Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi) perlu mengkaji tindakan yang wajar diambil terhadap personaliti dan juga usahawan, Neelofa yang melancarkan koleksi terbaru tudungnya di sebuah kelab malam.
Timbalan Setiausaha Pertubuhan Tarekat Muktabar Malaysia (Pertama), Ahmad Radzi Noor Mahadi berkata, pihak berkuasa agama perlu melihat perkara itu sebagai perkara yang jelas bercanggah dengan syarak.
"Melancarkan koleksi tudung dengan kelakuan jelas bercanggah syarak, dalam tempat yang sinonim dengan maksiat, ia menghina kemuliaan yang terkait kepada istilah hijab dan budaya bertudung.
"Hijab dan bertudung adalah sebahagian lambang ketakwaan seorang Islam, selari dengan perintah terkandung dalam al-Quran dan hadis Nabi Muhammad SAW," katanya dalam kenyataan pada Selasa.
Menurutnya, pihaknya juga merujuk kepada video pelancaran koleksi itu, di mana terdapat wanita berpakaian mendedahkan aurat walaupun bertudung dan melakukan tarian yang jelas bercanggah hukum syarak.
"Hal ini hendaklah diambil perhatian. Istilah hijab dan bertudung adalah sebahagian istilah dan syiar ketakwaan kepada ALLAH SWT," katanya.
Sementara itu, Pertama juga mengingatkan semua umat Islam untuk menjaga kemuliaan budaya dan istilah yang terkait kepada ketakwaan kepada ALLAH SWT.
"Jika kita umat Islam tidak dengan secara sedar menjaga kemuliaan Islam dan memastikan dengan penguatkuasaan yang berkesan, siapa lagi yang dapat kita harapkan," katanya.
PUTRAJAYA: A high profile businessman has been remanded for six days over claims he received RM19mil to help close investigations over the Penang mega project involving three main roads and an undersea tunnel.
The businessman will be remanded for six days until March 5.
On Monday, Magistrate Norhidayati Mohammad Nasroh allowed prosecutors from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to have the 37-year-old man in custody.
The businessman was detained after having his statement recorded at the MACC headquarters on Tuesday.
Sources familiar with the case said the man received the money in stages between July and August last year from construction companies after claiming that he would be able to settle the case.
He is the fifth person to be arrested over the probe on the feasibility studies of the mega project involving three main roads and an undersea tunnel.
Two high ranking Datuks from construction companies were remanded in early January, while a Datuk Seri chairman and a senior engineering consultant were detained last month.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/02/28/businessman-remanded-for-six-days-over-rm19mil-payment/#drwH07sStJiR6vWi.99
KOTA KINABALU: The gunmen killed in a shootout at a Tawau plantation on Tuesday (Feb 27) are suspected to be linked to a cross-border terrorist network that might be planning an attack on Sabah.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Datuk Hazani Ghazali said that they could be linked to 10 people arrested recently by the Bukit Aman anti-terrorism unit for planning to carry out attacks in the state.
Hazani said that while police have yet to positively identify the three gunmen, the weapons recovered - including a Colt M4 rifle and a revolver - did not look like those used by an armed robbery group.
“We are taking their photos and finger prints to see if this can help us identify the three,” he said, adding that they would also be requesting for assistance from Interpol.
Speaking to reporters at the Esscom headquarters in Tawau on Wednesday (Feb 28), he added; “From the arrests, what we know is that these terror groups are already in Sabah."
He said Tawau district police chief Asst Comm Fadil Marcus had also noted the trio seemed to operate in a tactical manner before they were shot dead.
“We are still trying to study their motives and which group they belonged to. They could be part of the Islamic State or other organised groups," said Hazani.
However, he did not want to speculate if they were Abu Sayyaf militants who participated in the failed Marawi siege last October.
Hazani said they were working with their counterparts in the Philippines to help identify the three, who were found with no documents.
He added that while it was hard to say if the trio were Malaysians or Filipinos, the three were not on Esscom's most-wanted list.
