Chelsea: Xabi Alonso told exactly how to fix 'soft' and 'fragile' defence

The three goals conceded at the Gtech Community Stadium laid their problems bare. Jaidon Anthony’s opener and Fabio Carvalho’s third were both the product of clumsy set-piece defending, while Igor Thiago’s rebounded tap-in came after Kevin Schade ripped the back line wide open with a well-timed run.

As well as their porous defence, Chelsea’s mentality has also been widely criticised and was again questioned in west London as heads dropped and the side capitulated after going 1-0 down.

Speaking at full-time, legendary Chelsea centre-back Cahill was concerned with what he had seen from his former club, where he won the Champions League and two Premier League titles.

Jaidon Anthony was unmarked as he headed home the opener on Friday

AFP/Getty

“There is a certain element of fragility,” Cahill began, speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports. “Once they’ve conceded that set piece, you don’t want it to be a mindset but it is a ‘here we go again’ type scenario.”

“The light is shining on you now if, defensively, you’re letting goals in.”

Cahill was adamant the coming three-week international break would give Alonso ample time to fix the issues at hand: “I’m sure the manager will address it in videos and on the training ground. Obviously, as a goalkeeper and a back four, you feel a big responsibility when goals are going in.

“The only way you can get out of that is by working hard together and making sure you’re harder to play against, and be more ruthless.

“There just seems to be a kind of softness at the minute in terms of the way they concede goals. You have a few weeks now during the international break, although some of them won’t be there, but they will have time.”