---
title: "Chelsea are like a mid-table team says Cascarino"
canonical: "https://readchelsea.com/2016/09/26/chelsea-are-like-a-mid-table-team-says-cascarino/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Oliver Birch"
section: "Chelsea News"
published: "2016-09-26T11:30:17Z"
modified: "2016-09-26T11:30:17Z"
---

# Chelsea are like a mid-table team says Cascarino

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes the problems at Chelsea “run far deeper than they first appeared” and says the Blues are playing like “a mid-table team.”

Arsenal ran rampant against a Chelsea back four in disarray in the absence of John Terry and saw the Blues off thanks to three first-half goals from Alexi Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil.

Antonio Conte and his men now occupy the eighth position in the Premier League following back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal respectively, Chelsea’s first defeat to the latter since 2011.

And according to the [Evening Standard](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-are-playing-like-a-midtable-team-and-their-defence-is-a-disaster-says-former-striker-tony-a3353751.html), Cascarino believes  the defence have been the catalyst for Chelsea’s struggles this season, but the problems are far greater than just the defence.

![Paul Gilham/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/610108116.jpg)

> Chelsea’s problems run far deeper than they first appeared to. Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper, is playing like he wants to he away, Cesc Fabregas has been linked with a move and Eden Hazard has not been at the races for a while, apart from a couple of good games here and there.
>
> And then there’s the back four – it’s been disastrous. It’s not been upgraded for the past 18 months and they are a shadow of the defence that helped Chelsea win the title in 2014-15. Gary Cahill is out of sorts, while Cesar Azpilicueta is nowhere near the level he was a couple of seasons ago.

Cascarino has also criticised the signing of David Luiz on deadline day and suggested the way Chelsea are playing at the moment is similar to the form of a team playing for a mid-table position.

![Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/606514552-1.jpg)

> The worst thing about David Luiz, who was a panic buy from Paris Saint-Germain and is only playing because John terry is injured, is that he plays everyone onside because he sits so deep. It creates so much space and Arsenal exploited that.
>
> Chelsea look like a mid-table team at the moment. The only team they have beaten and looked like worthy winners against is Burnley in the league at Stamford Bridge. The defence was the one key area they needed to strengthen in the summer and they didn’t address that properly.

It has been reported this morning that Conte is looking to strengthen his defensive options and replace the likes of Cahill, Ivanovic and even Marcos Alonso and Luiz