Pardew: Chelsea coach Marco Ianni behaviour 'ridiculous'

The wild celebration of Chelsea coach Marco Ianni after their late equaliser against Manchester United was 'totally ridiculous', according to Alan Pardew.

Maurizio Sarri's second assistant ran past the Manchester United bench in celebration after Ross Barkley nodded home in the 96th minute, but it drew the ire of Jose Mourinho, who tried to chase Ianni down the tunnel before being restrained.

Former Newcastle and West Ham manager Pardew - who has been involved in a few touchline scrapes himself - was critical of the Chelsea coach's behaviour but is glad he apologised after the game.

"This guy - the second coach or whoever he is - his first action is unacceptable and the second action is also doubly unacceptable," Pardew told Goals on Sunday.

"The man of the match is that steward stopping Jose. If you're going to be a top manager of any sort, you've got to have fire in your belly and if you haven't, then don't do the job.

In a situation like that, they've conceded in the last second, he's back at his old football club and you have an assistant manager go up into his face like that - it's totally ridiculous.

"I'm glad he apologised and I'm glad Jose accepted his apology. In Jose's situation with the pressure he is under, that is the last thing he wanted. He'll be worried this morning about who people will blame and you can go in that kind of circle. It's not nice."

Some Chelsea fans took aim at their former manager Mourinho after the full-time whistle, with the Portuguese swiftly reminding them of the three Premier League titles he won at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking about the chants, Pardew added: "That shows where we are as a society a bit - the cabbage thrown at Steve Bruce when he left Aston Villa and stuff like that - it's unsavoury really.

"What he [Mourinho] did at that football club was phenomenal. I went there many times as an opposing manager just to watch and admire how good those Chelsea teams were under Jose.

"And he reminded them - 'three championships I won here, give me a bit of respect'. Of course, respect in the game - particularly when the fans have had a few beers - is not easy to get."

Credit: Skysports.com