Together with the rifle, they found three bullets including one spent in a magazine, a .38 revolver with six bullets, a bag containing nine bullets, two packets of drugs and also a Perodua Kancil car stolen from Kota Kinabalu among others.
The trio had opened fire at a pursuing police party inside a plantation about a kilometre from the main Kalabakan-Keningau road in the four-minute shootout that ended with the three killed at around 3.20pm on Tuesday.
Hazani said that it was clear that criminal elements were using the Kalabakan-Keningau road to move undetected towards the interior of Sabah that links to the west coast.
He said they plan to set up roadblocks along the road as well as in the Telupid district that links to the west coast of Sabah to check the movement of these militants or other criminal elements.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/02/28/three-killed-in-tuesdays-tawau-shootout-could-be-linked-to-terror-network/#1DuzEdU3O0tqzrhQ.99
Public domain: A man is caned in public for engaging in same-sex relations in Banda Aceh. Two men received 85 lashes each on Tuesday after the Banda Aceh Sharia Court found them guilty of sodomy. (JP/Hotli Simanjuntak)
JAKARTA: Authorities in Banda Aceh have caned a non-Muslim married couple on Tuesday after the two were arrested for gambling at an entertainment center in the capital of Aceh.
The Aceh Sharia Court sentenced the Christian couple, identified as Dahlan Sili Tongga, 61, and Tjia Nyuk Hwa, 45, to eight and seven lashes respectively for violating provincial laws.
Aceh is the only province that upholds sharia, although non-Muslims found guilty of committing crimes that are regulated under the Criminal Code (KUHP) such as gambling can choose to either be punished by incarceration as stipulated under the KUHP or under provincial sharia.
The couple were found guilty of violating a jinayat (Islamic bylaw) on gambling. The caning took place outside the Babussalam Mosque in Lampaseh Aceh, Meuraxa, Banda Aceh.
The court also sentenced Ridwan, 67, to 22 lashes for allowing gambling to take place on his premises. The authorities confiscated coins, vouchers and cash from Ridwan. The court also convicted unmarried couple Muzakkir and Cut Hamidar for khalwat (affectionate contact between an unmarried couple). The couple received 25 lashes each.
“This punishment shows our commitment [to implementing sharia]. We want to create a deterrent so that other people do not violate sharia,” Banda Aceh Mayor Aminullah Usman said, adding that the caning was deliberately carried out in an open space so that the public could see it.
“This is different to imprisonment, in which the public can’t see [the convicts being punished],” he said, adding that he called on people to report any violations of sharia to local authorities. - The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2018/02/28/christian-couple-caned-in-banda-aceh-for-gambling/#k1M0Hxp5Bg3xGKkd.99
Out you go: A key member of BAM’s Rules, Disciplinary and Integrity Committee Jadadish Chandra has been barred from attending the second day of the match-fixing hearing yesterday. — AFP
PETALING JAYA: In a surprise move, Malaysia’s observer was barred from the second day of the match-fixing hearing for shuttlers Zulfadli Zulkiffli and Tan Chun Seang.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM)’s Jadadish Chandra, who has been appointed to keep a watching brief, was prevented from attending the hearing for the second day.
Yesterday, Zulfadli and Chun Seang appeared before the three-member panel of BWF’s disciplinary committee and are hoping for a positive outcome.
The 25-year-old Zulfadli and Chun Seang, 31, were represented by their counsels at the Hotel Jen Tanglin in Orchard Road, Singapore.
Jadadish was surprised with the decision to bar him
“I was told in the morning by Stuart (Borrie, BWF’s chief executive officer) before the 10am hearing that the panel’s chairman had barred me from entering the hearing,” said Jadadish, who attended the first day of hearing on Monday.
“He informed me that the players’ lawyers did not want me to attend. I can’t understand the rationale behind this.
“This should have been communicated to me when the hearing started at 10am,” said Jadadish, who is a key member of BAM’s Rules, Disciplinary and Integrity Committee.
BAM’s president Datuk Seri Norza said they had sent a protest letter to BWF for barring lawyer Jadadish from the hearing.
