Hi Chaps Bristol City fan here (shouldn't really admit this <shakes head> ) and have followed Chelsea since I was 11 when I watched Hughes, Zola and Vialli take my most hated team apart in the FA Cup! My gripe if you like is with Gary Cahill. Before there was even a whiff of Gary Cahill signing for Chelsea, I had numerous arguments on the 606 boards with Bolton fans who believed he was worth £18 million, and this was before he had ever been capped for England! There was a reason Bolton were so shoddy the year they went down, and that was because Cahill was just one of the worst defenders in the league. Which left me baffled as to why he was seen as hot property by so many clubs! Yesterday just confounded my opinion of him and summed him up. Assaidi's goal was sensational, but even still, I though Ivan turned well to deny him an even more clear cut opportunity. But what really irritated me, is that the 6ft2 plus frame of Cahill does what I saw him do time and time again at Bolton, and that is turn his back on a shot! When I was 13 and playing for the Bristol City Youth Team, I was screamed at, and humiliated by my coach at the time Shaun Taylor for turning my back on a shot, and told if I did it again, I would be subbed. Later in that same game, I got smacked in the face with the ball when not turning and broke my nose! If a player on the money Cahill is on, can't face up to a ball, he shouldn't be playing Premier League football, let alone be involved in a team challenging for honours! He is the weakest link in the team, and other than popping up in the box for corners and converting crosses occassionally, I really don't see why he is in the Chelsea team, and especially not the England team!
best article ever. Cahill is not good enought for Chelsea. For Assaidi's goal, the heat Ivan is taking is incredible - when clearly it was Gary who turned his body away from the shot - just like Nasri did last season. Shame.
I have to say, that Cahill is coming up short for club and country! This has to be afddressed in January if we are to go forward!
Omeruo needs to be blooded in now, Jose did it with Varane, now time to change the back line. Can't believe the same four have played in the last five games, they are probably knackered.
exactly, don't blame them at all (except Gary). To top it all two away games (PS : right Moanu played 2 home games as ususal)
This is the same Gary Cahill who was magnificent alongside David Luiz in the CL final we won. Don't blame him for everything, like we do Luiz, he is just a cog in a wheel which is not turning properly because the parts have not been assembled correctly.Cahill can't play with Terry, because they are both too slow. He can play with Luiz. Luiz can't play with Terry because Luiz is too quick, but he can play with Ivan. Ivan can also play with Terry. Put the parts together correctly and Cahill is a good team member.
In all due respect, Cahill was surrounded by 9 other outfield team mates in the 18 yard box that game, which means it's hard for him to look bad when there are 10 of you defending in your own box. But on the week to week, he just doesn't come close to Terry's, or Ivan's calibre. It's a spot Chelsea have needed to invest in properly for a good few years now. Very excited my team has just drew Zola's Watford ( as he is my footballing hero/god ).
Congrats on the draw, if you are here often you will know Zola is also my alltime Chelsea favourite player and a lovely man. Think you might be underestimating Cahills' part that game, he and Luiz really were top draw . He might not be our best defender, as you and plenty of others say, but with some speed and zip beside him he plays heaps better than with JT. Might be he lets JT run things, where as with Luiz, he seems more instinctive and they are just a better fit. He wouldn't be my first pick every week, but I think like too many of our players right now, they are like square pegs in round holes. We have a big problem with selections and positioning and it is affecting some players more than others.
It is not just an issue of pace. It is positioning. If we play a low block (CL v Barca/Bayern), stoppers like Cahill can be OK. Why can too-slow Cahill play with Luiz; but too-slow Terry not play with too-quick Luiz. Not diagreeing, just can't understand your point
I guess my overall point regarding GC is that he is not a top 4 defended in my book. His all round game is just not at the level of a team trying to win the league. Where he was once a medium sized fish in a small pond, he is now a small fish in a very big pond. I don't question his commitment, or effort, just his natural ability and in game instincts. I think Jose will be clearing out the likes of De Bruyne, Ba, maybe a few more in January to make way for some world class defenders and a more prolific striker.
So wait . . . Luiz/Cahill, Luiz/Ivan, Cahill/Ivan and Ivan/Terry are fine but any other combo does not work. So who is the least needed defender of the 4, ahhhh JT!!!! His presence in the team, lets be honest is down to his history with the club, but at his age he should not be playing every single game. i would never say let's get rid of the legend that is JT, but maybe he needs to be used sparingly. On the subject of the defense, if Bertrand is not good enough in Jose's eyes to get in at left back ahead of a natural right back, then maybe we should use Bertrand in a deal for Luke Shaw, someone who would walk into our team and has potential in abundance, the fact that Shaw is more likely to get into the England squad than Bertrand says it all.
I think JT is having an absolutely quality season. Our problem is playing two people at full back out of position. Cahill is fine imo, not the best by any means but Luiz makes just as many mistakes as Cahill. Ivan needs to be a CB, Azpi a RB and Cole needs to play.
But the other two CB's who are being played with him can't play with him effectively (Cahill and Luiz) but if JT does not play then all the other combos are fine. So either we keep JT playing well at the expense of his partner, or we give JT a few games off to have both CB's playing well, glad it is not my choice to make. EDIT: Cole has not exactly played well, but Azpi has been good despite out of position. Cole is getting on and Bertrand obviously is not good enough in Mourinhos eyes, so a new LB is needed to help the defence evolve into one for the future. Azpi has RB covered.
This^ JT was our most consistent player up until his Sunderland nightmare. But, of course, that does not mean other CB combinations can work better without him
Well it's only an opinion but formed from watching the pairings. With JT, Luiz takes off and leaves a gap. For some reason Cahill just seems able to anticipate this and gets himself better positioned. Sounds a bit wet, but I just think we can pair, JT and Ivan, Luiz and Ivan, Luiz and Cahill, Cahill and Ivan.
Agree with the OP and have said it many times, Cahill doesnt cut it for me. He isnt ****e, just not quite the standard we should be going for if we want to win league titles. Luiz makes some mistakes too, but has other qualities in his game. Cahill doesnt and I feel he is by far the weakest of the CB's in our senior squad.
I think JT up until the last couple of weeks has had a good season, he is still one of the most commanding defenders in the league. It still bewilders me to this day that even Chelsea fans bring up age as an issue. Cole still can cut it better than any LB in this league, as can JT. Chelsea had one of their best spells in the last 5 years with so called aging players, with the likes of Cole, JT, Anelka, Lampard, Drogba, all over 30 but playing some outstanding stuff under Ancelotti. Until JT turns into a Rio who can barely get out of the tunnel without needing a walking stick and who could make Emile Heskey look like Usain Bolt, I'm more than happy with him at the hub of the defense! Cahill not so much. But definitely needs some reinvestment throughout the defense and very much agree with bring Shaw in for cash plus Bertrand
JT IS a fine player as is Lamps as is Cole. JT and Lamps are much better when played a little less than they have been. JT has played pretty much all season and deserves a rest, it's not surprising he is a bit jaded recently. On his day he is still great for us, he just needs someone beside him who he works better with, nothing unusual there it happens to most CD pairings. JT and Calvallho spring to mind, Desailles and Le Beouf. Cole and Bertrand playing and Azpi at right back more often would give us loads more options.
Cahill is a decent squad player but if you want to consistently win things then we need better in our starting XI. If we get a few injuries and he's required to play for a few weeks then he's definitely reliable enough but nothing more than that.
