Category: Journalism

(News reports, analysis, editorials, commentary, interviews, features etc from India and the world)

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India

Shiv Sena-NCP To Be Helped By Congress Abstaining From Trust Vote

MUMBAI (Maharashtra): Amid the high-voltage political drama going on with regards formation of the next government, the most likely scenario emerging is that of a Shiv Sena (SS) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance government that is ‘supported from outside’ by Congress.

Congress abstaining would save both itself and Shiv Sena the blushes of making an ‘opportunistic alliance that goes severely against their stated and steady ideologies‘.

The magic figure of 145 rests on the assumption that all 288 legislators will take part in the trust vote. But if the 44 Congress MLAs decide to abstain from the trust vote, preferring to stay neutral, the effective strength of the Assembly will diminish to 244.

In this scenario, the ruling coalition will need the support of just 123 legislators. The Shiv Sena and NCP have 110 MLAs have of their own — while the rest of the numbers can be gained through enticing the many independents and smaller parties.

If that happens, Congress can loudly claim that it did not support the Sena-NCP combine — because of the presence of Shiv Sena — and yet ensure that the BJP is kept outside the power corridor.

More importantly, for Congress, it would give out the message — or, at least the Congress would like to believe and tell the world that it gives the message, to its largely minority-sensitive vote bank — that it did not support the ‘communal Shiv Sena’, even when its ally NCP did, and chose to sit in the opposition.

Therefore, it would be in power while sitting in the opposition benches; allying with a ‘rabid Hindu outfit’ while keeping the Muslims in good humour. It would be the quintessentially slick Congress style of ‘having the cake and eating it too‘.

The smaller parties include the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (3 MLAs), MIM (2), Samajwadi Party (2 ), Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the CPI(M) with one legislator each.

It has already been reported that the Shiv Sena has secured the support of eight independent legislators.

In any case, the thumb rule in Indian politics is that independents and smaller parties almost inevitably support the power gravy trail, or, whichever formation is more likely to form the government.

If, as per my belief, the NCP and Shiv Sena do come together to stake a claim, the first task would be the election of the speaker.

Since the entire exercise is because the Shiv Sena wants its chief minister, the Sena would most certainly give the post the NCP — a choice that would readily be supported by the Congress.

Remember, the elected speaker of the Assembly will conduct the trust vote in the house.

Categories
Sport

Match Prediction: 1992 Winners Pakistan Vs 1975, 1979 Winners West Indies

NOTTINGHAM (England): Pakistan, which has lost their last 11 ODIs on the trot run into a buoyant West Indies team that amassed 421 in their last match, a warm-up, against a formidable New Zealand side in the two sides’ first match of the ICC World Cup 2019 at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham on May 31.

But the West Indies captain Jason Holder isn’t giving much to the run-up of the past World Cup winners ahead of his side’s opening clash of the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup. “We just want to be as professional as we possibly can and not take anything for granted,” he told the official news site of CWC19.

“We just assess who we’re playing against, formulate our plans and look to execute them. You try to pinpoint particular areas that you can attack.”

“Us as a bowling group, we just want to be as disciplined as we possibly can. In the past, we’ve been a bit inconsistent and just generally when you’re just sitting back and analysing the game, we just want to be ticking our box in terms of being consistent and being ruthless,” he added.

In his opposite camp, some good news finally came in the form of pace spearhead Mohammad Amir being declared fit and available for selection for the match.

Amir, who missed the 2011 and 2015 World Cups due to a five-year ban for spot-fixing, was seen bowling using his full run-up in the team’s practice session.

There was speculation that the 27-year-old, who missed the last four matches of the one-day international series against England earlier this month, might not be able to make his World Cup debut at Trent Bridge.

His fitness, along with the arrival of veteran Wahab Riaz — who was the most impressive bowler in Pakistan’s losing effort against Afghanistan in their only played warm-up match — suddenly makes Pakistan bowling regain the old age. For, giving the two company would be the bowler of the tournament of the last Champions Trophy Hasan Ali and leggie Shadab Khan. Left-arm slow Imad Wasim, an all-rounder, too is in a good nick.

