Burnley’s players were surprised by what they saw as Chelsea’s “indiscipline” and “lightweight” nature during the visiting side’s victory at Stamford Bridge last weekend, according to Walters.
The Ireland international came off the substitutes’ bench during the second half against the champions and claimed that members of Antonio Conte’s back-room staff berated Sean Dyche and his squad during the first period.
“I know a few words of Italian from [former Ireland coach Giovanni] Trapattoni and their bench was giving it loads to our bench. There was a guy hammering the gaffer, so I just gave him a couple of words back in Italian and he looked at me, and sat down. Just before we scored, they were going mad.”
Chelsea were particularly incensed by Craig Pawson, the referee, sending off Gary Cahill and Cesc Fàbregas and for other decisions. “Normally when you go to those places, you don’t get the free kicks you should get,” Walters says. “But the referee did unbelievably well, so they weren’t happy.
“With some of their players, their discipline was horrendous. All moaning. Generally when they all moan, they tend to get every decision, but they didn’t.
“We were 2-0 up and got a free kick on the edge of the area and the gaffer was just standing, watching, and this guy on the Chelsea bench said, ‘Hey, yeah, you want more, you want everything’.
“That’s rich. When we scored off that free kick, I was laughing at him, going, ‘Yeah, we want more.’ He gave me the finger. A few of the lads said, ‘Has he just done that?!’ So then I’m like, ‘Tranquillo, tranquillo.’ [Quiet, quiet] I was laughing at him.
“Then I was warming up, getting abused off the Chelsea fans. Grown men in front of their kids. Even women giving me abuse. Expletives, hand gestures, the lot. I love all that. It’s great. I spoke to the guy [on Chelsea’s bench] afterwards. It was a bit of banter.”
Burnley were impressed with Cahill’s response, coming in and shaking their hands, less so with the spiky Fàbregas.
“I’ll always shake hands afterwards with players, the manager, wish them the best,” Walters says.
“I always think, ‘Be graceful in defeat, don’t over-egg it when you win.’ You get sore losers but then they’re at Chelsea for a reason; maybe they’re sore losers and that drives them. Arsenal are the worst for sore losers.”
Walters was surprised by the ease with which they defeated Chelsea. “With a few of the players, the discipline was completely gone. They’re nowhere near what they were last year.
“I read a bit about he [Conte] maybe put a really weak bench to send a signal [to the board]. He said ‘no’, but I’ve seen managers do that. I was warming up and thinking, ‘I don’t know a lot of these lads’.
“Last year at the back, they were strong, big, and horrible with [Nemanja] Matic sitting in front of them, a tough lad. Serbs are hard. Most of the Burnley lads were very surprised he went, to [Manchester] United as well.
“They haven’t got Diego Costa upfront. Everyone hated him but you’d love to have him in the team, he’s brilliant, he’s the best at winding people up. But you could get to him in his head.
“Chelsea were a bit lightweight. We didn’t bully them either. I was watching our goals again, excellent goals, quick play, cross in the box, goal.
“It wasn’t like we lumped them in the box. Chelsea need to buck up a bit.”