Chelsea don’t appeal against red card in admission that poor performance was more than bad refereeing

Chelsea have not appealed against Gary Cahill’s red card in an indirect admission that Saturday’s performance had little to do with the officiating.

Chelsea stumbled out of the starting blocks on Saturday. Well, they actually tripped up and fell flat of their faces. The Blues slumped to a 3-0 deficit against Burnley before half-time, eventually losing 3-2. The referee was the target of anger from some Blues fans, but the club have not appealed against Gary Cahill’s red card.

Fans have taken to social media to blast match referee, Craig Pawson, for costing the Blues the game. The dismissal of Cahill and Cesc Fabregas gave the game to Burnley. More realistic onlookers recognise that there was much more to Chelsea’s abject display and deciding not to appeal suggests that the club internally also know this.

Cahill’s tackled was reckless. Some may say the red card was harsh, but Pawson was following the rules of the game and was justified in sending the Englishman off. However, even with ten men, Chelsea should not have then collapsed to a three goal deficit.

Burnley Lessons: The good, the bad and the ugly

The team lacked spirit and creativity. The absence of Eden Hazard was there for all to notice, as the Blues struggled time and again to look lethal or clinical. Burnley, meanwhile, were both of those. They took their chances and deserved their lead.

Appealing the red card would be fruitless, but many clubs do it to show solidarity with their player or make a statement about the referee. Conte is refusing to hide behind officiating excuses and that’s refreshing to see.

Chelsea must look in the mirror and work swiftly to fix the problems they have. At board level, signings are needed. On the pitch, the players must rally and get through what will be a tough stretch. They must trust in their manager and their teammates.

If the Blues replicate the Burnley levels of intensity and effort against Tottenham, they will be dispatched. Despite Spurs’ lack of signings, they capitalised on Newcastle’s mistakes to canter to a comfortable win. Against a vulnerable Chelsea side, Harry Kane and friends will take Conte’s men apart.

It is still early in the season, but the Burnley result is a timely wake up call. While higher management sort out the squad depth, the players must focus on getting back on the same page. The second half against Burnley was encouraging. They must channel that through the week and into Wembley.

Next: Hitting the panic button: Four sidelined players Chelsea should sign

The loss was not due to poor officiating. It’s heartening to see that Conte isn’t willing to hide behind that nonsense.