“If they can’t get up, then drop them” – Tuchel told to stop starting these two Chelsea players after failing to pick form
According to latest reports, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been urged to drop Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta from Chelsea’s starting XI due to their inability to deliver crosses for Romelu Lukaku.
However, this is according to former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley. Burley told ESPN FC: “I understand James is young and dynamic, Chilwell is a fast up and down full-back. I understand.
“But if Marcos Alonso and Azpilicueta can’t get up and down the wing or can’t get up to put a cross in, they shouldn’t be playing.”
He added: “I think the tiredness comes about rather than ‘did I do enough to change it?’.
“He plays with these two narrow players behind Lukaku and when teams swamp that area, it’s difficult to get the ball into them and it’s difficult to get it into Lukaku because everything’s tight.
“Well, if you’re not getting it from the full-backs, then get some of the other players like Hudson-Odoi to change the shape, get them in a wider position.
“Do something to change the dynamic. Lukaku’s only going to score goals really if you’re going to get X amount of good crosses into the box.
“The game against Aston Villa at Villa Park, it was a great cross in, he got across his defender, bang. Great goal, header. That’s his bread and butter.
“So it’s up to Thomas Tuchel to find a solution for certain players being missing.”