Gary Cahill

[Sovieticus 743]

How many do you guys reckon he was at fault for today?

always

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

He is spared abused today because no one really know what happened yet...also he scored so kind of cutting him some slack

[Hybrid Angel 2,130]

I read on Twitter that he was shite today again. Not going to judge though, but based on his form it wouldn't be surprising.

Also from Twitter: Cahill and Kompany would make a great defensive partnership for a Fraud XI.

[Jase 43,479]

We all know Cahill has been poor and is average, but would like to take a positive spin on things for a moment. His back heel flick goal was quite brilliant. Great improvisation.

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

ill be blunt. I cant wait for him to be out of the first 11

[Magic Lamps 11,497]

We all know Cahill has been poor and is average, but would like to take a positive spin on things for a moment. His back heel flick goal was quite brilliant. Great improvisation.

yup defo was. Zola moment. Was clearly at fault for the 4th goal but did not really matter. Also Christensen was just ball-watching. The other were collective mistakes, everyone of our team completely out of position and missing the 2nd goal. Zouma , surprisingly, was not the saviour himslef as

[Reddish-Blue 2,242]

Cahill has always been average...if it wasn't for Chelsea, he'd probably be stuck on a relegation-threatened EPL team at the moment

[BlueLyon 9,359]

He scored a cracking goal though.

[Barbara 15,149]

If there was such a table with mistaken actions he'd lead too, by a very long distance. He makes too many mistakes, that has always been his problem. He's limited as a player, simple as that.

[LAM09 6,581]

We need another HG rock... FAST!

[robsblubot 3,284]

He scored a cracking goal though.

That (scoring cracking goals) has never stopped some of us from hating luiz, has it?

He was pretty poor but our midfield sucked made worse by a weak attacking trio who did not help the midfield enough.

[Cripen 110]

If there was such a table with mistaken actions he'd lead too, by a very long distance. He makes too many mistakes, that has always been his problem. He's limited as a player, simple as that.

[Jase 43,479]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&v=wWgXoDWxh3M&x-yt-ts=1421914688

[Jase 43,479]

Curious to know what is Squawka's definition of 'Defensive Errors'. It feels almost nonsense that Ivanovic is not high on that list.

[Barbara 15,149]

I doubt - and my memory sucks, which is why I can't support my conviction with facts - he's made only one mistake that led to a goal in the league.

This data is created by computares, not people, so they have very specific criteria to define what an error would be. Cahill cost us more than one goal in the league, that I'm sure of. Still my initial point stood, we don't even have another Chelsea player (the first picture I quoted was only in the Chelsea team) in the screen and he's among the leaders in the league in terms of errors - leading to goal or not.

thanks for that.

[dee25 1,044]

I doubt - and my memory sucks, which is why I can't support my conviction with facts - he's made only one mistake that led to a goal in the league.

This data is created by computares, not people, so they have very specific criteria to define what an error would be. Cahill cost us more than one goal in the league, that I'm sure of. Still my initial point stood, we don't even have another Chelsea player (the first picture I quoted was only in the Chelsea team) in the screen and he's among the leaders in the league in terms of errors - leading to goal or not.

thanks for that.

I highly doubt only one of his defensive mistakes has resulted in a goal. Off the top of my head, he gave away a penalty against Spurs and scuffed a clearance against newcastle at SJP. Already that's two defensive errors that lead to goals and I'm sure if we were to examine the goals we've conceded we'll find more.

The whole 'errors leading to a goal' stat is one of the most useless football stats. Not only is the criteria of what constitute an error very rigid but there're so many factors that prevents a defenders errors from being costly. A goalkeeper might make an outstanding save that prevents an error from resulting into a goal. Or another player might step in and bail the defender out. So what exactly is the point of the stat? If anything, the fact that Cahill has made 4 defensive errors and only one of them has resulted in a goal (according to these statistics) is more a reflection of the goalkeeper and other defenders than Cahill himself. What these stats show me is that other players are having to cover for Cahill.

[WNDS 502]

Curious to know what is Squawka's definition of 'Defensive Errors'. It feels almost nonsense that Ivanovic is not high on that list.

All these football stat sites are near useless for evaluating defensive players (or defensive play in general for that matter). They only take clearances/tackles/interceptions (etc.) into account, and have no real way of measuring if a defender is a good man-marker, is good at cutting off passing lanes, is able to help maintain a good defensive line, or if they have good levels of concentration more generally. Defenders that score well in the former categories will frequently do so BECAUSE they are poor at marking and positional play, or otherwise because they are simply exposed all the time due to playing in a team with huge systemic defensive problems.

Unsurprisingly, given the above, their definition of a 'defensive error' is very narrow, and only includes things like passes to opposition players, failed clearances etc; they do not count poor man-marking/positioning/decision-making as being 'errors' because they are not purely objective measurements.

[The Chels 2,502]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&v=wWgXoDWxh3M&x-yt-ts=1421914688

Someone should make a similar video for Ivanovic. Aside from all the half-hearted closing down and running back to position, his lapses in concentration have probably proven the most costly. Off the top of my head I can think of these recent examples:

• Sunderland in our last encounter (can't remember exact chance but was near the end)
• Denmark equaliser v Serbia (Euro 2016 qualifier)
• Lampard goal (away to City)
• Maribor empty net chance (away)
• Arda Turan goal (Atletico Madrid at home)
• Salah goal (away to Basel)

Anyone think of any more?