Tuesday 15 September 2015 18:41, UK
Premier League champions Chelsea have conceded more goals than any other team so far this season but it’s not just the defence that must take responsibility for that. On Monday Night Football, Gary Neville analysed the issues in midfield…
An opening day draw at home to Swansea has been followed by three defeats in four games, culminating in Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park. But while the defence is in the spotlight, Neville was keen to stress that the likes of Nemanja Matic must also up their performances if Chelsea are to turn things around.
"They're obviously well off where they were last season and everybody is looking for the reasons for that," Neville told Monday Night Football. "They've got problems at both ends of the pitch. The tackles attempted are down and I think that's important because all fingers have been pointed towards the defence.
"We know that John Terry isn't in the form that he was last season. We know that Branislav Ivanovic is a shadow of the player he was last season.
"We know that Kurt Zouma, having watched him on Saturday and watched the video again since, has a lot to learn about the [centre-back] position, there's no doubt about that."
I believe that all three goals were attributable to the midfield players.
However, for all the issues among the back four, Neville believes the drop off in the number of tackles shows that this is a matter for the midfield as much as the defence and Chelsea's troubles stem from what is happening further forwards. It's the lack of intensity of their midfield players in providing necessary cover that is proving so damaging for the back four.
"When you do look back at last season, the intensity in their work is night and day from where they were on Saturday," he added. "We've always talked about the protection that the defence get. But I believe that all three goals were attributable to the midfield players."
For the first Everton goal, Steven Naismith was able to slip into space behind the Chelsea midfield and then drag the ball away from them once in possession. "They have to stop that man getting the ball," said Neville. "That's their job. If you look at what Matic and John Obi Mikel do it's so poor. Mikel leaves his space too early. That's not the Nemanja Matic that we know."
Everton doubled their lead soon after and once again Matic was found wanting as he allowed Arouna Kone to retain possession near the touchline. "There's no way in my mind that Nemanja Matic would ever allow anyone out of that space last season," said Neville. "He would have been aggressive and made the tackle."
Instead the Everton move was allowed to continue with Naismith finding himself in plenty of room to drive forwards from the centre of midfield. Pedro had failed to drop his position to cover for Matic. "Certainly, Pedro should see the danger and attach himself to the midfield," added Neville. "The midfield is absolutely all at sea. Pedro is nowhere near the game."
Naismith finished well for his second and after the break was able to complete his hat-trick. On this occasion, Matic was bypassed too easily by a one-two and Ross Barkley was able to run directly at Terry. "This Chelsea back four, that we knew if they were exposed could potentially have problems, are now having problems," said Neville.
"That is exactly what you don't want. John Terry is exposed. All of a sudden the nightmare situation of John Terry being caught two on one is there. How many times did that happen last season? It's now happening time and time again because of those lads in front of him.
"When you look at this Chelsea team, it's difficult to describe the edge in football. What is the edge? When you have that intensity about you. But they're not putting that extra three or four yards in to help each other, it's exposing that back four and they're not looking like a Jose Mourinho team."
