Reece James's display in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Leicester has been destroyed on social media with fans pointing the finger at the right-back's poor defending.
The 21-year-old has been a rare bright spark in an otherwise increasingly dismal season for Frank Lampard's Blues. But against Leicester, he showed he's not immune to Chelsea's clown-like defensive woes.
Wilfred Ndidi had nobody closing him down when he fired Leicester into the lead after six minutes - but it was the Foxes' second goal that brought Twitter's wrath down on James.
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The full-back simply didn't track the run of James Maddison, despite being level with him - and Reece James was nowhere near close enough when the ball fell to Maddison inside the box to lash home.
Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva in the centre didn't cover themselves in glory, as they both ran towards Jamie Vardy - leaving plenty of space at the back. But Maddison certainly got away from James.
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It was just one lowlight in a night the young England international will want to forget, as he was given a torrid time by Leicester's attacking players, including Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
Of course, James is far from the first young, talented footballer to go through a difficult patch.
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The pressure will less be on him and more on his boss Lampard. Chelsea spent over £200 million in the summer - but the defence and the attack are both looking disjointed.
If a player like James is seen to be slipping into the dire defensive habits of some of his teammates, many will view it as a reflection of how Chelsea's defence is being set up and coached.
The 2-0 victory for Leicester left them top of the Premier League, although Manchester United (one point behind) have a game in hand, while Manchester City (three points behind) have two.
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Chelsea are now in eighth place with half of their Premier League games played. They are three points behind David Moyes' West Ham side and level on points with Southampton, who have a game in hand.
Featured image credit: PA Images
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Frank Lampard, Football News, Leicester City, Chelsea, Football, Reece James, Premier League, Twitter
