Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has vented his frustration at his goal-shy strikers.

Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba have only scored four Premier League goals between them this season, while Romelu Lukaku, loaned to Everton from Chelsea, has eight to his name.

None of Mourinho's recognised strikers were on target during the 3-2 defeat at Stoke on Saturday, a result which leaves the Blues third and five points behind leaders Arsenal, but Mourinho is insistent that he will persevere with his current squad.

"If you tell me Aguero has scored already 10 or 12 goals, Negredo 10 or 12 goals, Dzeko four or five, Rooney eight or 10, Giroud eight or 10, Sturridge eight or 10, Suarez 10 or 12, if you ask me would I like my strikers to score eight-10-12 goals, yes," Mourinho said.

"If we had eight-10-12 goals from the strikers we would be top of the league. That's a reality but my strikers give everything and the team works hard. What can you do more? We work, we keep working. That's the only way I know is to keep working.

"Of course we want the best possible results, but I am not waiting for players, I am not asking for players. This is a period for the club and this is a period of my team where we have to try and improve the players we have and try to build a future.

"It is my squad. For good and for bad it is my squad. Of course it is not the perfect squad, but it is my squad and I work with them until the last day. To criticise does not help me. What do I win by criticising my players? I win nothing."

Despite the setback at Stoke, a third league defeat in 15 games, Mourinho is confident that his team is capable of challenging for the Premier League title and will at least improve on their disappointing finishes from the past two seasons.

He said: "I think we are one of the six teams that are the six potential contenders for the title. Remember that in the past two years, this team finished 25 points behind the leaders and finished 14 points behind the leaders.

"We are not speaking with me about my team being champions last year or finished one or two points behind. My team in the last two or three years in December was 15-20 points behind the leaders and I am saying we are building a team, a style of play with the players we have and of course we want the best results."

Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/264777.html#AgCisurPOvJJeAc1.99

He's right; if our strikers could finish off chances we'd be doing so much better 

Our top 3 goal scorers this season are Hazard, Oscar and Lampard.

 

That tells its own story.

 

None of the three are good enough and we can make all the excuses in the world for them but the simple truth is, they aren't title winning material. 

I thought our strikers werent supposed to score that many goals, you know, because of the system we play.

I thought our strikers werent supposed to score that many goals, you know, because of the system we play.

 

Not asking for miracles and record breaking but some goals would be nice. 

Jose cites Aguero, Dzeko, Negredo, Suarez, Rooney, Giroud and Suarez as strikers that have banged them in this season.

 

Sorry Jose, one name missing from that list, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

Lukaku.

 

When Jose came out last week or the week before about Lukaku not telling everyone the full story, I was unimpressed.

 

It seems to me Jose is trying to imply he's blameless in the fact Lukaku is out on loan, trying to pin all the responsibility on the player.

 

Sorry Jose, you're the boss, you make the decisions.

 

I backed Jose over that decision as I had implicit faith in him but now we can see the truth.

 

It was a huge error, and the error is all Jose's.

 

Lukaku is six hundred and fifty million times better than Torres, yet who was leading the line against Stoke and Sunderland?

 

Embarrassing.

 

Eto'o and Ba have a good goals-per-minutes ratio this term, or decent anyway, they're just not getting any minutes, especially Ba, so I don't know why Jose is moaning about them, they can't score if they don't play.

 

If they're not good enough to be your front-line striker then that's your fault and nobody else's.

 

The guy who is good enough is playing for Everton.

 

Whether he's the finished article or not is irrelevant, he's our best striker and he should be playing for us.

 

He may be raw but so was Drogba when he joined us.

 

Lukaku hasn't been able to stop scoring these last 2 years.

 

When we go to the Emirates this month, and all the other hard places we need to go to, I know who I would rather have playing for us ..

 

And it ain't Torres.

 

Simple fact is, Jose underestimated Lukaku and he overestimated Torres.

 

Well, now he knows the truth, and he should stop trying to lay the blame at other people's door.

 

You should have read The Shed End Jose ..

 

We'd have told you.

Correct Davey. 

