Chelsea are through to the UEFA Europa Conference League proper, despite losing 2-1 to Servette in Switzerland.
If last week’s performance against the same team started badly and got better, this was the opposite.
Initially comfortable, Chelsea looked shakier and shakier. Manager Enzo Maresca eventually brought on the big guns, which improved things up front, but in defence and midfield the team remained totally porous.
Perhaps the most worrying part of it all was the connection (or lack of) between Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile at the back. Once again, the two Frenchmen were error prone and dreadful on the ball too.
The hopeful ideas we had of bringing in a ready made pair who knew each other from their time at Monaco has been shown to be laughably optimistic. They were horrible again tonight, as they always seem to be when paired together.
Disasi was playing as a sort of half centre-back, half right-back role. Whatever it was, it didn’t suit him. Badiashile is perhaps even more of a mystifying case. With Disasi, we knew we were getting a solid but unspectacular player. But Badiashile flashed some real moments of quality in his early games.
The fact he’s fallen to this level is really mind boggling.
The ratings from Football.London said it all:
Axel Disasi – Needs to be stronger for Servette’s first goal. Bring him down, man. 5.
Benoit Badiashile – Doesn’t cover himself in glory for the first goal. I just have no idea what he is trying to do. He has his arm in the air but why? 5.
5s seem generous to us. This is Servette, and these players are supposed to be capable of playing in the first team. This isn’t a youth side we put out, these are the players who step into the first XI the moment a player is out – and we’ve had no shortage of that in recent years.
Axel Disasi Should NOT be Playing for Chelsea first Eleven in the First Place. This is a Mistake from Maresca.
Disasi is a good player, he has just lost confidence because he is not playing regularly remember under poch he was playing fantastic football and he was an important figure for Chelsea. Infact the pair of disasi and colwil is the most solid pair, maresca should just try it and he will see what lam talking about.