Former English international outlines key deficit in the Chelsea squad despite lavish rebuild

Gary Cahill believes that Chelsea lack leaders in their squad

Speaking on Match of the Day (h/t Football.London), former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill believes that the current Blues squad lack the leadership to reach that extra level.

In a highly unsurprising turn of events at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Chelsea succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Spurs on Sunday.

It is now just two wins from the last 15 league games for Graham Potter’s men, who languish 10th in the table, staring at the possibility of slipping further down in the coming weeks.

Here’s what Cahill said about the Chelsea squad and what it lacks (h/t Football.London):

 “I’m a big believer ability takes you so far & personality takes you that extra yard.

“When you’re a player it is down to you to go out & perform. You need leaders, people who drive standards in training & out there (pitch) with the intensity levels.”

Cahill is not wrong, to be honest. Apart from maybe Thiago Silva, who isn’t a massive talker on the pitch, and Cesar Azpilicueta, who does not start every game, the Chelsea squad does lack leaders.

That is one of the perils of signing so many players of a similarly young age profile. The team could have done with an addition of a voice in the starting XI for every game. Moreover, when they had that in the shape of Jorginho, they sold him to Arsenal in January.

What an outspoken leader does is not allow the players to shrug their shoulders when things are not going in their favour in the game. People like John Terry, Frank Lampard, and Gary Cahill had that attribute along with their footballing quality.

This is something that cannot be bought in the transfer market. The senior players in the current squad need to take more responsibility. As much as it is right to blame Potter for the calamitous run of results, the players cannot go unattended in terms of criticism.

More Chelsea News:

• Chelsea boss gives update on Thiago Silva injury after defeat to Tottenham Hotspur
• Chelsea told not to start Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noki Madueke if they want to win vs Tottenham Hotspur
• Shakhtar sporting director confident that Mykhaylo Mudryk will be a success at Chelsea

Let’s hope they make things right in the coming games because the season rests on the second leg of the last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Lose that and there is nothing to play for till May.