 

Also Lewandowski is required for next season. I'm happy for us to buy him and loan to Dortmund for the remainder of the season. Surely we can throw enough funds at him to make him say no to Bayern.

Jose cites Aguero, Dzeko, Negredo, Suarez, Rooney, Giroud and Suarez as strikers that have banged them in this season.

 

Sorry Jose, one name missing from that list, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

Lukaku.

 

When Jose came out last week or the week before about Lukaku not telling everyone the full story, I was unimpressed.

 

It seems to me Jose is trying to imply he's blameless in the fact Lukaku is out on loan, trying to pin all the responsibility on the player.

 

Sorry Jose, you're the boss, you make the decisions.

 

I backed Jose over that decision as I had implicit faith in him but now we can see the truth.

 

It was a huge error, and the error is all Jose's.

 

Lukaku is six hundred and fifty million times better than Torres, yet who was leading the line against Stoke and Sunderland?

 

Embarrassing.

 

Eto'o and Ba have a good goals-per-minutes ratio this term, or decent anyway, they're just not getting any minutes, especially Ba, so I don't know why Jose is moaning about them, they can't score if they don't play.

 

If they're not good enough to be your front-line striker then that's your fault and nobody else's.

 

The guy who is good enough is playing for Everton.

 

Whether he's the finished article or not is irrelevant, he's our best striker and he should be playing for us.

 

He may be raw but so was Drogba when he joined us.

 

Lukaku hasn't been able to stop scoring these last 2 years.

 

When we go to the Emirates this month, and all the other hard places we need to go to, I know who I would rather have playing for us ..

 

And it ain't Torres.

 

Simple fact is, Jose underestimated Lukaku and he overestimated Torres.

 

Well, now he knows the truth, and he should stop trying to lay the blame at other people's door.

 

You should have read The Shed End Jose ..

 

We'd have told you.

 

Agree with your overall point but hindsight is a wonderful thing as they say. Eto'o was obviously purchased with him leading the line for the majority of our games in mind, hence loaning Lukaku somewhere where he'd get week-in-week-out gametime. Our rotation policy for strikers here would have done little but hinder his development further. Also Lukaku is a good six years younger than Drogba (who'd just come off the back of an amazing season for Marseille) was when he first came here, hardly suitable to compare the two of them is it?

 

And could you clump your sentences together a little more? It's getting really irksome to read and takes up unnecessary space on the page.

Yep I did chuckle when Jose was implying it was Romelus choice to leave as if Jose would be bullied by a 20yr old kid this is a man who took on half the Real Madrid squad. It was an almighty cockup and it is a joke to hear him making pathetic excuses.

I tend to believe Jose about Lukaku asking for a transfer after the Super cup game. As i said in other thread, I think Lukaku thinks he is a lot better than he actually is and thinks he should be a starter for us each game. What he doesnt seem to think about is he needs to improve in a lot of areas before he can get that role. Being a big lump that can play well for 45 minutes is no use to us what so ever unless he is happy to be a super sub but clearly he isnt other wise he would have stayed and Ba would have gone.

At a superstar club like Chelsea you dont start each game. There are other players who are just as good waiting to take their turn and we play so many games a season that rotation has to happen. If Lukaku doesnt like it then he can pack his bags and play somewhere else as far as im concerned. He isnt a Messi or Ronaldo who cant ever be replaced. There are lots of strikers out there and im sure we could get another one in.

My advice to Lukaku is if you want to ever play for Chelsea then shut your mouth and nuckle down.

I had the feeling that Jose hadn't watched the previous two seasons at CFC or didn't do his homework regarding strikers. 

 

As last season when I felt RdM's cannot be happy having to rely on Torres and Sturridge it's the same this year except unlike RdM Jose could have done more to push deals through or keep Lukaku around. 

 

It's an unbalanced squad and we spend half of our transfer funds on a player who won't be a first choice attacking midfielder. 

 

This is all Jose's fault so it's clearly not something he can blame on anyone else. 

You really dont think that Jose didnt watch us last season?

