Tim Sherwood has said Chelsea lack leaders in their squad as the Blues slumped to their third straight defeat on Sunday afternoon following a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham. This continued an alarming trend in 2023 for Graham Potter’s side, having scored just four goals and claimed one victory in 11 outings in all competitions.
Olver Skipp’s thunderous 20-yard strike at the start of the second-half put the hosts in control before Harry Kane sealed the win late on. Having watched Chelsea fail to win their first match since mid-January, Sherwood noted some worrying signs in the Blues camp.
Despite spending in excess of £300 million, the former Spurs player and manager noted a distinct lack of leaders in their expensively assembled squad. He told Premier League Productions (via Optus Sport): “I think in the first 10 minutes they were very good, they were very confident, they were popping it around, I was thinking, ‘this could be a very difficult afternoon’.
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“As soon as they went behind in the second half, that’s when you need people to stand up and show that you’re performing for the shirt, but I never saw that. I thought they lacked effort, they lacked a plan, and were just hoping that one of their world-class players [could] turn it around.
“Tottenham had more game plan, more structure, more willpower, and unfortunately it was a poor performance from Chelsea. I think you’re absolutely right, Glenn [Hoddle], [Chelsea] lacked that desire, and I could sense it here [in the stadium].”
Sherwood's assessment was in line with former Blues centre-back Frank Leboeuf, who was equally critical of the lack of leadership throughout Potter's squad following Chelsea's 1-0 home defeat to Southampton. The former France international slammed the club's decision to sanction Jorginho's move to Arsenal in January, leaving a notable absence in the playing staff.
"I don't see any players with leadership. They're all 20-21 years old, they have great futures," Lebouef told ESPN. "We saw that today with Jorginho and Arsenal. It's crazy that I have to say that Jorginho was very useless for Chelsea but so useful for Arsenal.
"We have to find leaders in the middle of the park or in the spine, which we don't have at Chelsea. Nobody is a leader."
This sentiment was also backed up by former Chelsea captain Gary Cahill, who said on Match of the Day: “I’m a big believer ability takes you so far and personality takes you that extra yard. When you’re a player it is down to you to go out and perform.
"You need leaders, people who drive standards in training and out there [on the pitch] with the intensity levels.” This latest defeat left Chelsea 14 points behind Spurs in the race for a spot in the Champions League.
While pressure continues to mount on Potter, chairman Todd Boehly appears intent on giving the manager time to turn this dismal run around. However, supporters’ patience appears to be wearing thin, with a petition from Chelsea fans to see Potter sacked having now passed more than 10,000 signatures.
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