"If I didn't play Louis in the final after he had scored so many goals, he might have said to himself 'I can get a regular place somewhere else'. There was a danger of losing him," admitted the Scot, who then denied that the same theory applies to the proven goalscorer who did miss out. "After one game? No way. Louis deserved to start the final. That's a definite. Everything else is secondary.
"We had four strikers a few years ago and it was always difficult when we picked a team then.
"There was always disappointment and, of course everyone wants to play in a final. It's nothing new. I had it in '99 and the two players I left out in the [European Cup] final won us the game. Competition is good. Players should benefit from competition whether it's from their own team-mates or from opponents. The team now has the challenge of finishing second in the League, taking it Chelsea are not going to slip up now, and the players realise how important that is."