Does that make Pakistan’s bowling attack better than that of the Windies? It surely does. It easily does.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, that still might not be enough against a team that has packed on so many and so huge power hitters that even mis-hits by them are going to land deep into the stands. That huge power hitter could be Chris Gayle. Or Carlos Braithwaite. Or, what’s his name, yes, Andre Russell. And we’re not even allowing Lewis, Hope, Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer (explosive talent), Pooran and Holder in that list.

Yes, the Windies can spectacularly implode — just as they can fall to spectacular deliveries, like a reverse-swinging yorker by Wahab — but, going by the recent history between the two teams, it seems unlikely today.

Pakistan’s batting, on the other hand, barring opener Fakhar Zaman, is a steady and almost a steady, almost a solid ‘test match qualified’ unit. Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam (one of the world’s best batsman currently), Harris Sohail, veteran Mohammed Hafeez and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed make a lineup that scored over 300 in all the matches that Pakistan played against England in their recent bilateral series.

But can that ‘solid’ batting line up bat out an opposition? Nothing so far has suggested that they can.

And for that as one of the principal reasons, we predict that West Indies would comfortably defeat Pakistan in the two teams’ first match of the ICC World Cup in Nottingham on May 31.

Irrespective, Windies and Pakistan are both exciting teams and we hope today’s match is a more balanced one than the England vs South Africa opener.

Categories
India

Is Ashok Gehlot’s ‘Dhritrashtra Prem’ for His Son Taking Down Rajasthan Congress?

JODHPUR (Rajasthan): In a battle that has at stake the prestige of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, sitting MP from Jodhpur and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is pitted against the former’s son Vaibhav Gehlot.

A loss for his son — in his debut — in the CM’s home turf, which he has nurtured for decades, would take the sheen off Congress’ victory in the recent assembly elections.

Himself a five-time MP from Jodhpur and currently a sitting MLA from Sardarpura here, CM Gehlot is heard playing on people’s emotions to see Vaibhav through.

But the kind of effort and attention that CM Gehlot is investing in Jodhpur to ensure his son’s victory is causing discontent in the Rajasthan unit of Congress.

And this can be seen via ground-level assessment from both the Congress and BJP ‘camps’ (respectively):

The latter observer can be explained thus:

For Shekhawat, who had fought and won his first election in 2014, another victory would enhance his stature within BJP and make him a direct challenger of his vocal critic, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

And to ensure that, Shekhawat is campaigning across the length of the constituency, addressing every segment of the constituency.

Jodhpur Lok Sabha constituency consists of eight assembly segments which are Phalodi, Lohawat, Shergarh, Sardapura, Jodhpur, Soorsagar, Luni, Pokaran. The constituency has a presence of Rajput community at large who are likely to play a major role in deciding the mandate in 2019.

Jodhpur constituency holds historical importance. It’s of the urban cities in Rajasthan and has a say in defining state politics.

BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is the sitting MP in Jodhpur who defeated Chandresh Kumari of the Congress by a margin of almost 4 lakh votes in 2014.

The arrival of Hanuman Beniwal into the NDA fold is an added factor in favour of the BJP candidate.

Jat leader Beniwal is a former BJP leader who was ousted from the party after his differences with former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.  A sitting MLA in the Rajasthan Assembly from Nagaur, he then launched a political outfit called Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) in October 2018.

However, after the 2018 assembly election results, which led the BJP to lose the state to Congress, it recently decided to align with the RLP.

Looking at Beniwal’s cloud on the ground in some regions, BJP may encash benefit in districts like Ajmer, Pali, Barmer, and Jodhpur. The results are currently being seen on the ground:

The trouble does not end there for the Congress. As per figures available through local media, the BJP candidate spent more on the day of the nomination day than what his Congress rival spent in a week after filing his nomination. It is not about money alone, which the Gehlots too would have in bagfuls, it is about the ability of a candidate to fight tooth-for-tooth against the ‘incumbent establishment’.

