Gary Neville: Chelsea's defense in chaos, they may need more signings

After Chelsea's 1-2 away loss to Arsenal, former England international Gary Neville criticized the Blues' chaotic defense, but still believes Xabi Alonso's team has the potential to finish 2nd or 3rd in the Premier League this season.

Gary Neville said on his podcast: "Looking at their back three, it feels like their legs and hips, and hips and body are disjointed. The whole thing is completely disorganized."

"Among the best back three combinations I've ever seen, Barzagli, Bonucci, and Chiellini of Juventus and the Italian national team are definitely at the top. They are a true defensive 'Big Three'."

"The three of them work seamlessly together, understand positioning, have excellent aerial ability, know when to push forward, when to drop back, and can also organize their teammates in front of them."

Gary Neville stated: "As Xabi Alonso continues his tenure at Chelsea, the team might indeed need to bring in more players in the next year or two. He has already done a lot of work, and now needs to build a solid back three. Chelsea's current defense is not stable, looks a bit chaotic, and this is the main problem at the moment."

Gary Neville also praised Chelsea's players in other positions, including wing-backs Pedro Neto and Hato. He said that as long as the key players stay healthy, Chelsea's midfield and forward line are very strong.

Based on Xabi Alonso's initial performance since taking over, Gary Neville believes Chelsea can at least secure a third-place finish in the league, and even have the potential to challenge for second place.

Gary Neville said: "I think they can finish 2nd, and 3rd is the lowest I can imagine. That's already very good. If you had told me that a year ago, I wouldn't have seen any future direction for this team."

"This is the most optimistic I've been about Chelsea in three, four, or five years, because I think they are moving in the right direction. Of course, the process isn't perfect, and facing an opponent like Arsenal is difficult in itself. I didn't expect them to win this game, but their performance was the best they could offer at the moment."

"Coming home tonight, they can draw confidence from this defeat. That might sound a bit strange, given that they lost a top-tier match."

"But I think Chelsea fans who traveled from Stamford Bridge will be thinking: 'Yes, I can see the changes in the team, and I like this team now.'"

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com