“The BA of Malaysia are disappointed with BWF’s move to instruct Jadadish to stay out of the hearing,” said Norza.
“I’ve asked Datuk Ng Chin Chai (secretary) and Michelle Chai (general manager) to send a protest letter via email to BWF this morning.
“Our observer has been asked to stay out because he had spoken to the media. He merely stated the proceeding and not the details of the hearing as this is a matter of public interest.
“I would have expected BWF to be more transparent in this matter,” added an irked Norza.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/badminton/2018/02/28/bam-observer-barred-from-hearing/#CeDJrk0xm3b7gtMt.99
Challenging gender stereotypes, 25-year-old Azroy Adyana Tajuddin, or fondly known as Nia, has claimed her spot as one of the female Malaysian FIFA gamers in Asia’s premier e-sports team, Order of Elites Asia (OoE).
Nia who is known as 'Makthor' in the gaming world, was ranked top 16 in the Virtuelle Bundesliga South East Asia FIFA 18 qualifiers after battling it at the Battle Arena in Petaling Jaya recently.
In her move to OoE, Nia shared with Astro AWANI, she is proud to be a part of the team and as the only female gamer that is representing Malaysia in the team.
“I believe OoE will help me wholly as my coach and mentor, and train me to become a professional gamer.
“With their skills and knowledge, I hope I will be among the best female gamers in Asia,” she expressed her hope.
In a separate interview with Era FM, Nia also shared that her love for gaming was due to the very fact that it challenges her mind and boasts various benefits as well, as opposed to what most deemed as a waste of time.
For other female gamers out there her advice was, “Don’t shy away from the spotlight, prove that you are the best and become a professional gamer,” as pursuing a career in eSports will have immense benefits.
Online, many Malaysians have expressed their support for Nia, while hailing her as their 'FIFA Queen' and 'FIFA Idol'.
And despite naysayers who criticised her role as a female gamer, Nia wrote on her Facebook page, “You can criticise or praise me in any way that you want…I'm just a normal human being that’s willing to learn. This is not just a beginning and this is also not the ending.”
OoE established themselves in 2016, and competes professionally both locally and internationally. The team currently consists of eight members from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Its founder Mohamed “Xtr3me3” Phirkhan last week told Astro AWANI, "We are very happy to welcome Nia in the OoE family. She’s always passionate and is willing to learn new things.
"I believe there are many talented female players out there who need to be given a chance. One of our principles is to support women and to never underestimate them," he said.
We wish Nia and OoE all the best in their upcoming tournaments and hope they will continue to make the country proud with their eSports achievements!
SINGAPORE: For seven years, a girl suffered almost daily sexual abuse at the hands of her mother's lover, a man she called "shu shu", or uncle, the High Court heard Monday (Feb 26).
In the beginning, when she was seven to eight years old, the girl told her mother that he was molesting her, but realised it was futile when the woman got angry with her instead and did not intervene.
Years later, the man, who was married to another woman, progressed to raping her and forcing her to perform oral sex on him - sometimes in broad daylight while others were at home. She became so conditioned by his abuse that she automatically took off her clothes when he summoned her.
When she was 13, she decided she could no longer endure the abuse. After going to the police, the girl found herself being abandoned by her mother, who has been visiting the man in prison every other week.
The 47-year-old man cannot be named to protect the girl's identity.
The court heard that after his arrest, the man told police the girl had seduced him and flirted with him.
"This is one of the most heinous cases which we have ever seen," Deputy Public Prosecutor David Khoo said as he urged the court to send out a strong deterrent message to protect the young and vulnerable.
The DPP noted that despite having a wife and a mistress, the man was not satisfied and even raped his mistress' child, "robbing her of her innocence".
The man was married with a son, but had been in an affair with the girl's divorced mother since 2006. From 2010 to 2014, the girl was sent to live with the man's family during the school holidays, where he began molesting her. The girl realised the acts were wrong only after attending sex education classes in Primary 5, but did not know what to do.
