After Chelsea’s frustrating draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, former England international Owen Hargreaves launched a scathing attack on the club’s transfer policy. The pundit thinks the Blues’ problems on defense stem from their backline’s lack of experience, and he blames it on the club’s hiring decisions.
Chelsea gave up a stoppage-time equalizer from Zian Flemming’s header after Joao Pedro had given them a lead in the fourth minute. The Blues moved up to fourth place, ahead of Manchester United, but they could still be passed by the Red Devils, who play Everton on Monday night. This was the second home game in a row in which Liam Rosenior’s team gave up a winning position,a worrying trend of weak defense.
The former Manchester United midfielder said that all of the red cards the Blues have gotten this season have been for silly reasons, not for professional fouls:
“You know what, Chelsea are not even a nasty team, some teams back in the day were properly nasty, got nasty red cards, they’re all quite silly red cards the ones they have got. I think it’s inexperience.
“Again, it goes back to recruitment. They spent so much money on this squad, they’ve got some brilliant attacking players. The centre-back position and the goalkeeper they need to address, you need experience in there.”
Chelsea have gotten six red cards this season in all competitions. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, defenders Trevoh Chalobah and Malo Gusto, strikers Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, and midfielder Moises Caicedo have all been sent off. Hargreaves said the mistakes stem from Chelsea’s hiring process and their failure to find a good replacement for Thiago Silva, who left at the end of the 2023–24 season.
“You think they had Thiago Silva, one of the best and they just let him go for free. They’ve got all these talented young players, but I don’t think having just young players in the centre-back position is the right decision.”
The Brazilian legend left Stamford Bridge on a free transfer after four successful years, during which he won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues.
Colwill’s Absence Compounds Chelsea’s Defensive Woes
Chelsea’s defence has gotten a lot worse because their most reliable centre-back, Levi Colwill, has been out all season due to a terrible injury he sustained in the preseason. The 22-year-old had surgery that went well to fix an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament after his first training session back after the Blues won the FIFA Club World Cup.
The England international was seen as the foundation of Chelsea’s long-term defensive plan after playing 43 times in all competitions last season, including 35 times in the Premier League under then-manager Enzo Maresca. Chelsea’s defence and ball-playing ability from the back have both suffered since he left.
During the January transfer window, the Blues tried to fix their defensive problems, but in the end, they couldn’t get their main target. Chelsea wanted to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, but the French club wanted more than sixty million pounds to let him go in the middle of the season. The club also looked into other options, such as Como defender Jacobo Ramon and Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, but neither deal happened before the window closed.