Gary Neville insists Chelsea player must ‘get stronger’ after Brighton performance, Jamie Carragher agrees

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Chelsea’s first-team star has received some firm criticism from pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher after his most recent performance in the defeat to Brighton.

Chelsea were extremely poor during Friday night’s 3-0 loss away to Brighton in the Premier League.

The Blues missed a great opportunity to consolidate fourth position in the league table. Instead, they could drop to as low as sixth if results don’t go their way across the weekend.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	24	17	6	1	58	23	35	57
2	ArsenalArsenal	24	14	8	2	49	22	27	50
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	24	14	5	5	40	27	13	47
4	ChelseaChelsea	25	12	7	6	47	34	13	43
5	Man CityManchester City	24	12	5	7	48	35	13	41
6	NewcastleNewcastle	24	12	5	7	42	29	13	41
7	B’mouthBournemouth	24	11	7	6	41	28	13	40
8	BrightonBrighton	25	9	10	6	38	38	0	37

Chelsea chiefs are still happy with Enzo Maresca amid the team’s inconsistent form, but the unrest towards the head coach is starting to grow louder from a frustrated fanbase.

• READ MORE: Enzo Maresca gives mixed injury update on two Chelsea players straight after Brighton defeat

Gary Neville urges Chelsea player to ‘get stronger’, Jamie Carragher agrees

Gary Neville delivered a damning verdict on Chelsea’s Levi Colwill straight after his latest display against Brighton. In particular, the 21-year-old defender has been urged to become a lot more physical on the football pitch. Jamie Carragher agrees with that advice, too.

“Colwill has got to get stronger,” Neville said on Sky Sports Premier League.

Carragher agreed: “He doesn’t look powerful enough in the kit.”

Neville then added: “No, he’s got to get stronger. He’s getting overpowered quite easily in games I’ve seen recently. Two or three games I’ve seen he’s been bullied in that channel…

“He’s still young. He’s got a lot of learning to do, as do those other Chelsea young players that are playing in these types of positions. They’ve got to get stronger in their bodies. They’ve got to get really physical and aggressive. That is tough when you’re a young centre-half who maybe hasn’t developed as fully as he should do yet, but he’s learning on the job and it’s hard work for him at the moment.”

Colwill was scored poorly in the Chelsea player ratings versus Brighton after his timid display in the heart of defence. Unfortunately, the England international didn’t make the desired impact on his return to the starting XI after sitting out the FA Cup defeat.

The left-footed centre-back is going through his toughest spell of the campaign so far with some indifferent performances.

Levi Colwill is missing Wesley Fofana

When Chelsea’s defence was at its best earlier this season, they had a consistent run of games with Colwill and Wesley Fofana as the starting centre-halves.

It’s pretty noticeable that the Blues suffer a drop off when they’ve not got Fofana and his recovery pace in the backline. Thankfully, Fofana should be back fit for Chelsea in two or three weeks time.

In terms of Colwill’s form and development, we agree that he needs to add some extra physicality to become a top defender in the Premier League.

At the age of 21, Colwill still has time on his side and possesses the fundamentals to become top class. He’d really benefit from a consistent and experienced central defensive partnership alongside him, though.