If the well-oiled (and well-funded) BJP machinery needed any more than ‘mere campaigning budget’, the party has the nation’s ultimate star-power to back its candidate.

PM Narendra Modi held his maiden poll rally in Rajasthan here earlier this week drawing his usual huge crowd.

“The CM is running from street to street trying to save his son,” Modi told the gathering.

Already rattled by an increasingly uphill task, Gehlot retorted with a rather below-the-belt statement:  “Which father would not slog for his son? But how would Modi know? He doesn’t even have a family!”

The utterance from such a seasoned politician, most experts believe, betrayed his nervousness.

To add to that nervousness, BJP President Amit Shah is going to hold a roadshow in Jodhpur today — apart from addressing a rally in Jalore.

Amid the unprecedented attention from both the parties, the locals seem a little confused. It’s a case of Hobson’s choice for them: A majority of those interviewed by the local Rajasthan media — especially of those belonging the CM Gehlot’s Mali caste — say that they want both Narendra Modi and “our chief minister’s son” to win.

That ‘caste pride association’ with the incumbent chief minister is something that Shekhawat seems to be mindful of. Therefore, and taking a cue from the national leadership of his party, he is striving hard to make people look beyond caste considerations and look at the issue of nationalism. Remember, Rajasthan borders Pakistan and the Balakot and Wg. Cdr. Abhinandan Warthaman issues have not completely died down.

Campaigning across the length of the constituency, addressing every segment of the constituency, he sticks basically to one issue: “I want you to remember the sacrifice of our jawans.” It is an emotive issue like no other — especially for the young and the first-time voters, irrespective of their castes.

He is ably supported by the state BJP leadership in that strategy.

“The fight in Jodhpur is between Gehlot’s son Vaibhav on one side and nation’s “vaibhav” on the other,” said BJP vice-president and Rajasthan in charge Avinash Rai Khanna recently to media persons.

Shekhawat is also good at thinking on the feet: Recently, in a locality called Sursagar, a Ram Navami procession was allegedly pelted with stones when it passed through a Muslim-dominated area. He spent the rest of the night outside the police station with his supporters demanding the release of some Hindu youths picked up for questioning.

Will those ‘gestures’ help? The jury is still out on that one.

For an incident or two might not be able to counter what indeed is CM Gehlot’s personal connect with the people considering Jodhpur, his political workspace over decades.

It is a tough one to call. But there seems to be a more wide-ranging effort from the BJP. If they are able to convince the nation that “it is not about Jodhpur, it is about the nation”, then Shekhawat would definitely be returning from Jodhpur.

In any case, imagine a state’s chief minister overlooking 24 constituencies because his son is contesting from the remaining one. As stated in the beginning, there is an undercurrent of unhappiness among the Congress party about the aspect. It promises to hurt the party really bad.

Some of the party’s most ardent supporters too are saying that aloud now:

Fortunately, only for CM Gehlot, the party had anyway lost all the 25 seats in 2014. It can’t do much worse than that, can it?

IN BRIEF:

Rajasthan has a total of 25 parliamentary seats which will go to polls in two phases. Here is the seat-wise break-up in which phase, the election will be held in Rajasthan constituencies.

13 out of 25 Rajasthan constituencies will go to polls in Lok Sabha election 4th phase, April 29:

Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota, Jhalawar-Baran.

Remaining 12 Rajasthan constituencies will go to polls in Lok Sabha election 5th phase, May 06:

Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa, Nagaur

BJP’s Partners in Rajasthan: One

The BJP is contesting polls in alliance with Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), which had won Khinvsar, Merta and Bhopalgarh seats in 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections.

Congress’ Partners in Rajasthan: None

Unlike its alliance with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Sharad Yadav’s Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) in the 2018 Assembly Elections, the Congress is going alone on all the 25 seats in this election.

