Mourinho, Wenger bury the hatchet

Perhaps, it was the season of goodwill that brought two of the Premier League's finest managers to their senses, prompting them to call a truce.

The war of words between Jose Mourinho, of Chelsea, and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger reached its pinnacle when their sides met at Highbury earlier this month and the Gunners suffered their first home defeat of the season and their first setback at home to Chelsea in 15 years.

Yet, the animosity between these two managers started last season after an illegal approach from Chelsea for Ashley Cole, the England and Arsenal left-back.

Then, at the start of the current season, Mourinho fiercely questioned Arsenal chairman David Dein's role on the English FA board.

Before, Wenger had been at loggerheads with Alex Ferguson, of Manchester United, on many an occasion. But, there was never a time when the two did not shake hands after a match.

On December 18, at Highbury, Chelsea's Portuguese coach darted into the dressing room soon after the game was over and did not seek out Wenger to shake his hand.

Moreover, neither Ferguson nor Wenger had ever gone into derision by calling their counterpart such words as a 'voyeur' after Mourinho thought that the Frenchman was becoming obsessed with Chelsea's affairs.

The Arsenal manager was incensed after the game at Highbury because in his opinion, the goal by Robin van Persie should never have been disallowed for offside.

Had the assistant referee not over-ruled that 'netting', it was Arsenal who would have taken a 1-0 lead. This matter was later highlighted when Wenger made contact with referees' chief Keith Hackett about the goal.

The head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board remarked that, after watching the video of the game, he could confirm that the decision by the assistant referee was incorrect.

Blues hiccups

Wenger, who is frequently asked questions about Chelsea in his pre-match press briefings, was widely reported to have said that the Premiership champions might have lost 'the big belief' after the setbacks against Everton (1-1 away draw) and the home League Cup loss on penalties to Charlton.

It was at that point that Mourinho retorted and said what he thought about his London rival.

The Arsenal manager was hurt by Mourinho's jibe. He said he never said anything about his rivals that was malicious.

At first, Wenger threatened to sue Mourinho in court. The Frenchman warned of the dangers of getting involved in a battle of personal attacks which he believed would end up restricting people having an opinion.

Wenger was not that spiteful, but he was also in the wrong when he slammed Mourinho and said: "When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes and not more intelligent."

Mourinho found an excuse when he said that Wenger did not respond to his Christmas card in which he wished him well and apologised for using the word 'voyeur'.

Mourinho should have expressed his regret in the media, since he decided to call the Frenchman "a guy who, when is at home, he looks through a big telescope to see what happens in other families", in this quarter.

Before the Highbury showdown, a member of the Arsenal backroom staff was reported to have questioned whether Mourinho had actually written the card himself.

Mourinho said that he had sent a card of goodwill to all other Premiership managers. Indeed, that was a good gesture from the Chelsea coach.

But, a few days ago, Mourinho went through the proper channels and in an interview with FHM magazine, he admitted regrets when he labelled Wenger a 'voyeur'.

He added that what he said about Wenger was not meant to hurt him.

Wenger accepted the apology and said that they could auction the infamous Christmas card and give the money to charity.

'Rebel' tag

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon wants his club to rid itself of the 'rebel' mark it has inherited in some parts of the football world as he fears such tag could hamper their development off the pitch.

Kenyon believes that Chelsea are seen as a bit of a rebel and that is not an objective. He does not want Chelsea to be seen in that way.

He said: "There are several reasons for it; the Ashley Cole issue, the fact that we have had so much success so quickly and displaced some of the traditional clubs up there, the impact of Jose Mourinho and the fact that the owner is extremely wealthy."

This matter is felt by almost every club in the world and the fans.

Yet, it is not right to feel 'jealous' of another club because the 'boss' could afford to sign almost every player available.

There were players, especially in the Italian and Spanish leagues, who declined to sign for Chelsea because they wanted to keep their role at their respective clubs.

On the other hand, players like William Gallas, Hernan Crespo and Arjen Robben should never grumble because they are played out of their position or because they think that they are not being given a fair crack of the whip.

They knew before they signed that the 'rotation system' is so vital at clubs like Chelsea.

The Blues fans had suffered before as they watched their rival clubs take the championship crown but last May it was their turn to rejoice, even if it had to come after a lapse of 50 years.

Good luck to them... one wonders when another champion club will come to the fore!