Mourinho  generates commitment and desire. Players sign up to the ethic and work for each other. After last time, the fans do not doubt him. They all trust their leader to supply the organisation and strategy and, in fairness, he rarely lets them down on that score.
Roared on, Chelsea kept going at Hull. Bruce’s plan to pin Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic back was overwhelmed by the sheer force of the home team.
Danny Graham became totally isolated up front for the visitors and they barely got out of their own half for 30 minutes. When they crossed halfway, Ramires would strip the ball away from them like a retriever.
Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne and Oscar were the key to this extended spell of pressure, with wonderful movement and urgency. The trio were all involved in the opener.
De Bruyne collected the ball from Hazard and threaded a pass into the feet of Oscar, who stabbed his shot under McGregor as the goalkeeper dashed from his line.
McGregor produced a terrific reflex save to turn a Lampard effort over but was at fault as the same player smashed a 35-yard free-kick past him 20 minutes before half time.
Torres drew the foul from James Chester. Hull boss Bruce claimed there was no contact but the free- kick was given and Lampard struck his shot well. The ball wobbled but it flew straight at McGregor, who threw up his hands, misjudged the flight and was unable to stop its route into the net.
Tempo drained away from there. McGregor saved again from Lampard and Gary Cahill fired just wide on the turn. Ivanovic thought he had scored a header in first-half stoppage time but McGregor somehow clawed it away.
There was no endless debate because the goal-line technology proved to everyone that the ball was not over the line. It had been a brilliant save to make up for earlier errors.
The second half fell flat. Mourinho claimed afterwards that Hazard, Oscar and De Bruyne were simply unable to maintain the levels of energy they had produced before the break.
They had been ‘fantastic’ he said, during a first half which he claimed was better than anything he had seen during his first spell at Stamford Bridge, but he admitted they then ‘disappeared’.

Hull will have less difficult days than this in the top flight, but they did little to help themselves, giving possession away cheaply.
Lampard had another shot saved as half-time approached and, from a corner, Ivanovic had a header blocked on the line by McGregor.
There was no reaction from referee Jonathan Moss, whose watch did not buzz - it would alert him if the ball had crossed the line - and Hull were relieved to be only two down at the interval.

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Mirror:

Chelsea 2-0 Hull: Oscar and Frank Lampard ensure Jose Mourinho makes winning Premier League return

By Oliver Holt

Brian, the press room steward, had laid a plate of custard creams next to the microphone.
Jose Mourinho saw them when he walked in for his ­post-match conference yesterday and smiled.
He wrapped them carefully in a blue napkin, tucked them in his jacket pocket and patted Brian on the back.
It was a day for familiar comforts and reassuring rituals at Stamford Bridge on the first day of the new season in ­south-west London.
It was a day for rediscovering old habits, renewing old acquaintances and reigniting old ambitions.
“It’s like he’s come home,” goalscorer Frank Lampard said of his former manager who is now his new manager.
The crowd felt the same. All the bitter divisions of last season are forgotten and only optimism remains.
“The Special One,” a banner draped over the top tier of the Shed End said simply, “One of Us”.
That was how Mourinho portrayed himself, too, as his side swept promoted Hull City aside with dismissive ease.
One of Us. One of you. A man back among his people, returned at last from exile.
“Jose knows how much they like me and how happy they are to see me,” Mourinho said.
“From now on, I hope they bring back the players’ songs. Jose does not need it.”
The message was that this was a club where unity has been restored after the schisms of last season.
Mourinho spoke in ­reverential tones of how he and the players had been joined by owner Roman Abramovich (above) in the dressing room before the game.
It was the first time it had ever happened on the opening day in his time at the club, Mourinho pointed out as if it carried great significance.
It is early, of course, but ­Mourinho is reinventing himself at the start of his second coming in England.

He spoke in pensive tones after Chelsea’s 2-0 victory, considered and contemplative, not confrontational or brash.
He wanted to stress that Chelsea’s pursuit of Wayne Rooney would be conducted ethically.
The idea of trying to talk to the player personally to unsettle him was anathema to a club like Chelsea, he said.
Last time he was manager of Chelsea, he came at you all guns blazing. This time, he’s going to be killing you softly.
He and his team will face far sterner tests than yesterday but the early signs are encouraging for the club and their fans.

Chelsea would have gone ahead earlier if Allan McGregor had not saved Frank Lampard’s spot-kick after the keeper felled Fernando Torres.
But it only spared Hull until the 13th minute when Kevin De Bruyne, who had been preferred to Juan Mata, slipped a clever ball through to Oscar who slid his shot under McGregor.
Lampard made amends for his penalty miss with a ­stunning 25-yard free-kick midway through the half and the game was over.
Yes, it was only Hull, and yes, Chelsea were unable to ­maintain their high standard in the second half.
But there is a new feeling of togetherness at the club. That is undeniable. As is the fact that Chelsea have a squad full of talent and depth.
Mourinho’s record in home Premier League games as manager of Chelsea now stands at Played 61, Won 47, Drawn 14, Lost 0.
If he can maintain that record this season, his new, unified Chelsea will not be far from the top of the table next May.
It made for something sweet to ponder as he worked his way through those custard creams.


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Express:

Chelsea 2 - Hull 0: Frank Lampard ensures Jose Mourinho's happy return
JOSE MOURINHO enjoyed a happy return to the Premier League as his Chelsea side comfortably disposed of newly promoted Hull City at Stamford Bridge.