Categories
India

State of War and the Useful Idiots

In the last 100-odd hours, since facing one of the world’s deadliest terrorist attacks against security forces in recent history, India has lost 40 CRPF personnel, two Indian Army Majors, two Indian Army Sepoys and one Indian Army Hawaldar. Also, one DIG of J&K Police and a Brigadier, a Lt. Colonel, a Major and a Captain of the Indian Army are critically injured in the latest encounter with Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. The nation is boiling over with cries of revenge, and the enemy is alert and mobilised at the border expecting precisely that.

India is at war currently.

BUT, you would be excused for believing that the pressing issues of the moment for our besieged nation are stray — and mostly imaginary — attacks against Kashmiri students in some parts of ‘the Indian mainland’, a plebiscite in Kashmir, and, hold your breath, a certain curiously excited male genitalia.

That forced misplaced focus, unfortunately, is merely a continued manifestation of the inimical forces that have been hindering the Indian story.

And it’s time we discuss the issue a little, aloud.

We are not too fond of jargon, but for this particular exercise, we would take refuge in one to keep this note short and sharp.

Though borne out of a marketing slogan, the term ‘fifth-generation warfare’ has become a favourite of ‘strategy analysts’, especially of the types that talk of defence and security.

Dr Peter Layton, the winner of the US Secretary of Defense’s Exceptional Public Service Medal for his work at the Pentagon on force structure matters, defines ‘fifth-generation warfare’ as “a dynamic way of war, constantly evolving as the context changes and new demands arise”.

He says that it involves four approaches viz., ‘networks’, ‘combat cloud’, ‘multi-domain battle’ and ‘fusion warfare’ functioning together as “an integrated, interdependent ‘system of systems’ whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.

What we are seeing right at this moment in India is straight out of that projected theory of ‘fifth generation warfare’.
India, this week, under the siege of a large, interconnected army of ‘network(er)s’ led by, among other minions of the oil and salvation-led deep state, a discredited journalist, a deranged lawyer-activist, a failed dancer-actor, a forever-student religious bigot, a virtue-signalling foreign news company, a fraud-accused ‘human rights group’, and a couple of blatantly biased technology platforms.

Their ‘operational theatre’ involves (spreading (mis))’information’, ‘sensing’ (the mood of the polity),  (studying the) ‘effects’ (of facts and their misinformation) and (setting up) ‘command’ (and command structures).

For close to 36 hours now, they are telling you that a slap here or a kick there (at worst, if at all) is a more worrying event than the bodies of our heroes being blown apart (apology).
Following their lead are thousands of such ‘networkers’ telling you that precise thing. At the same time. All the time. And they would not stop till that is the only thing in your subconscious.

That is front #1.

Front #2, the ‘combat cloud’, is ‘shared backroom storage’ (on, for example, Facebook, Twitter and indeed both on local intranets and the wide internet) from which the networkers pull and add data as necessary.

That space is being used by the said nefarious individuals to brainstorm, strategise and execute command control instructions. Instructions like, “the moment someone says ‘We want revenge for the killing of our soldiers’, swarm the timeline, all you 5+ million followers of, say, the discredited journalist, with statements like, ‘Yes, we all want it. But let’s not attack, innocent and peaceful Kashmiri students. Beating up Kashmiris across India (a fictitious scale, if not the event itself) is precisely what Pakistan wants us to do'”.

Front # 3, ‘multi-domain battle’ is self-explanatory. Why, aren’t you forced to read the same lies ad nauseam via social media, print media, television news, WhatsApp, public seminars and, hell, even your neighbourhood uncle who suffers from Stockholm Syndrome.

The final approach, the ‘fusion warfare’, is front # 4 for our tainted ‘networks’. It involves, as per Dr Layton’s study, “command and control concerns arising from additional information flows, software incompatibilities and intrinsic vulnerabilities to attack and deception”.