In 2014 , the jobless man told the girl's mother to move in with his family. He relied on his wife to support the family and got a monthly allowance from the girl's mother, who sometimes paid $350 a month to his wife for household expenses.
After mother and daughter moved in, the abuse escalated to rape and oral sex.
"She felt very lousy about herself and just let the accused abuse her daily," the DPP told the court.
She feared angering the man, who had assaulted his wife and the girl's mother when he was angry or drunk, and hit the girl when she tried to protect her mother from him or when he was angered that she had male friends at school.
In 2016, the man's wife filed for divorce and left the flat with their son. The man then moved into his lover's flat, and the abuse continued.
Eventually, the girl sought help from the rapist's wife, who referred her to a social worker, and a police report was made on June 29, 2016.
With $800 (RM2,375) that he took from the girl's mother, the man spent the next four days evading arrest before surrendering himself to police.
DPP Khoo said the man had wrecked the girl's life and caused a rift between her and her mother.
The girl, who is now 15 and living with her maternal grandmother, feels very insecure about herself and worries about being judged by others, said the DPP. "She misses her mother," he said. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2018/02/27/man-jailed-34-years-caned-for-sexually-abusing-lovers-daughter/#hjghOp17TeJca1iF.99
MUMBAI: India mourned Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor after her death in Dubai aged just 54, as police in the emirate said she drowned in her hotel bathtub.
The body of Sridevi, one of the biggest names in Hindi cinema, had been due to be brought back to Mumbai on Monday (Feb 26) by charter flight.
It was not immediately clear, however, when Dubai authorities would release it.
Hundreds of heartbroken fans gathered outside her Mumbai home hoping to catch a final glimpse of the star before her cremation, now likely to take place on Tuesday (Feb 27) at the earliest.
Initial reports had cited a heart attack as the cause of her death late Saturday (Feb 24) at a hotel in the emirate, where she had been attending a nephew’s wedding.
”The death of Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness,” Dubai police tweeted, citing an autopsy report.
Police have now referred the case to the public prosecutor.
Tributes kept pouring in for the actress and fans gathered outside her home for a second day.
”We want to see her one last time,” 48-year-old Laxmi Subbaramaiah told AFP outside the house in the Andheri area of Mumbai - the heartland of the Bollywood film industry.
”All of my family members are big fans and we cried when we heard the news. We will wait here until her body comes back,” he said.
Vishal More, 23, said he had travelled seven hours from Jalgaon district, around 400km away from Mumbai, to bid farewell to his favourite actress.
”I’ve been waiting all morning to catch a last glimpse of Sridevi. I have watched all of her movies. She is such an inspiration,” he said.
Sridevi’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief in India from fans and fellow actors as well as condolences from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Bollywood shock
”I have always been a huge fan of her work. Equally I have been an admirer of the grace and dignity with which she conducted herself,” actor Aamir Khan wrote on Twitter.
”I join all the millions of her fans in mourning her demise. Ma’am we will always remember you with love and respect,” he added.
Fellow actor Ranveer Singh tweeted that he was “shocked and saddened to hear about the untimely demise of one of Hindi cinema’s greatest superstars”.
Actress Alia Bhatt posted on Twitter: “Nothing makes sense. I have no words... just completely shocked. RIP Sri Devi. My icon forever. Love you.”
Sridevi, born Shree Amma Yanger Ayappan in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, appeared in around 300 films and was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, for services to the movie industry.
She made her acting debut at the age of four and her career spanned more than four decades.
Sridevi worked in India’s regional Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam-language films before making her Bollywood debut in 1979.
She became a national icon with a string of blockbuster films including “Chandni”, “Mr India”, “Mawali” (“Scoundrel“) and “Tohfa” (“Gift“).
Sridevi famously took a 15-year-break from the silver screen after marrying film producer Boney Kapoor but returned in the 2012 hit comedy-drama “English Vinglish”.
Her most recent film was last year’s “Mom”.
She was set to see Jhanvi, the eldest of her two daughters, make her Bollywood debut. - AFP
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2018/02/26/dubai-police-drowning-caused-sridevi-death/#04jEBQGrsB7buS52.99
PETALING JAYA: Billionaire Tan Sri Robert Kuok said he would take all necessary steps against portal Malaysia Today and its author to address what he said were false allegations.
