John Terry criticises Chelsea’s defensive tactics as Alonso’s poor start continues

John Terry has described Chelsea’s defensive statistics as “completely unacceptable” after the club’s difficult start under Chabi Alonso continued with a 3-0 defeat by Brentford.

Chelsea have now gone three consecutive Premier League matches without a win and sit 10th with seven points after five games. They have conceded 12 goals, giving them the worst defensive record in the division.

The loss also extended Chelsea’s run without a clean sheet to 22 successive Premier League matches. It is the club’s longest such sequence since 1965.

Terry, speaking on his YouTube channel, said: “The numbers are completely unacceptable for us as supporters and as a club legend, and we are going through a very difficult time.”

The former Chelsea captain also questioned Alonso’s approach to defending set-pieces, particularly the use of zonal marking.

“I am old school and prefer man-marking,” Terry said. “Zonal marking allows players to avoid taking responsibility. Against Brentford, the opposition exploited the space at the far post, and once the ball went over the defenders, nobody knew who was marking whom. The players have to take responsibility.”

Chelsea’s start under Alonso is the second-worst the club has recorded in the 21st century. Only Mauricio Pochettino’s opening to his time in charge was poorer, with Chelsea collecting five points.

The Spanish manager acknowledged after the Brentford match that his team’s defensive structure was not functioning effectively.

“It is clear that we need to improve defensively,” Alonso said. “We are doing well offensively, but we are lacking balance. It is not only about set-pieces; it is also about individual battles, building play and controlling the rhythm of the match.

“We do not currently have enough solidity to compete for the full 90 minutes, but everything needs time.”

Despite the results, Chelsea’s board continues to have full confidence in the young Spanish coach and his project. The club is expected to use the current international break to find swift solutions to the defensive problems.

Chelsea are not involved in European competitions this season, meaning their focus is entirely on domestic football. That leaves Alonso with time to work on the team’s structure, but the scale of the defensive decline has already prompted strong criticism from one of the club’s most prominent former players.