For Mourinho, Costa has to succeed

Diego Costa

Contribution by Asa Clark @cfcasa

After scoring 36 goals in all competitions, helping them win La Liga and reach the Champions League final for Atletico Madrid, it looks like Chelsea will finally have a current and in-form world class and not forgetting a ‘Mourinho’ type striker in Diego Costa.

The fee is reported to be £32million. All season the pundits, fans and even Mourinho himself have said that he needs that star player striker to complete the jigsaw.

With relying too heavily on Diego Costa to fire Chelsea to Premier League and Champions League glory, isn’t Mourinho putting all his eggs in one basket? Normally he’d have a multitude of talent in every position on the pitch.

At Chelsea however, it’s been more or less, in the striker role, the complete opposite.

Fernando Torres is the old Fernando Torres whenever he goes on a 10 game scoring drought, scores one goal and he’s back to his best.

Demba Ba for all his efforts simply isn’t good enough and the one striker that the majority of Chelsea fans were impressed with, Samuel Eto’o, has been released after his contract was up.

If Chelsea insist on bringing in Diego Costa for the fee reported, then what are the chances of Torres, Ba and even Lukaku staying at Chelsea? They know he’s the number one guy. The player to lead the line.

Who knows, by the time Costa arrives at Stamford Bridge, Torres could be going the other way.

Of course, many people doubt whether Costa will hit the ground running. Chelsea fans will be used to this though. Most of their strikers in seasons gone by have taken a while to get going. In Fernando Torres they’re still waiting.

Didier Drogba, probably the best striker that’s ever been at the club, only managed 16 goals in all competitions in his first season. The following season he managed to score the same amount of goals.

Costa will be under pressure immediately. Strikers can no longer use the excuse of having to get used to the Premier League and settling into a different country.

Sergio Aguero in his first season managed to score 30 goals in 48 games over all competitions in his first season.

Alvaro Negredo managed 23 goals in 48 games and he didn’t even score for the last four months of the season (12th January 2014).

While Chelsea go out and spend a huge amount of money on another striker, why isn’t the talented, yet admittedly outspoken Romelu Lukaku being given the backing to lead the Chelsea frontline? If Lukaku has his monthly public tantrum with Mourinho, will he still be there?

At this World Cup he had his sights on really kicking up there with the big boys, especially with Christian Benteke missing the World Cup through injury, but it hasn’t really worked out for him yet.

Chelsea don’t just need Diego Costa, they need another centre-forward as backup to him. Not just any old centre forward to make up the numbers, but a world class one.

Is Lukaku the man to do that? He should be, but the young Belgians impatience and petulance could be his downfall.

Mourinho will know the importance of Diego Costa scoring goals for Chelsea, but with the next Drogba ready and waiting and who cost £19million, surely Lukaku will get his chance?

Asa Clark

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