Gary Cahill tells the Chelsea players to "leave everything" before their match against Real Madrid.
Prior to Tuesday's second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal match against Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge, Gary Cahill has issued a rallying cry to the Chelsea players.
When facing Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Gary Cahill feels Chelsea must focus on their goal and "leave everything out there" if they are to advance.
Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio scored either side of halftime to give the Blues a 2-0 deficit from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabau. It presents a huge challenge for Frank Lampard's team to meet, but stranger things have happened.
Liverpool overcame a three-goal deficit to defeat Barcelona in the 2019 semifinal, whereas the Catalan giants overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 overall two years ago.
In order to win the Champions League in 2012, Chelsea had to stage a similar comeback after falling behind 3-1 in the first leg against Napoli. In an odd last-16 match, a Blues team that included Lampard and Cahill fought back to win 5-4 overall.
Prior to the game, Cahill, who was speaking on behalf of BT Sport, gave the Chelsea players a call to arms. For what it's worth, he remarked, "My message is to go out and give it your all, manage the game in the early going, and leave nothing on the field.
"If you give it your all, you can look in the mirror and declare, 'I've done everything I can.'" Give everything you've got and leave nothing on the field.
Some players will have the chance to impress and demonstrate why they should stay with the Blues in the long run during Tuesday's match against Real Madrid. Chelsea's roster may be changed during the summer transfer window, and a new manager is likely to reorganize his staff as well.
When asked if the fate of the Chelsea players would depend on their ability to succeed, Cahill responded, "I suppose so. Individual pressure and the standards you set for yourself are what ultimately matter. I understood that bosses would come and go, but as long as I maintained my performance level, I would be fine.
"Some of the players may now believe that I am not performing at my desired level. Listen, the new manager this summer will be keeping an eye on the players, especially during the match versus Real. They'll be keeping an eye on the athletes.
"It represents a big deal, it represents that you're playing for a huge club in European football," Cahill added. No one is more knowledgeable than Frank about what it takes to play at a high level and be a part of a Chelsea team year after year. People eventually quit or are sold if they aren't performing at the required level.
"In my experience, when you're not performing at a high level, the football club sells you and brings in the best replacement. That pressure is present. If I were a player, I would be analyzing the players and questioning whether my performance is up to par. If I weren't, I would assume that I wouldn't be present. The difference is that a major club is under pressure.
On the field, though, none of those guys have been able to gel. With just 10 victories in their last 31 games, the Blues are currently ranked 11th in the Premier League and appear destined to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2015–16 campaign.Even from the perspective of the players, it's uncertain where you stand because Frank may not return the next season.
