Gianfranco Zola has ordered Alvaro Morata to handle the pressure of being Chelsea’s No.9, because the £60million striker is “not playing for Southampton or Brighton”.
The Blues assistant coach admitted the club thought the former Real Madrid forward was “the perfect No.9 for us” when he signed in July 2017. But the Spaniard has scored only five league goals this season – the last on November 4 – as he has struggled with the weight of expectation.
Morata will be given the chance to end his five-game barren streak in all competitions in Saturday’s home FA Cup third-round tie against Championship promotion chasers Nottingham Forest.
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But when asked if he had sympathy for the striker’s problems, Blues legend Zola replied: “No, it should be a motivational thing. You are at Chelsea, you’re not playing for Southampton or Brighton, with all due respect for those clubs.
“People expect a lot from the No.9 of Chelsea. They expect a lot of goals and a lot of performances. This is normal and Alvaro has to get used to it.
“If he goes to another big club, it’s going to be the same.
“There is no way you can avoid your responsibilities. It’s part of your job, and the better you can handle those situations, the better you’re going to be.
“I know he feels he doesn’t score enough and he feels a lot of responsibility. He has to learn to leave everything behind because these are burdens you only take on the pitch and they won’t help you to perform better.
“He needs to deal with this and we need to come up with a solution that allows him to play at his standards.”
Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill could make their final Chelsea appearances in the tie, but Zola promised Callum Hudson-Odoi has “a bright future with us” if he shows patience.
The England youth star is a target for German giants Bayern Munich after refusing to sign a contract extension, while the Blues this week spent £58m on Borussia Dortmund wide-man Christian Pulisic ahead of a summer transfer.
“He has to think long-term,” Zola said of Hudson-Odoi. “I know it’s very difficult when you are young. You think about what is going to happen tomorrow. But you have to be thinking after.
“If he keeps improving the way he has been improving, he will play, and he will play a lot. I know Bayern is very interested in him, but we’re interested in him as well.”
