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Chelsea defender Gary Cahill had a solid season for Chelsea as the Blues won the Premier League title but Mike Pejic, a former Stoke City left-back, believes Cahill is one of the worst defenders in one-vs-one situations.
Pejic made the comment while assessing Cahill’s performance in England’s 3-2 defeat to 10-man France.
“The one big positive for us was the re-appearance of Jack Butland for his country after more than a year away through injury,” Pejic said as quoted on Daily Mail.
“But I felt sorry for him after he came on for the second half of that 3-2 defeat (against 10 men!) in Paris on Tuesday evening.
“I felt sorry for him having to play behind a player like Gary Cahill, one of the worst defenders I’ve seen in one-v-one situations.
“He gets so easily exposed and it was him, as much as David Luiz, who needed the protection of a three-man defence in that Chelsea rearguard last season.
“Chelsea boss Antonio Conte deserves a medal – possibly Cahill’s title-winning medal – for spotting so quickly that Luiz AND Cahill needed such protection.”
It’s really wrong to judge Cahill based on a game against France after a consistent season for Chelsea.