Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were on commentary duties for Sky Sports tonight as Chelsea lost to Brighton.
They were critical of the whole team – attack, defence, midfield and goalkeeper. As well as the manager. But they really went into detail with their criticism of one player in particular – Levi Colwill, who had a hand in both the second and third goal.
“Colwill’s got to get stronger. He doesn’t look powerful enough. He’s got to get stronger. He’s getting overpowered quite easily in games that I’ve seen recently, 2 or 3 games I’ve seen he’s been bullied in that channel,” Neville said of the young defender.
The former Manchester United right back was particularly critical of Colwill’s efforts on the third Brighton goal, which saw the Blues played through easily after he gave the ball away in midfield, claiming he was clipped:
“This was a really bad one for him: he gives the ball away but then he sits there on the floor and turns to the referee and looks and spends 2 or 3 seconds on the floor. Just get up and sprint back,” Neville explained.
“That’s a bad habit. I would say he’s still young, and he’s got a lot of learning to do, as have those other Chelsea young players, but they’ve got to get stronger in their bodies and really physical and aggressive, and that’s tough for a young player, but he’s learning on the job and that’s really tough for a young centre half.”
Chelsea’s bad attitude spreads
That petulant looking for a free kick rather than playing on is symptomatic of this team and their bad attitudes – they’re always whining at the ref or looking for other people to blame rather than
It’s more than just a “bad habit”, it’s a real malaise which has infected the whole team. Who is setting the standards here?
I’m sure I’ve said it before, but getting rid of Conor Gallagher was a bad call. Even before the Joao Felix signing went belly-up, the leadership he provided on the field was just as valuable as goals and assists.
There doesn’t look like there’s any leadership now.