Who is to say that Jose actually has a say in who comes in and who goes? You look at all our signings over the summer and the only one i think Jose had a say in was Eto'o. I think all the others were bought by the board.

I just wonder what information Jose/the club was fed from Rooney (or his agents) about his desire to join us.

 

I think we might have been banking on him to force through a move and when it didn't materialise Eto'o was a panic buy. 

Agree with your overall point but hindsight is a wonderful thing as they say. Eto'o was obviously purchased with him leading the line for the majority of our games in mind, hence loaning Lukaku somewhere where he'd get week-in-week-out gametime. Our rotation policy for strikers here would have done little but hinder his development further. Also Lukaku is a good six years younger than Drogba (who'd just come off the back of an amazing season for Marseille) was when he first came here, hardly suitable to compare the two of them is it?

 

And could you clump your sentences together a little more? It's getting really irksome to read and takes up unnecessary space on the page.

 

Sorry, but this one has nothing to do with hindsight.

 

Every single Cheslea fan I know was totally baffled and bewildered when Lukaku was sent to Everton on deadline day. We were all scratching ours heads when he brought in Eto'o and then sent on loan the one striker EVERYONE was talking about.

 

Can only hope that long-term it pays off but short-term a crystal ball was not needed to know it was a poor decision.

You really dont think that Jose didnt watch us last season?

Who is to say that Jose actually has a say in who comes in and who goes? You look at all our signings over the summer and the only one i think Jose had a say in was Eto'o. I think all the others were bought by the board.

 

 

Maybe he only watched Europa League matches - either way if he watched us in the EPL there is no chance in hell Torres would be ahead of Lukaku in the pecking order. 

 

I think is fairly silly to think Jose doesn't have a hand in the decision making process who comes in and who goes. Simply put the board had decided not to spend big but for some reason signed Willian. 

Tell me the last time a manager had a real say in transfers. I think it was the year before Jose left the first time was the last time i can think that a manager was bringing in players that he clearly wanted. Then the board told him he had to bring in players like Steve Sidwell. Since then i dont think a single manager has brought in the players they wanted. I think the board have a massive say in who plays for us and the "manager" just coaches the players.

Tell me the last time a manager had a real say in transfers. I think it was the year before Jose left the first time was the last time i can think that a manager was bringing in players that he clearly wanted. Then the board told him he had to bring in players like Steve Sidwell. Since then i dont think a single manager has brought in the players they wanted. I think the board have a massive say in who plays for us and the "manager" just coaches the players.

 

Its not that black and white. The manager lets the board and the director of football know what kind of players they are looking for and at what positions or who are a surplus to requirements. Its then the director of footballs job to find a player available and who fit the criteria, this is how every major club in Europe is run. Its not like the board and Roman comes together and uses youtube clips to decide whatever player is going to be brought in next.

Being a big lump that can play well for 45 minutes is no use to us what so ever unless he is happy to be a super sub but clearly he isnt other wise he would have stayed and Ba would have gone.

At a superstar club like Chelsea you dont start each game. There are other players who are just as good waiting to take their turn and we play so many games a season that rotation has to happen. If Lukaku doesnt like it then he can pack his bags and play somewhere else as far as im concerned. He isnt a Messi or Ronaldo who cant ever be replaced. There are lots of strikers out there and im sure we could get another one in.

My advice to Lukaku is if you want to ever play for Chelsea then shut your mouth and knuckle down

Yes and stop scoring !!!

Here's the other thing ..

 

The quotes omit the bit where Jose said he couldn't teach an old dog new tricks.

 

He said his strikers were of a certain age where it was impossible for him to teach them anything.

 

Guess what Jose?

You had a young striker and you let him go.

 

Sadly, it's possible, only possible mind, that Lukaku's relationship with Chelsea and Jose is soured by the time he rejoins us next summer.

 

We have handled this abysmally.

 

Already you get people on these boards saying he has a bad attitude, he needs to keep his mouth shut, he's lazy and he's selfish.

 

Remind you of anyone?

 

Sturridge.

 

When Lukaku returns he'll have only 2 years left, in other words, he will hold all the aces, and every club in the world would take him.