Something like, “Hey, the report from the ground suggests that the Kashmiri students lie has started going against us (it even got an FIR registered against one of us), so we’ll have to change the narrative. How about us being targetted, harassed, threatened with rape/murder etc? Maybe throw in a picture of a ******sized p****?” And voila, they succeed in getting a grip on the narrative again! Give or take a few plausible versions of it.

When the ‘corrupt forces’ open up all the four fronts simultaneously, as they have done currently, it becomes fifth-generation warfare.
Worryingly, the current ‘networks’, like many before them, might just be the pawns in the hands of, again, the oil and salvation-led deep state; they might just be useful idiots who are excelling in carrying out the tasks mentioned in their pay cheques, but they are useful — mighty useful, for and on behalf of the forces that we are fighting.

On one level, it is a difficult battle. But on the other, we just have to pay back in kind.

We would NOT have the support of platforms like Twitter, Facebook etc that have attained a far-reaching impact on the human psyche. The support we shan’t have, but use them we will, for our advantage. Along with the telephone, paper, and that good old thing called personal interactions.

It is going to be a long battle that requires unpaid services, the formation of many interconnected networks with the same purpose, and, most of all, clarity of action.

Categories
Cinema

#UriTheSurgicalStrike REVIEW: Kudos, Ronnie and Aditya! And Vickey Kashyap, “HIGH, SIR”

Excerpt: The difference between executing a war and making a war movie is that the latter can afford to slip a little and still have a beautiful life. In essence, Uri: The Surgical Strike is a fine, fine film… that would not have been made if the actual Surgical Strike by the glorious Indian Army too was ‘merely’ a fine, fine effort.

Review: The name of the film, Uri: The Surgical Strike, spells out the entire story of the film. And then it goes on to tell us how “ideas are dime a dozen, the key lies in the implementation“.

And that is why it would only be pertinent to begin with applauding Ronnie Screwvala (RSVP Movies) for backing the project and Aditya Dhar (Aditya Dhar Films) for directing the tale so well in his debut outing.

People who are deliberately hyperventilating about the film being a symbol of ‘hyper-nationalism’ would do well to know that director Aditya Dhar was just about to commence shooting a film called ‘Raat Baaki‘ with Katrina Kaif and, hold your breath, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the lead role when the film got shelved because of terrorist attack in Uri that led to the Indian film fraternity banning Pakistani talent.

Period.

As per a favoured format (generally) of noir films, the film is told in five chapters.

Chapter 1 gives a fabulously pertinent background – or context – of the principal act that the film talks about. Every subsequent chapter adds layers to the story and the characters, leading up to the final chapter that reaches the crescendo of this war cry of Major Vihaan Shergill (Vicky Kaushal) after the successful surgical strike:

 “How’s the Josh?”
“High, Sir!“
“How’s the Josh?”
“High, Sir!“
“Jai Hind!
“Jai Hind!“

The reaction that you feel within you when you hear that, right at the end of a 2 hour 20 minutes-long film tells you that it was a tale well told.

And the tale could be told well because the lead actor, Vicky Kaushal, manages to consistently keep the story moving even when he is doing or saying nothing. I doubt if Vicky would’ve believed in his wildest dreams that this film would make the ‘mainstream world’ take note of him, applaud his work, and straightaway place him alongside the (so-called) A-list STARS that move the box office.

While Vicky Kaushal is meticulous and nuanced throughout the film, he is totally and utterly mesmerizing at times in essaying his role of a man devoted to both his mother and the motherland.

At the same time, and going against the popular verdict, I would say that the character of the National Security Advisor (NSA), played by veteran actor Paresh Rawal, looked slightly less in control of the facial expressions and body language than what one, perhaps, would expect from the responsibility. Not aware of the behind-the-scenes of the film, I can’t say if it reflects the director’s vision, the actor’s interpretation/improvisation or some inner details about the person on whom it is based. In absence of that insight, I believe that it would go down as a slightly missed opportunity to create an iconic character on screen.

