Jos\u00e9 Mourinho said Diego Costa must \u201canticipate things and read the game faster\u201d to return to the goalscoring form that propelled Chelsea\u2019s challenge last season but insisted a line has been drawn under his midweek spat with the striker.<\/p>\n
Frustration had boiled over in stoppage time at the end of the first half in the Sammy Ofer Stadium in midweek when Costa, with a tap-in on offer, failed to react to an Eden Hazard pass. Mourinho made his disappointment clear on the touchline, with his assistant Rui Faria attempting to calm down the manager, only for Costa to respond in kind as the players departed the pitch. The Spain international furiously brushed off attempts by Oscar and John Terry to intervene.<\/p>\n
Mourinho has since attempted to make clear he had reconciled with the forward in the dressing room at half-time, though the underlying issues behind the player\u2019s sluggish displays \u2013 Costa has scored only seven goals in 29 club appearances stretching back to mid-January \u2013 remain a concern. \u201cIn the game I told him, from a distance, that I was not happy with the movement he did,\u201d Mourinho said. \u201cHe told me a few \u2018nice words\u2019 from where he was. And nothing happened. Nothing happened at half-time.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is OK, no problem, no problem. But he\u2019s not reading the game properly in these actions. That was my opinion. As a striker he must read. You have to play not only when you have the ball but when others have the ball. You have to anticipate things and read the game faster. Everything is an accumulation [of confidence]. You\u2019re not on fire again just because you\u2019ve scored a winning goal against Norwich. It\u2019s all a process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Costa, who is over the hamstring issues that dogged him last season, will continue to lead the line at Tottenham on Sunday because Radamel Falcao is injured. Lo\u00efc R\u00e9my\u2019s wife is due to give birth and he could be withdrawn late from the squad. Terry, who suffered an ankle injury in midweek, will be assessed on Saturday before a decision is taken on whether he participates but, even so, Mourinho was dismissive of Didier Drogba\u2019s comments in midweek that Chelsealack leaders, suggesting the assessment had been made more \u201cto sell books\u201d.<\/p>\n
Spurs will test the theory that Chelsea, 15th in the table but victors over Norwichand Maccabi Tel Aviv, have turned a corner. Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s side are unbeaten in 13 Premier League games, though Mourinho suggested they had been permitted to progress under no pressure, speaking almost enviously of the expectations placed on Tottenham.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are a better team than last year but nobody speaks about them as title contenders like they speak about Manchester City, Manchester United \u2026 \u201d he said. \u201cThey lose a couple of matches and nothing happens. They are in the Europa League, in the group phase, and no one cares about that at this stage. They go smoothly, step by step, building a team, signing new players, giving conditions for the young players to develop. When the club is powerful to decide they don\u2019t sell, and to invest and bring in others, they have good conditions and no pressure to do magnificent work. I imagine that, with the stability they are showing, sooner or later \u2013 I think sooner \u2013 they will be winning trophies or in a Champions League position. For sure.<\/p>\n