Mourinho playing a game
Jose Mourinho has played the media like a treat this week with his post-match rant following Chelsea's slip-up at home to Burnley, but his anger shouldn't be taken at face value.
In coming out after the 1-1 draw with a list of moments in the game, giving just the minute when they happened, where he felt his side had decisions against them, he started a circus.
TV stations picked out said incidents, replayed them in slow motion and pundits had their say.
Should Ashley Barnes have been sent off for either, or both, of his challenges? Should Nemanja Matic have been shown leniency by the referee because he retaliated and pushed Barnes over? Is Mourinho correct that pretty much the whole of English football is against Chelsea?
And while this debate rumbles on, Mourinho’s players are not getting criticised for failing to kill off the game against a Burnley side who are probably going down at the end of the season.
Chelsea still lead Manchester City by three points at the top of the Premier League, but since an emphatic 5-0 win at Swansea City last month, their form has dipped.
Mourinho’s side have won only three of eight games in all competitions, and each of those was by a one-goal margin.
It’s far from a crisis, but their manager has mastered what Alex Ferguson perfected before him and deflected the attention away from his players.
One thing is for sure – had Chelsea won the game, Mourinho would not have made such a fuss.
Lukaku’s touch not good enough
Romelu Lukaku is a frustrating player in that he has all the attributes to be a devastating striker except the one you would expect from a player of his physique – the ability to hold up the ball.
Its not that Lukaku can’t hold up the ball, but he should be so much better at it. Against Leicester City on Sunday, Everton’s play slowed down every time the ball was played to the Belgian with his back to goal.
He looks uncomfortable trying to control the ball and, when he doesn’t lose possession, his next touch is often a backwards pass. Get him facing goal in the last third and he can be unstoppable, but he won’t be a complete striker until he improves his build-up play.
Look at another big forward – Southampton’s Graziano Pelle. His game is built on clever flicks and lay-offs that bring a brigade of pacier players into play.
If Lukaku could improve to that level, he would be so much more effective. The promising thing for Everton is that Lukaku is only 21 and has plenty of time to get better.
twoods@thenational.ae
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