Monkey balancing within the family, however, Swaroop Sampat (wife of Paresh Rawal) returns to the big screen with an absolutely stunning act. Playing an Alzheimer-stricken mother of Major Shergill, she gives a ten-on-ten performance.

You need to take time out of your social work to do a bit more of this, ma’am!

Another part that did not hold as well for me was the character of a young intern of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), played by Akashdeep Arora, who, actually, plays one of the most vital roles of in the film. The character (and not Akashdeep’s acting) comes across as rather contrived. For reference, the role/character is almost entirely similar to that of a young hacker in Neeraj Pandey’s classic ‘A Wednesday’.

The only other character that looked like been designed purely to provide some light-hearted relief to the film was that of a middle-aged official of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), played by the ever-brillian Rakesh Bedi. Of course, the character with a comic edge is vital to the story and is barely for 2-3 minutes in the film.

Of the other actors, Mohit Raina (as Major Karan Kashyap) and Mansi Parekh Gohil (as Major Kashyap’s wife and Major Shergill’s sister) stand out with sincere performances — Mohit especially in the combat scenes and Mansi in the latter half of her very small role.

The actor who, however, steals the thunder from her screen parents is Riva Arora. She completely melts the theatre by re-enacting this following real-life incident:

Yami Gautam as an intelligence officer is sincere while Kirti Kulhari as an Indian Air Force Officer/Pilot is convincing in her single-tone role – and gets to play the ‘hero’ at a very crucial juncture of the film.

Frankly, in such films, there is little scope for an actor to be bad. It is just about the layers of the character and the screen time.

Uri was largely shot in Serbia. The Indo-Pak border, the LOC and other areas resembling military posts and terrorist camps were recreated in the central European nation.

What helped matters was that there was an Indian Army official consultant on board with the makers of the film. All the actors were given intensive commando training for about five months — something that comes across in the body language and ease of movement of the actors. They also practised wearing the Army uniform and using the weapons for months together.

That brings to the fore the ONLY reservation/complaint with regards the action sequences of the film: As in a ‘normal action film sans a sense of responsibility and detailing, there exists a portion where the Pakistani forces’ chopper fire repeatedly misses, what a layman would consider, a ‘sitting ducks’ position of the Indian troops. Though it lasts only for about a minute or two, it concerns one of the most vital parts of the heroic tale — the successful retreat.

Then again, maybe the closer-to-reality description might have actually been unwise from the Indian Army perspective.

As per Aditya, the director, he had a locked script which was approved by the army and he stuck to it. The Indian Army (officials) is said to be very happy with the final product.

Clearly, when an honest effort is put behind a project, it eventually shows.

The cinematography by Mitesh Mirchandani is absolutely top-notch.

We get to see only what we ought to see. The frames are only as still as they ought to be. The long shots and close-ups are used to terrific effect — for, sometimes we need to be near a soldier’s face to hear his heartbeat, and at other times we want to have a bird’s eye view to learn from his movement. Just what the doctor ordered!

Giving Mitesh an able company is Shivkumar V. Panicker with his astute editing. Not one scene in the entire film seems to have even a single redundant frame.

Composed by Shashwat Sachdev, the four songs of the film blend beautifully with the film and do not come across as a language different from the rest of it. Challa (Main Lad Jaana) especially stands out because of its thumping nature that adds to the edgy proceedings of the moment.

Verdict: If you are at peace with the fact that every individual, idea, and institution has certain flaws, you would love every bit of seeing this film unfold on the big screen. Recommended! 

Categories
Sport

The Top Three Takeaways from the Chelsea-Manchester United Draw

The latest edition of the Chelsea-Manchester United clash was the proverbial tale of two halves: The Blues absolutely mastered the surprisingly docile visiting Red Devils that had displayed enormous attacking intent with the team selection. The domination, though, was not reflected by a mere one-goal lead via a crisp Antonio Rüdiger header.