By: Nick Lustig

First-half goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard ensured it was an unsuccessful first game back in the top flight for Steve Bruce's players.
The Blues could have been in front within six minutes, but Lampard saw his spot-kick stopped superbly by debutant Allan McGregor.
Hull, who improved after a disappointing first 45 minutes, failed to turn decent territorial possession into significant attempts on Petr Cech's goal.
Chelsea begun the game in blistering style and were awarded a penalty after McGregor darted off his goal-line to bundle over Fernando Torres.
Jose MourinhoJose Mourinho enjoys a joke with Hull's Steve Bruce

Jose Mourinho secured victory at the first time of asking since returning to the club
However Lampard saw his well hit penalty palmed away by McGregor, who redeemed himself after his careless mistake.
The home side were soon in front thanks to great interplay between Eden Hazard and debutant Kevin De Bruyne, who released Brazilian international Oscar to poke the ball under McGregor and into the net.
Lampard nearly double Chelsea's lead only a minute later, but the Scottish number one was equal to his attempt tipping the ball over the crossbar.
But at the third attempt Chelsea's record goalscorer netted his 204th goal for the club in stunning fashion mid-way through the half.
Lampard's 30-yard free-kick gave McGregor no chance as the ball rocketed into the top corner of the net.
OscarOscar opened the scoring for the Blues
The England international continued his personal battle with the Hull goalkeeper right on half-time as he saw his fierce attempt turned around the post.
From the resulting corner Branislav Ivanovic's header was stopped on the line by McGregor clearly enough that goal-line technology was not needed to be used for the first time.
After the break Hull enjoyed much more of the possession as Mourinho's side relaxed some what.
Robert Koren's long range effort and Curtis Davies header were the closest the Tigers came to getting on the scoresheet.
In a second-half not full of chances, substitute Andre Schurrle nearly registered a third for Chelsea but his delicate chip just sailed over the bar.
However it did not matter as Mourinho secured victory at the first time of asking since returning to the club.

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Star:

Chelsea 2 - Hull 0:
Jose Mourinho needs Wayne Rooney to complete title jigsaw

WHO needs Wayne Rooney? Chelsea, on this evidence.

By Paul Brown

Jose Mourinho’s big comeback ended up becoming a walk in the park against the ‘Hull City Tigers’ who went down to early goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard.
But where Chelsea often used to go on and rout newly-promoted teams like this, it all fizzled out quite spectacularly.
Mourinho sees Rooney as the last piece of the puzzle, and you can see why.
Neither Fernando Torres nor his late replacement Romelu Lukaku pulled up any trees at Stamford Bridge yesterday, and the future of Demba Ba remains in doubt.
But put Rooney in this team and they could walk the title. As it is, the jury’s out.
Hull never looked like being able to spoil Mourinho’s big homecoming bash, and were brought back down to earth with a bump after their promotion party. They will have better days.
Chelsea cruised to victory, despite a rare penalty miss from Lampard, and with Juan Mata left on the bench.
But this was no real test for Mourinho’s men, who still lack a goalscorer guaranteed to get 20-30 a season.
It was the first time Hull had played here since 2009, when Didier Drogba scored twice to get new boss Carlo Ancelotti off to a good start at the Bridge.
How times change. Since then, Chelsea have seen off three different managers – Andre Villas-Boas, Roberto Di Matteo and Rafa Benitez.
Those were just flirtations, though. For Chelsea fans, Mourinho is the real thing, and the love affair was rekindled again yesterday.
The Portuguese coach had them eating out of his hand ever since his return was ­confirmed, and they were already singing his name before kick-off.

“Mourinho sees Rooney as the last piece of the puzzle, and you can see why. ”
Hull tried their best to spoil the party, but they haven’t beaten Chelsea since 1988 and didn’t look like putting up much resistance this time either.
Tigers goalkeeper Allan McGregor ­suffered a rush of blood to the head and ­presented the home side with the penalty in only the fifth minute.
He steamed out of his goal to bundle over Torres, who had his back to the target, and got a punch in the face for his trouble.
But McGregor – one of five players making their Hull debuts – redeemed himself by ­saving Lampard’s spot-kick. The England man had scored his last eight in the league.
Chelsea were ahead six minutes later, though. Eden Hazard fed impressive new signing Kevin De Bruyne, who slipped Oscar in on goal by nutmegging James Chester.
The Brazilian did the rest, poking the ball under Scotland star McGregor’s body, and Mourinho was up out of the dug-out ­punching the air in delight.
He was doing it again when McGregor flapped horribly at a swerving missile of a free-kick from Lampard in the 24th minute as Chelsea doubled their lead.
Steve Bruce looked on helplessly from the bench as his side struggled to get out of their half. Last time he was here he led Sunderland to a 3-0 win. No chance of that this time.
Branislav Ivanovic then tested the new goalline technology with a bullet header which McGregor only just kept out.
New signing Marco Van Ginkel came on as a substituteNew signing Marco Van Ginkel came on as a substitute
Things didn’t get much better for Hull at the start of the second half, so Bruce threw on new signings Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore.
But it was 63 minutes before Petr Cech had to make a serious save from a long-range effort by Robert Koren.
Referee Jonathan Moss then waved away decent Chelsea claims for a penalty when Ivanovic went down under a clumsy challenge from Robbie Brady.
Curtis Davies had a half-chance with a header which Cech held as Hull tried to rally, but Blues sub Andre Schurrle almost made it three with a deft lob.
Lampard also went close with another dipping free-kick which whistled narrowly wide.
By the end Chelsea were just playing out time and everything had gone a bit flat, but that didn’t seem to worry Mourinho.
Watching the love-in had been a bit like watching an over-enthusiastic couple who can’t stop necking in public. The kind that make you want to say “Get a room”.
But yesterday Jose and Chelsea certainly did seem to be a match made in heaven . Time will tell if it ends in tears or trophies.