According to a recent report by The Metro, Premier League pundit and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has come out and laid some criticism on the Chelsea centre-half pairing, on the back of the Blues’ narrow 2-1 defeat to Manchester City last evening. Speaking after the game had ended, he talked about how the Blues haven’t managed to win any of the fixtures against the bigger clubs and went on to mention their defeats against Manchester United and Liverpool as examples for the situation as well.
He further went on to claim that the Blues’ back-line, despite looking defensively secure, did have a certain nervousness surrounding it and that it caused the players in front of them to lose concentration as well. Although the duo of Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori haven’t necessarily done a bad job this season, Scholes questioned the pair’s credibility to be the club’s first-choice defenders in the long run.
How Have Chelsea’s Centre-Halves Fared So Far This Season?
The troubling injuries picked up by both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen came as a blessing to the Blues’ current defensive pairing. Although once everyone is fit, Lampard could be tempted to play with a different combination, the likelihood of either of Kurt Zouma or Fikayo Tomori being dropped, is extremely low. Also, despite the defenders’ shaky start to the campaign against Manchester United, they’ve done a great job of restoring parity, as is highlighted on the Premier League table.
Since the aforementioned defeat to United, the Blues have yet to be completely torn apart by any team, including Liverpool and Manchester City. While the Frenchman has played in each of the Blues’ league games so far this campaign, the young Englishman has featured on ten occasions and even picked up a memorable long-range goal along the way.
What Attributes Do Chelsea’s Defensive-Pairing Add To The Team?
Kurt Zouma has been a Chelsea player since joining from Ligue 1 side St.Etienne in 2014. The Frenchman provides a considerable presence at the heart of the defence and can be an extremely dominant force in the air as well. Tomori, on the other hand, is a much more dynamic and tactical defender, who earns his living by cutting out passes and making key tackles in the defensive third.
Do Chelsea Need To Invest On Defenders In January?
Antonio Rudiger’s return from injury could come as the most significant boost of the season for Frank Lampard, as the German had consistently been their best defender last season. He’s a proven German international who regularly features for the national team, and has been at the club long enough to understand the situation and adapt accordingly.
Also, there are other areas on the pitch that Frank Lampard should turn his attention to, before worrying about the centre-halves. The Blues faithful have been concerned about the left-back position for a while now, and the need for a replacement for their current options certainly outweigh the need for a centre-half. All in all, while Scholes might’ve been right about the individual fragility, it’s safe to say that in terms of defensive personnel, the Blues are going to be just fine this season.
