Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Chelsea are stuttering. Xabi Alonso is desperately trying to find consistency, but is doing so in a side where he has to make changes – but one new signing “doesn’t look comfortable” under Alonso.
After two defeats to Arsenal and Brentford, either side of a draw against Hull City, Chelsea then secured wins against Bournemouth and Everton. But on Saturday, they suffered a horrible defeat to Tottenham.
The mood is likely to be low at Chelsea with Reece James, Emi Martinez and now Joao Pedro sidelined for the next few weeks. Consistency is hard to come by, and Jamie Carragher is not convinced by one player.
READ MORE:Why Estevao was missing against Tottenham on Saturday, he came off the bench
Jamie Carragher is unsure of new signing Maxence Lacroix
Alonso identified the need for defensive reinforcement. Around £130m was spent on new signings Marco Palestra, Maxence Lacroix, Pep Chavarria and Martinez. Lacroix has started seven of eight league games.
Lacroix was dropped for the Hull City game, though it came three days after the 6-3 win over Leeds in which the French star played another 90 minutes. He is a key player, but Carragher hasn’t been impressed.
RATE 1-10: Lacroix confirmed, how good is Chelsea's £52m deal? 🔥
8/10 for now
He's tuff strong and knows how to be a proper defence enforcer underestimate chelsea at your own risk . We finishing at the top 💙
One of the best passers around as well!
Watching him against Spurs, Carragher told The Overlap Fan Debate: “I look at Chelsea’s defence. The lad at right-back is doing really well, Acheampong. I look at the signing of Lacroix; I really liked him at Palace.
“I watched yous against Tottenham and other games this season – everyone is pressing, going man-to-man – and he just didn’t look comfortable to me,” Carragher explained, when discussing Chelsea.
“Or mobile enough to be in a back four, man-to-man marking and jumping out to Maddison. Every defender is like a 6/10; they haven’t got someone to build their defence around; they just look average.”
The stats: Where Lacroix is impressing, and where he is failing
There are stats that suggest Carragher is right. Given Lacroix’s height, he should be winning between 60 and 70% of aerial duels, but the France star has won just 48.3% in the Premier League this season.
His ground duel rate is around 56%, which is solid – but for an elite centre-back in the Premier League, that needs to be at around 65%. But there are other stats that prove Lacroix has been a good addition.
The former Wolfsburg man has completed 90% of his passes in the Premier League, while his speed allows him to cover the long ball and make a clearance. The defender has averaged around 6.4 a game.
Is Lacroix a good signing? He has been solid without shining so far. He needs time to get used to Alonso’s tactics and demands, which is the same for all of the players. A long way to go before proving his fee.