Chelsea players told to improve or be sold

Former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has warned that the pressure is on for Chelsea’s players to prove themselves or face the prospect of being sold.

Cahill’s comments come after Chelsea’s disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday. The defeat left the Blues languishing in 11th place in the table.

As Chelsea prepare to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, Cahill has spoken out about the pressure at big clubs like Chelsea.

“If people are not playing up to their level then they leave or they get sold, that’s my experience at the football club,” Cahill said. “As soon as you’re not cutting it, you’re out of the team or if not you’re sold and they get the next best thing in.”

Cahill, who won two Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time at Chelsea, believes that the pressure at big clubs is much greater than at smaller clubs. “The pressure’s on at the big clubs and that’s the difference, your job’s sometimes easy because you play with better players but the pressure around you is 10 times more than what it is when you’re playing at a smaller club,” he explained.

The defender went on to say that he believes the players at Chelsea need to take a long, hard look at themselves and ask whether they are performing to the best of their abilities. “I think that’s the pressures, so I think as a player I’d be looking individually thinking, ‘Am I playing to the level I should be?’ If I’m not I’d be worried in terms of thinking ‘I’m not going to be here’,” Cahill said. “If they’re not playing well enough then ultimately I’m sure the club will move them on, so there’s pressure from everyone.”

With the pressure mounting on Chelsea, the team will need to put in a strong performance against Real Madrid to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League.