Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen returns with his latest  column for Sportsmail. The Barnet manager admires Jose Mourinho's courage in playing Kurt Zouma against Tottenham but takes aim at the sluggish strikers currently masquerading as Manchester United stars. MOURINHO'S GOT BALLS! Chelsea manager Mourinho threw Kurt Zouma in against Tottenham to shield the back four, to stifle and stop the opposition in the League Cup final. They were rewarded with a clean sheet. How many managers would have the confidence to play a centre-back in central midfield in a cup final at Wembley? In front of 90,000 fans and millions watching across the country - across the world. It must be said, Mourinho’s game management is second-to-none. It was no surprise that their goal in that game came from a set play and their second on the counter attack. Jose Mourinho's game management is second-to-none, particularly when it matters most . He soaks up the pressure, waits for the game to open up and frustrate the opposition. He knows within his ranks he has game winners who will score. The work ethic he has drawn from those technically brilliant players is astounding. His ranting and raving about the injustices from referees puts pressure on the officials into giving Chelsea better decisions. He is the master at it and keeps all the attention and focus off his player. But above all, he’s got balls. The Chelsea manager threw youngster Kurt Zouma in to protect the back four against Tottenham . SLIPPING AT THE TOP . The pressure, the anxiety, the expectancy, not rotating enough? What is it about the top teams slipping up at this point in the season? Getting close to the finishing line, you start looking over your shoulder. We all know running a race it’s better to chase a person in front than to be looking behind you. I don’t know the answers, I wish I did. In the Championship we’ve seen Bournemouth fall from the top, Wycombe Wanderers have done in League Two, my club Barnet have fallen behind in the Conference. Even Mourinho’s Chelsea had a blip, although they are managing it well. We see it right across all sports. We see it in golf in the Masters every Sunday night at Amen’s Corner. We see it when cricketers get into the 90s and are chasing a century. We see it in darts when the players start missing doubles. Over the next two months, the teams who come out on top will be the ones with the goal-scorers, who maintain their self belief throughout it all. Eddie Howe has seen his Bournemouth side slip away from the top of the Championship recently . UNITED’S SLUGGISH STRIKE FORCE . How slow is Radamel Falcao? And Robin Van Persie has lost half a yard of pace from his days at Arsenal. You can’t fault Falcao for his work ethic and atittude. He most definitely has that. But he lacks a yard or two of explosive speed. Manchester United have crept up on to the shoulders of the Champions League places, but there is far from enough pace and athletic ability in the group to make it into the top four. Radamel Falcao has failed to hit the ground running and appeared slow in a Manchester United shirt . Robin van Persie seems to have lost half-a-yard of pace under Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford . ONE PERSON I KEEP HEARING ABOUT... DARRELL CLARKE, BRISTOL ROVERS BOSS . Darrell Clarke has grafted through the lower levels where he had success. As a player he was at Mansfield Town, Hartlepool United and Salisbury City. He’s a young manager, only 37-years-old, who has done a magnificent job galvanising Rovers after relegation from League Two. It showed how much it meant to him when he was reduced to tears after they were relegated out of the Football League for the first time in the club’s history last season. They have kept thousands of very passionate supporters this season and he has guided them to the top of the Conference table. He is a manager to look out for in the future. Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke has grafted through the lower levels and enjoyed success . ONE THING I'D CHANGE ABOUT... GOLDEN EYE . I think there should be a referee in the stand, who has the opportunity to stop play and call back decisions in exceptional circumstances. An extra set of eyes on the pitch. It is something may be to look at for the future. On big decisions in penalty boxes and major incidents there should be a referee in the stand with access to video replays to review key decisions within games. Penalties, sending offs, balls over the line, the odd elbow here and there. If the are in contact with the referee they can give him a heads up. Things happen so quickly it’s often so difficult for the officials to make the right decision. Of course the game would just carry on as normal, but if there was something missed or that the referee or the linesmen got wrong then the man in the middle can get help from Golden Eye in the stands. Something sooner or later has got to be done to help these referees who are now getting criticised left, right and centre every week by managers across the board. Roger East (sending off Sunderland's Wes Brown) would've benefited from an extra official at Old Trafford . THE BIG ISSUE... MANCHESTER CITY'S SQUAD . I must say I do like Mr Pellegrini. He is cool, he is calm and he managed to put out a lot of fires that were raging in that Manchester City dressing room after taking over from Roberto Mancini. It does make me smile when so many so-called experts totally annihilate his tactics, most of whom have never even managed at any level. Criticising him for playing two up front and getting out-numbered and out-played in midfield. Last year, he won the Premier League. So is he really, seriously tactically inept? He would have his reasons for what is going on there, but clearly it is not working. Manuel Pellegrini has struggled in the defence of his Premier League crown with Manchester City . Captain Vincent Kompany hasn't been able to continue his sterling form at the back for City . However, it it not always just about the tactics of the manager. There is clearly something missing in the DNA of the City squad. They look lacklustre and without real fire in their belly. And when you’re dropping your captain, your talisman, it is yet another big, brave decision from the man I always regard with the utmost respect. It looks to me like he needs to move a few on, to move City forward up to the next level.
Kurt Zouma's switch to in front of the back four was a masterstroke . Chelsea won the Capital One Cup thanks to Jose Mourinho's tinkers . Manchester United are struggling up front with players who are too slow . Neighbours Manchester City are missing something in their DNA .