Mourinho: We tried to win. I have no regrets about the performance

This is what Jose Mourinho had to say after the match...

Do you see this as a point earned or two points dropped?

“It was a very difficult match. You could see from our attitude and frustration at the end that it wasn't the result we wanted. But we have to be honest and admit that it was a very tough match, a very intense match.

“The pitch was horrible. The players found it hard to play the ball first time as it would sometimes bounce up and hit their ankles. It's not easy to play good football like that. But it was also because of the way Lecce play: first ball, second ball, closing you down all the time. It's tough.

“We had chances to score a second goal and when you get the second against teams like this, you often end up scoring more. But as I said, it was really, really hard. That's why I have nothing bad to say about my players, individually or as a team. It's not the result we wanted but it's a point. It's difficult for me to say it's two points dropped because we have a point more than when we came here.”

Could the finishing have been a bit better? Tammy Abraham had three great chances.

“He played well. The last I thing I do with my players is point out individual errors. He didn't score but the keeper made some good saves and he created other chances for himself. It's the type of game where you're never going to get ten opportunities to score so if you have five or six you have to take two or three of them if you want to win the match. We didn't do that but let's give credit where it's due to Lecce with their style of play: they're aggressive, very good on second balls, and when they regain possession, there's an instant click and a rapid transition – that makes opponents uncomfortable because they know that when they lose the ball, they're going to be hit on the counter-attack. It was tough and I knew it would be. Of course we wanted to win but I'm not in the slightest bit disappointed with my players.”

Roma had their chances, especially in the second half, and Lecce's best player was their goalkeeper. You must be pleased with the performance.

“Absolutely. It was good to see that my players weren't happy with the result in the dressing room afterwards. That means a lot. It's a hard-earned point away from home. It's a point we worked very hard to get and my players aren't happy with it – it's great to see how their mentality has changed.

“Some people said this was the sort of game – tough, aggressive, scrappy – that Roma would have lost two or three years ago. Now we have this mentality. As I said, we must give credit to Lecce as well because they played their game. Sometimes coaches of teams with more quality criticise the way teams with less quality play, but you won't find me doing that. They played their game and battled till the end to obtain this point, which is worth its weight in gold to them. And for me it's an extra point. I think we have the same points as Milan now – that's not something we expected at the start of the season. Now Lazio play Atalanta and they can't both win. It's another game played and we'll keep going.

“Gini [Wijnaldum] played his first 10 minutes but he's not up to his usual speed and intensity yet. [Andrea] Belotti is finally close to a level of fitness where he can be a useful player for us. Now comes the really hard part: three games in a week. It's going to be more difficult for us with the Europa League but I'm very happy with my players and I'm totally on their side. I have no regrets about our performance.”

Do you have any regrets about the refereeing?

“I spoke to [Gianluca] Aureliano just now and I'll tell you the same thing I told him: I think it was a difficult game for Roma, a difficult game for Lecce and a difficult game for the referee. It was very aggressive, very fast, with lots of tackles flying around and lots of second balls. It wasn't easy for the referee but I think he did his job. Looking at the replays, [Gabriel] Strefezza should have had a second yellow and that could have changed the course of the match. But if you hadn't asked me about the referee, I wouldn't have brought up the topic because I think Aureliano did his best. He also helped make it a good game. People often talk about good football and they mean some amazing piece of skill by a fantastic player, but games like this are good too: in the cold on a poor pitch, between two sides really scrapping for the points, the smaller team doing everything possible to get their point and the other side wanting to win and doing everything they can till the last minute. That's why I say it was a good match.”