In a media statement released by his office Monday (Feb 26), the tycoon referred in particular to a series of three articles on the portal, owned by Raja Petra Kamarudin, published between Feb 21 and 23.
The articles, which attacked Kuok as the funder for news portal The Malaysian Insight, in addition to funding political parties, were untrue, the statement said.
The billionaire also said that any assertion that he had forgotten his roots were false, and that he had a deep appreciation for the opportunities he has had.
“Mr Kuok holds in the highest esteem the leaders of Malaysia who have throughout their lives done everything they can to contribute to the well-being of Malaysians,” the statement from his office read.
Here is his statement in full:
Media Statement from the Office of Mr Robert Kuok
In the last week, articles have emerged that have cast aspersions on Mr Robert Kuok’s commitment to Malaysia and the integrity of the country’s democratic processes. Mr Robert Kuok wishes to state that any assertion that he has forgotten his roots are entirely false.
Mr Robert Kuok would also like to place on record that he has a deep appreciation for the opportunities he has had and recognises the contributions made by Malaysians of all creeds, races and religions towards the development of Malaysia to date, and the continued commitment shared by all Malaysians in ensuring a bright future for the country.
Mr Kuok holds in the highest esteem the leaders of Malaysia who have throughout their lives done everything they can to contribute to the well-being of Malaysians.
In particular, Mr Robert Kuok refutes and emphatically denies the false allegations contained in the three articles published on the online blog, Malaysia Today, namely: “Malaysian Insight Funder Fingered” on Feb 21; “Robert Kuok Wants Chinese Rule in Malaysia” on Feb 21; and “Robert Kuok’s Last Chance at Changing the Government” on Feb 23.
The false assertions made in these articles include that he was funding The Malaysian Insight and various political parties with the aim of overthrowing the present government of Malaysia; embarking on a campaign to manipulate the Malaysian political process and democratic system; being anti-government vis-Ã -vis the ruling Barisan Nasional Party in Malaysia; and being a racist and a “Chinese chauvinist”.
These allegations are untrue, and Mr Robert Kuok expressly denies them in their entirety.
Since the publication of the Malaysia Today Articles, further articles have been published in Malaysia on the online portal known as Malaysiakini as well as in The New Straits Times, The Star, The Malay Mail, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, amongst others.
In no uncertain terms, Mr Robert Kuok states that the Malaysia Today articles constitute very serious libel. Moreover, the allegations made are false and the attack on him wholly unjustified.
Mr Robert Kuok takes these baseless allegations very seriously, and reserves the right to take all necessary steps against Malaysia Today and the author to address the false allegations contained in the scurrilous articles.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/02/26/robert-kuok-to-take-action-against-false-reports/#t3hUJeppJ6spmckY.99
JOHOR BARU: Passengers in a stage bus had a harrowing experience when it caught fire as it was passing along Jalan Tebrau near Kg Melayu about 4pm today. The stage bus which was loaded to the brim with 42 passengers made an emergency stop along the road and all of them managed to escape just in the nick of time before the vehicle was engulfed by flames. Tebrau Fire and Rescue Department operations chief senior firefighter Ronie Robert said firemen received a distress call at 4.26pm and rushed to the scene.
Some 40 passengers escaped unhurt in the incident. Pic courtesy of Fire and Rescue Dept.
ROSLI ZAKARIA and HANNEEYZAH BARIAH BAHRAIN New Straits Times26 February 2018
KUALA NERUS: Some know him as Muhammad Kareef Daniel Abdullah while most people know him simply as Mat Dan. The Englishman, who captured the hearts of Malaysians with his mastery of Bahasa Melayu, in particular the Terengganu dialect, is now a permanent resident (PR) of the country
Mat Dan, however, had no idea of his new PR status until it was announced by none other than Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the opening of the Terengganu Expo 2018 at the state Sports Complex here this evening.
