Football Food For Thought / Ralph Ellis / 22 September 2008 /

Ralph Ellis looks at a change in attitude to the referee at Stamford Bridge brought about by Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, which may have gone some way to helping them avoid defeat against Man Utd.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has brought a sea change in thinking at Chelsea. Okay, so I know all about the talk over attacking football and flair players, and there are signs that he's trying to back up those words with action. But that's not what I mean. The big change that the Brazilian has given to Stamford Bridge is in attitude to the referee.

It almost makes you wonder if the FA had a masterplan for their Respect Campaign all along when they failed to land him as England manager just before the 2006 World Cup. Could somebody at Soho Square really have been so far sighted as to see that in two years time - just when they were trying for once to back their officials - he'd come over here and start preaching the need to accept decisions for good or bad? No, probably not, but it's working out perfectly just the same.

It was great when all the managers had their meetings in the summer and agreed they all had to support the Respect campaign. We knew then it wouldn't last beyond the first dodgy decision in August, and here we are in September with the whole thing slowly collapsing.

Now the old fashioned football man's view is that the referee has to earn that respect. That's what Sir Alex Ferguson would tell you as he grumbles about getting seven of his players booked by Mike Riley. And it's what Hull manager Phil Brown would say as he insists Tim Cahill's goal for Everton shouldn't have stood. And come to that Rafa Benitez was also demanding to know why Steven Gerrard got his free kick chalked off against Stoke when you could see a clear offside.

But Scolari said something interesting last week after Chelsea had successfully appealed against John Terry's sending off. "I was surprised it happened and it would only happen in England. Where I come from the referee is god."

Scolari is clearly trying to make his players aware of that same principle because their handling of pressure situations in yesterday's 1-1 draw with United was far more restrained than those of Chelsea sides of the past. And while Ferguson grumbled about the number of yellow cards his team got, in truth he should have been thankful that Mike Riley turned down the chance to get out a red for Paul Scholes when he kicked the ball away to delay a free kick a few minutes after getting booked.

Scolari's belief can be summed up by something Gary Speed told me a year or so ago. "Referees are like wives. Once you accept they are always right it's a lot easier to get on with the game!" (And I've got permission from Mrs Ellis to repeat that!) There are lots of times when decisions go against you that are unfair, but that's just the way it is and you have to get on with it. And in the end losing your self control costs you on the pitch, as Wayne Rooney found out when he needlessly gave away the free kick from which Salomon Kalou stopped United becoming the first side to win a League game at Chelsea in 84 matches.

The greater self control might just help Chelsea in their quest to win back the Premier League title (they are now [2.24] favourites). With six matches in total played they have collected just six yellow cards between them, plus that repealed red for John Terry. After that many games last year they shared 14 yellows.

Arsenal haven't yet stopped moaning about referees. They were complaining at the lack of protection they felt Steve Bennett afforded them at Bolton. But significantly they answered in the right way with a 3-1 win that took them top of the table and with only a home game against Hull to come it's no wonder they are [1.07] to be top at the end of the month. Arsene Wenger's young side are [5.8] to stay there to the end of the season.

It was a good weekend for the clubs trying to break into the top four. Aston Villa's third away win in six days at West Brom was impressive, and Manchester City's 6-0 demolition of Portsmouth even more so. What was just as impressive at Eastlands was the promise of the new owners that Mark Hughes can build his team slowly rather than turn them into the Harlem Globetrotters. It's the recipe that Villa owner Randy Lerner has used for Martin O'Neill and it's working. With even bigger resources it's the right way forward for City who are [5.3] to break into the Champions League places this season.

The clubs with money who get hated by the rest of football always think it's because of jealousy for their resources, but it's not. The rest of us don't mind them being richer, and can even put up with them winning everything, providing they act with a bit of class. Let's hope that Scolari - and City's new Arab owners - are starting to move in that direction.

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