REACTION: JOSE SALUTES HIS BRAVES

José Mourinho wasted little time before answering the question on everyone's lips after his team had turned a 1-0 deficit into the second three points of the season. Just what had he said to the players at half-time?
After a flat first 45 minutes that hadn't come remotely near the vibrancy of the new away shirts, a couple of personnel changes were made and the reshaped Chelsea flew out the second-half blocks at Reading. Within five minutes, the winning margin had been established.
The contents of his team talk were the first details Mourinho revealed to the hungry media after the final whistle.
'I asked the players if somebody was feeling a bit weak or feeling a little bit of an injury because I wanted to make two changes and I wanted to finish the game with 11 men,' he began.
'They told me yes, everybody was fine and fit and ready to go. We made the changes, I explained the objective of the changes, I explained the good qualities of the changes and the bad qualities.

'I prepared them for the difficult things and I pushed them to try to use the good things.'
Those alterations included Pizarro added to what effectively became a four-pronged attack although the Peruvian had freedom to roam. Mikel came on for Sidwell and with Ferreira making way for Pizarro, Wright-Phillips moved to full-back.
'The players were brave,' continued Mourinho. 'They were brave to accept some difficult situations because it is not easy for Shaun to play right-back, it is not easy for Glen Johnson to play central defender and it is not easy for Ben-Haim after two months at Chelsea to lead his defence.'It is not easy for Mikel to play alone in the front of midfield and not easy for attacking players to have defensive tasks. The players deserve a lot of credit. When the game was 2-1, I could make the game more defensive with Malouda in the centre of the midfield but I thought with this positive wave, we can score the third.'It was only in the final five minutes and with Reading's never-give-up attitude showing that Mourinho believes Chelsea shut up shop. He himself didn't want credit for what many would call brave leadership.'I know it is a big gamble but if one day it doesn't work, like in my first season it didn't work at Newcastle, and I am criticised, I accept that but I sleep well because I tried.'The worse thing in life is when you don't try. It is a message I want to give to my kids all the time - you have to try. If you fail, you fail but you have to try.

'We knew they'd change it at half-time but not how they'd do it,' Reading boss Steve Coppell reflected. 'Given the quality of their players, you knew any changes would mean more questions being asked.'They played with a little more depth which released Lampard to score the first goal - a bad goal from our point of view. The second, which came a blink of an eye later, was a very good finish. At 2-1 down, all the energy you had at half-time has evaporated very quickly.'
'They were important goals from Lampard and Drogba but the team work was a great performance. Pizarro was a big contribution to the attacking game second-half with his movement, his quality on the ball and the way he passed. Kalou and Malouda through the wings were very dangerous second-half and after that, Lamps is Lamps. When he plays well he is best in the game, when he plays bad, he is the second or the third best.
'In defence Shaun played brilliantly, Glen Johnson very good and everybody gave a contribution. But I am happy that Didier is back in the goals because strikers live on their goals.
'It is very good for me that Drogba and Pizarro have scored already in the Premier League.'