Zahid pulled off the surprise as he was commenting on the progress and development which Terengganu has enjoyed, including the success of marketing its traditional menu of “nasi dagang” and “keropok lekor” abroad. "In fact, we have a well-known icon in Terengganu, Mat Dan, and I have approved Mat Dan’s application to become a permanent resident of Malaysia," he said. Zahid's announcement was met with a roar of approval from the 40,000-strong crowd. Mat Dan, who appeared stunned, joined Zahid onstage before shaking his hand.
Englishman Muhamad Kareef Danial Abdullah or better known as Mat Dan is now a permanent resident of Malaysia. Bernama pic.
A promising first half performance gave way to a far less promising second, as Chelsea faded and failed to capitalize on the first-goal advantage for the first-time all season. A second-half goal from Jesse Lingard was enough for the hosts and Chelsea faded. Alvaro Morata did have the ball in the back of the net for an equalizer, but it was (harshly) ruled out. The Blues thus drop out of the top four, with further pain on the horizon as another trip back up to Manchester looms next weekend, this time to play the champions elect.
With both teams coming off of midweek European draws, the starting lineups featured a little bit of rotation but still plenty of quality.
The hosts set out in a classic Mourinho 4-3-3, with former blue Matic anchoring the midfield, Pogba shuttling, and young Scott McTominay assinged the Zouma-esque/Herrera-esque role of just following Hazard around and kicking him a lot. In fairness, they were a bit more zonal than that, so Hazard got his fair share of kicks from others like Matic. Their back-four had veterans on the wings in Ashley Young and captain Antonio Valencia, but weakness in centre with Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelöf, while up front, Mourinho chose all the most expensive names in Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, and Anthony Martial.
Conte stuck with the 3-4-3 from Tuesday’s draw against Barcelona, but with a proper center forward this time — Alvaro Morata making his first start in ten games, with Pedro dropping to the bench — and with former Manchester United trainee Danny Drinkwater preferred to the ostensibly knackered Cesc Fabregas.
In defence, both teams looked to clog up the middle of the pitch, trying to force either side to play the flanks and take the ball away from proper goalscoring positions. But United’s lines sat deeper than Chelsea’s, which allowed the Blues to roam forward and pass the ball around with an ease. Thanks to strong play from both Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses, Chelsea could repeatedly threaten from these positions, including a chance in the 4th minute that really should’ve seen the game’s first goal — Alvaro Morata’s first-time finish on Alonso’s fantastic driven cross only found the crossbar, making it three shots off the woodwork in the last two games for the Blues.
Hazard spreads the ball out wide and Alonso hits an impressive volleyed cross for Morata who slams his effort off of the crossbar before Hazard's try from the rebound is tipped over by De Gea. Great move. 0-0. #CFC
United were slower in their build-up and thus much less effective, especially as Lukaku was a surprisingly more static option up front for them, who received very little support from his own midfielders.
Chelsea’s own midfielders were having a pretty good time of it early as well, with the partnership forged in the fires of the King Power Stadium during Leicester City’s Premier League-winning season controlling the middle against their bigger and stronger counterparts.
Despite Chelsea having the upper hand in all phases, United’s defensive effort was good enough. Chelsea needed to score to break the pattern that was starting to play into Mourinho’s hand, and for a few minutes, it looked Willian would indeed do just that. Chelsea’s most in-form player started and finished the move, collecting a return pass from Hazard to smash past and through David De Gea with Morata making a far post run to distract United’s goalkeeper just enough to leave an opening. It was Willian’s fourth goal in three games and his twelfth on the season, matching his career high.
The normally impenetrable David De Gea certainly looked beatable today despite being credited with six saves. He barely kept out a bouncing Danny Drinkwater shot that almost squirmed underneath him and then almost palmed a Willian free kick into his own net in the second half. Alas, the bounces did not go Chelsea’s way today, as was evident on United’s equalizer, which had plenty of misfortune about it.
