http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4173248.stm
Alan Hansen column
By Alan Hansen
Match of the Day pundit
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will be more than happy to end what was a rather
turbulent week by seeing his side beat Arsenal.
There were rumblings of discontent, particularly from Ricardo Carvalho, over
his squad rotation system.
The result was a very public dressing down for Carvalho - with Arjen Robben
absolved of blame after similar comments.
I think Mourinho has handled the situation brilliantly.
And I believe he will have gained even more respect from his players.
It does not matter to Mourinho if he gains respect from the press or public.
He only needs respect from the players.
The way he handled the situation will ultimately win that respect. He has
emphasised to his players that this is a squad game.
No matter who you are, or how important you think you are to Chelsea, you know
you might not be playing every week.
For the lesser lights in the dressing room - if anyone at Chelsea can be called
a lesser light - that is a real boost. It will help bond the team.
Mourinho took a public stance against a real star of the team in Carvalho. He
took no nonsense and, from a Chelsea perspective, that is tremendous to see.
Jose remains very popular with the players - but he is very single-minded in
everything he does. He says: "We are going to do it my way or we are not going
to do it any way."
That is the only way you can act as a manager - you must have full control of
the playing side.
One thing Mourinho must be aware of is the fact that this will not be a problem
as long as Chelsea keep on winning.
If they slump to sixth, certain players will think they should be playing
regularly.
But Chelsea are not going to hit sixth in the table.
On the face of it, Mourinho's opposite number on Sunday, Arsene Wenger, has
rather more problems.
But it is far too early for there to be any real concern.
Sure, he spoke out and said his team gave away a "stupid goal" against Chelsea
but I just think he is trying to provoke a positive reaction.
There are two ways for big teams and big managers to approach things.
You can give them a friendly arm around the shoulder or say something that
might get a reaction - and he has chosen the latter.
It is his job to get the best out of the players, this is how he has chosen to
do it.
Maybe Arsenal are lacking a little bit of confidence - a crucial quality when
it comes to winning matches in which you are not playing well.
It has served Chelsea very well under Mourinho.
Arsenal remain a formidable team and they are absolutely brilliant to watch.
But there is a danger they are a tad predictable. Some teams, like Chelsea and
Manchester United, have found a way to play against Arsenal.
They defend deep, get men behind the ball and let Arsenal play across them.
That exploits the lack of directness in Arsenal's play and working out the best
way to counter-attack is Wenger's biggest problem.
But Wenger is a very clever man and he has proved time and time again that when
the chips are down he can come up with something.
He will have to if he wants his side to win the title.
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