Jose Mourinho’s striker woes

torres ba

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has managed Chelsea through two games of the new Premier League season – winning both. However, he has named a different striker to play the lone role upfront in both games – Fernando Torres left and Demba Ba right.

Romelu Lukaku has come on as a sub in both league games – impressing for the large part.

None of the London side’s strikers have netted on the Premier League this season, but the Blues are only two games in. It does appear Mourinho will have quite a conundrum in which striker to pick for the majority of the 2013/14 campaign, which has led the side to look at Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney to fill the void.

Last season Romelu Lukaku scored the most Premier League goals out of the three Chelsea strikers, but is still very young – something Mourinho has alluded to in the media.

The Chelsea manager acknowledges the Belgium international is a terrific prospect, but is also wary of the pressure on his shoulders to emulate former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba – whom he has been most likened to in regard to his playing style.

Although Manchester United have repeatedly stated Rooney isn’t for sale at any cost, Chelsea seemingly have no plan b. They haven’t been in the market for any other natural forwards and it appears they may have to stick with what they have if they fail to sign the 27-year old.

That puts Mourinho under a lot of pressure from the outset as Fernando Torres and Demba Ba weren’t the most prolific in the Premier League last season, and the former looked typically out of sorts in the opening game of the 2013/14 campaign.

Many feel Chelsea need to target another striker to join the current crop of players, but Mourinho has resisted and is instead focusing on Wayne Rooney.

Should they fail in their quest to procure the England international’s signature, what will Mourinho do to get his attackers firing?

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