Even if we ignore the foul by Lukaku on Christensen, just as referee Martin Atkinson did (it was a bit of a theme for him), the play still should've been stopped due to the head injury for the Chelsea defender. Christensen initially went to ground, but gamely got back up once it was obvious that Atkinson was going to ignore Premier League rules and let play go on. But by that time, the youngster was well out of position and Chelsea’s defensive structure had broken down. Martial held the ball up well, squared to an unmarked Lukaku, who made no mistake for his first goal against top-six opposition this season.
It was United’s one and only meaningful foray forward all half, and would be one of two meaningful forays forward all game. Needless to say, that second foray would result in their second goal.
But first, the half-time break.
One of the things that’s defined Chelsea’s 2017-18 has been inconsistency, not just from game to game, but within games themselves, from half to half or even minute to minute. On Sunday, it was the half-to-half variety that popped up, with Chelsea looking a much-changed side after the break, but not for the better.
Gone was the first-half’s impetus and drive going forward — and surely this was not a tactical instruction with Chelsea in desperate need of three points and Conte more than willing to go for it as evidenced by his eventual substitutions — Chelsea instead sat back and allowed United to slowly but surely grow into the game and start asserting themselves. As the highest paid team in the world, they would always have the quality to do so, but Chelsea letting them get to that point so easily was very frustrating.
Of course, had Chelsea taken advantage of a couple early counters, the story would’ve unfolded differently. Morata and Alonso both had shots blocked, although on the latter, Eden Hazard would’ve been much better served creating for himself rather than a teammate. For Hazard, this was a constant issue in this game, strangely reluctant to take on his man 1-v-1 and choosing to pass instead of shoot almost every single time. These aren’t new issues/qualities for Hazard’s game, but today they popped up at the worst possible time. For a player looking to make that final step in his development, his performances this week against Barcelona and Manchester United show that there is some ways to go yet.
And then, disaster. Just one breakdown, as against Barcelona, paid for dearly.
As Lukaku drifted wide, Jesse Lingard, who had been introduced in place of Martial a few minutes earlier, drifted in. His previous marker, Drinkwater warned Christensen of the upcoming danger, but the centre-back was apparently too busy watching the play unfold. Lingard ghosted behind him and as allowed to freely attack Lukaku’s cross. Unlocking Lingard has been one of Mourinho’s more obvious successes at Manchester United, and the local kid repaid the faith once again. United had completed the comeback slowly, methodologically but almost unerringly, and now all they had to do was see out a one-goal advantage, which is Mourinho’s specialty. Or at least used to be.
Conte range the changes and tried something new. Hazard, having disappeared shortly after the whistle to start the second-half had already made way for Pedro, and he was soon joined by both Olivier Giroud and Cesc FÃ bregas, with Victor Moses and Danny Drinkwater, respectively, making way. Chelsea was back in a 4-2-4 for the first time since the start of Conte’s tenure to chase the equalizer.
Mourinho responded by putting on another center back (Bailly for Alexis) and was more than happen to let the game devolve into a attack-vs-defence exercise. As it often happens in mid-game tactical switches, Chelsea did not look coherent in their new setup while United were defending with their lives, loads of “tactical” fouls (Martin Atkinson continuing to sleep on the job), and plenty of time wasting.
And yet, Chelsea still found the equalizer, and it came off the boot of the much-maligned Alvaro Morata, who simply couldn’t buy a goal that wasn’t with his head. Except the linesman was flagging and there was no VAR to overturn the very harsh call. And so the game ended without a point for Chelsea.
For the first time since Matchday 8, Chelsea find themselves out of the top four and looking up with widening eyes as the gap is likely to grow even large next weekend with a trip to the Etihad to get schooled by Manchester City looming.
Chelsea have 10 matches remaining this season to get back into the top four. This will not be easy. Today’s result may have been expected — not many teams win at Old Trafford, not even Chelsea — but the manner of it was still very disappointing, even more so than Barcelona’s comeback on Tuesday.
Chelsea have now taken just 8 points from the 7 league games played since the turn of the year. We’re going to have to snap out of this bad moment, and snap out of it quickly if we are to meeting minimum expectations for the season and finish in the top four.
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