Then came the hour mark of the match and everything changed. Manchester United players changed gears and scored two goals via Anthony Martial, while Chelsea discarded ‘Sarri-ball’ and embraced the long-ball like there was no ground in the middle. It was through sheer madness of injury-time melee that Chelsea managed to find an equalizer via Ross Barkley in the 96th minute.

What that, in essence, means that both the teams played only one half, and therefore, did not deserve to win the whole match.

In the end, it would’ve felt like a loss to Jose Mourinho. But overall, Maurizio Sarri would be the more disappointed one for handing over the top spot to City and Liverpool.

As a match, there were three major takeaways from the match:

Hazard is NOT a 38-Games-a-Season Player:

Prior to the clash of the two titans at Stamford Bridge, Eden Hazard was consistently being placed alongside Ronaldo and Messi. Talking to the media prior to the match, even Mourinho said that Chelsea would win the Premier League if Hazard keeps firing.

However, the ‘if’ that Mourinho hinted at is what has been the bane of Chelsea supporters, and indeed football aficionados.

Arsenal legend Paul Merson recently pinpointed the issue when he said that “the problem with Chelsea ace Eden Hazard is he can go missing for six months at a time”.

Was today the first day of those six months? Almost certainly not ㅡ but he did go missing for a big chunk of the match time. He also lost the ball a few times and was not accurate with his ‘cute’ flicks and other trickery.

To give credit where due, Hazard himself accepted that aspect of the game last season after ‘going missing’ against Barcelona in both the legs of the Champions League match.

Contrast that with what Messi produced at Wembley a few weeks ago against Tottenham Hotspurs in their Champions League match.

Title Contenders Chelsea Need New Contenders Both at the Front and the Back:

There is more or less a consensus developing across the Premier League is that Alvaro Morata is coming to the end of his Chelsea career, a new striker is arriving in January. He has scored two goals in the Premier League so far at an average of over 300 minutes per goal!

Unfortunately, his substitute Olivier Giroud hasn’t scored even a single goal. In fact, he played and won the FIFA World Cup without scoring a single goal!

Clearly, Sarri needs a forward that can put the ball in the opposition goal ㅡas early as during the January window.

Adding to the woes is the volatility at the back. Marcos Alonso and David Luiz are both great talents, but not necessarily great in defence.

Luiz pulled out of position which led to Manchester United’s second goal. Alonso, while continuing to lie on the ground, though one can barely fault a player for lying prostrate on the ground after a collision, gave an easy target for Martial to fire in the second goal.

In any case, the two represent a case of turning a winger and a mid-fielder into defenders.

At the moment Sarri looks adamantly in support of the two ㅡ despite having the likes of Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill in the ranks. But, he might need a Bonucci or a Rugani to become a really reliable title contender.

It Promises to Come Good for Manchester United, Eventually

Twice in two matches now, Mourinho’s boys have come back from behind to lead. But for a mad scramble at the end, twice they would have won.

How did it happen, amid all the negativity surrounding the team, and especially the manager?

It happened because Mourinho is a great coach. He no longer needs to prove that. Unfortunately, his personality gets in the way of a fair assessment of his managerial acumen. This writer believes that he is very different from, but just as good as Pep Guardiola. And he proves this in the way he manages most of the ‘big matches’. He may not win them, he may not even be attractive, but he manages to extract what needs to be for the team.

Today, he again managed to completely blunt the Hazard factor. A year ago, it was Ander Herrera who was assigned the job. Today, it was Ashley Young. With a misfiring striker and a shackled talisman, Chelsea could’ve gone only as far. And but for the error by Paul Pogba (missing his marker) that led to the first goal, and the late chaos in the 16-yard-box, he would’ve pulled off a perfect execution.

Add to that the fact that man-to-man, Manchester United is one of the best teams in the Premier Leagueㅡ something acceded by Sarri before the match. It is perhaps an issue of emotions and/or egos, that is stopping the team from gelling. Once that is sorted out, and it would be, eventually, it promises to come good for Utd.