“He can’t move his feet quick enough” - Liverpool legend sends worrying verdict about Chelsea star to Mauricio Pochettino
Former Liverpool star Steve Nicol reckons veteran Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is on borrowed time at the top after his lackluster display in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday (December 6).
Scott McTominay scored twice (19', 69') for the Red Devils while Cole Palmer found the back of the net for the Blues with a fine strike (45'). Despite Bruno Fernandes' missed penalty (9'), United sealed all three points, marking their fourth win in five league games, as they moved to sixth in the standings.
Silva played the full 90 minutes and has played every minute for Mauricio Pochettino's side in the Premier League this season. Nicol, though, made a worrying assessment about the 39-year-old, telling ESPN FC:
“Thiago Silva has been magnificent as a player, but, now, the problem for me is (that) he can’t move his feet quick enough. I think his brain’s still working, but when you can’t move your feet, it takes too long."
He added:
“And when you’re playing against players like today and Man United, who just couldn’t wait to close the ball down, couldn’t wait to put you under pressure, then, you end up getting caught with the ball and you make rash decisions and you give the ball away.”
Thiago Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer in 2020 and has since made 132 appearances, including 15 across competitions this season. The defender, though, is nearing the end of his illustrious career. The Brazilian has won only 27 ground duels this season, which is only 18 percentile in the league.
The defeat against Manchester United, meanwhile, marked the Blues' sixth league loss of the season. They are tenth with 19 points from 15 games.
Chelsea eyeing Jonathan Tah as Thiago Silva's replacement
Chelsea have a squad full of young defenders, boasting the likes of Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile and Wesely Fofana.
However, according to BILD's Christian Falk, the Blues are targeting Jonathan Taha as a replacement for the veteran Silva. Tah plies his trade for Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
The 27-year-old has won 21 caps for Germany as well. He has recently appointed the renowned Pini Zahavi as his agent, which according to Sport Witness, is a signal that Tah might consider moving elsewhere.