 

If he were here, not only would we be fielding a decent striker that strikes fear into opposing defences, but Jose could teach him.

 

We wouldn't have a problem with his attitude or talking too much, because he'd be at the club he signed for, playing, as he deserves to.

 

Funny how all talk of Danny's bad attitude has faded isn't it?

 

He's gone to a club that has given him the chance he richly deserves.

 

Moan about Lukaku all you like but you'll be moaning a lot more if he goes to one of our rivals, believe me.

 

I can't be believe how stupid we have been.

 

It's painful, watching him for Everton, and watching Torres play for us, and all of us feel it, even if we're not admitting it.

 

Everton are 2 points behind us.

 

Imagine the gap if we had kept Lukaku.

Lukaku will never play for Chelsea again.

Lukaku will never play for Chelsea again.

 

 

He will have two years left on his contract when he returns so I would say we, the club, will be the judge of that.

 

I want him to stay, without doubt, but right now even if he was sold, we could probably get double what we paid for him.

I know Jose likes to rotate players, but with no consistent playing or performing striker - it's hardly surprising that they aren't performing & scoring. The surrounding players, those supposedly supplying the ammo, are also rotated & frequently change. It's no excuse (highly paid pro's & all). We need consistency all round

It's all well and good saying how many goals Lukaku would be getting for us but it's not that simple. He probably wouldn't be starting every week and he wouldn't be the main man like he is at Everton and that's clearly something he enjoys. He'd most likely be rotated, and as has been proven by our current strikers, it doesn't work.

 

He's single handedly taken 2 points of Liverpool and helped to take a further 2 off Arsenal and 3 off United this season. If he keeps taking points off our rivals, then I don't think it's quite as doom and gloom as someone of you like to make out.

 

Also worth mentioning that it's not the strikers fault we've shipped 6 goals in 2 games against 2 sh*t teams. They have been rubbish, there's no getting away from that, but they're not the only ones.

It's all well and good saying how many goals Lukaku would be getting for us but it's not that simple. He probably wouldn't be starting every week and he wouldn't be the main man like he is at Everton and that's clearly something he enjoys. He'd most likely be rotated, and as has been proven by our current strikers, it doesn't work.

 

He's single handedly taken 2 points of Liverpool and helped to take a further 2 off Arsenal and 3 off United this season. If he keeps taking points off our rivals, then I don't think it's quite as doom and gloom as someone of you like to make out.

 

Also worth mentioning that it's not the strikers fault we've shipped 6 goals in 2 games against 2 sh*t teams. They have been rubbish, there's no getting away from that, but they're not the only ones.

 

Valid points but you have to remember we play a lot more fixtures than Everton. If Lukaku got half our minutes that would be fine, he'd be developing, playing at a higher level, and we'd have a striker that could score.

I tend to believe Jose about Lukaku asking for a transfer after the Super cup game. As i said in other thread, I think Lukaku thinks he is a lot better than he actually is and thinks he should be a starter for us each game. What he doesnt seem to think about is he needs to improve in a lot of areas before he can get that role. Being a big lump that can play well for 45 minutes is no use to us what so ever unless he is happy to be a super sub but clearly he isnt other wise he would have stayed and Ba would have gone.

At a superstar club like Chelsea you dont start each game. There are other players who are just as good waiting to take their turn and we play so many games a season that rotation has to happen. If Lukaku doesnt like it then he can pack his bags and play somewhere else as far as im concerned. He isnt a Messi or Ronaldo who cant ever be replaced. There are lots of strikers out there and im sure we could get another one in.

My advice to Lukaku is if you want to ever play for Chelsea then shut your mouth and nuckle down.

 

 

Alternatively at 22 years of age you can consider it as the confidence and arrogance of youth. I like that. Sturridge had it and, it would appear, so does Lukaku. After all if you don't believe in yourself, how can you expect other people to?

 

Incidentally Lakuku has something that Drogba never actually had; raw, genuine pace. Combine that with his physical presence and work rate and it is a frightening combination for defenders to cope with.