Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Chelsea news: ‘Liability’ player is reason Blues won’t finish in top four - Stewart Robson
CHELSEA midfielder Jorginho is a “liability” and the Blues will not qualify for the Champions League with him in their team.
That is the opinion of ESPN FC pundit and former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson.
Robson made his feelings clear on Jorginho shortly after he joined the Blues last summer.
The pundit claimed the £57million signing from Napoli does not have the qualities to be a defensive midfielder.
Robson said last August: "I don’t think he’s a good defensive player, I don’t think he’s a good player in that holding midfield role.
He is a liability for Chelsea and all the time that he is in the side, Chelsea I don’t think will qualify for the Champions League
“As a holding-midfield player, you need to have athleticism to cover your full-back, you need to be a good reader of the game, get in-between your centre-halves when the ball’s in wide areas, you need to be able to close the ball down and win it back.
“You need to be able to be, I would say, still a creative passer.
“Jorginho I don’t think has got any of those qualities.”
Italy international Jorginho has received criticism in recent weeks, with Chelsea dropping down to sixth in the Premier League table.
And Robson has once again pointed the finger at the 27-year-old, claiming he is why the Blues have been struggling.
Speaking this week, Robson said: “[Maurizio] Sarri’s sticking with the same old policy and there’s a player in there that I think is the main reason why Chelsea aren’t winning enough games.
“That’s, you know I’m going to say, Jorginho.
“As I said right at the start of the season he can’t run, which means he can’t defend spaces outside of the full-backs.
“He can’t head the ball so he can’t get between his centre-halves and do a good defensive job there.
“He can’t see a forward pass unless he’s got a lot of time on the ball, so he can only pass backwards and square.
“He can’t manipulate the ball to wriggle out of situations.
“So he is a liability for Chelsea and all the time that he is in the side, Chelsea I don’t think will qualify for the Champions League.”