Thomas Tuchel insists that the Chelsea players are tired. If that's the case, let's give them a rest, especially Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku seems to need the rest more than everybody.
Since coming back from injury, the Belgian's menacing form has been put under the spotlight. There have been questions about whether he fits Tuchel's system or is the player we think he is. We speak about the players needing a rest to prevent injury. Maybe Lukaku needs a break to figure it out.
Five goals in 15 games doesn't sound too bad, but when you compare that to Mohamed Salah's 16 goals in 20, the numbers don't sound too good.
I will not be making any excuses for Lukaku. There is no excusing a £97m signing. A lack of output in front of goal is one thing. However, something seems to be missing in his game. That's where the frustration from the fans is coming from.
At the moment, he looks like Chelsea's worst attacker. Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola seems to think the same. Speaking on Amazon Prime he said "Chelsea played an extraordinary season last year, but they always paid attention to the fact that they were missing a goalscorer.
"They often created scoring chances, and in some games, they were penalised enough. Lukaku arrives to fill that shortcoming, but I liked Chelsea as they were."
It isn't easy to come to terms with, especially knowing how much Chelsea fans longed for the perfect striker.
After his shocking interview with Sky Italia in December, his performance has been put under further scrutiny. Even though he apologised for his wrongdoings, he has yet to show fans the fight and desire on the pitch.
These are not words that I'd typically use to describe Lukaku. There have been performances where he has been sloppy on the ball, reluctant to link-up play, and where his hold-up play has been questionable. I refuse to believe that his superstar skill set has dropped due to a tactical change with different managers. His form at Inter warranted the World Class tag that he bought to Chelsea.
After determining that Lukaku was a "ticking time bomb" in the Chelsea dressing room due to his current form, Jamie Carragher wrote in his article for the Telegraph,
"Remember when Chelsea played Liverpool in August, and the match preview was all about the 'heavyweight' clash between Lukaku and Virgil van Dijk? How long ago does that seem now? Lukaku has not looked in fighting shape since his comeback, that's for sure.
"If his form does not improve, it will become a problem the club will have to consider between now and the end of the season, weighing up as to whether they will need another solution upfront when planning for a renewed title bid next year."
The only real explanation that one can allude to is that he is tired. He remains fit enough to reinstate his former form after recovering from injury. Mentally he has had to deal with recovering his relationship with the fans off the pitch. It could be pretty draining.
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