Graeme Souness has questioned why Chelsea boss Frank Lampard persists in selecting "ineffectual" Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho in his starting XIs.
The midfield duo played as the Blues limped to a 1-0 victory over Norwich City on Tuesday in a match in which Lampard's side struggled to create chances.
Kovacic and Jorginho have each made 29 appearances in the Premier League this season but have only scored five goals between them.
Things do not make for better reading in terms of creativity, either, with Kovacic providing three assists and Jorginho two.
And after his dive into the statistics of Chelsea's midfielders, Souness questioned the Blues' top four pedigree and blasted Lampard for his team selections.
He wrote in The Sunday Times : "Maybe I’m missing something here but why does Frank Lampard - one of the most prolific goalscoring midfielders in Premier League history - keep selecting Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in Chelsea ’s central midfield?
"It wasn’t until I looked at the statistics on Friday that I fully appreciated how ineffectual they have been.
"This season, Kovacic has a solitary goal from 29 league appearances; for Jorginho, the return is four from the same number of games, three of them from the penalty spot.
"Add in Ross Barkley (one in 20) and N’Golo Kanté (three from 22), and you wonder how Chelsea are third.
"It’s not even as if this campaign has been a blip. Last season, that quartet contributed a total of nine goals in 132 league appearances.
"I would love to have played against Jorginho and Kovacic. The pair are good at keeping possession and easy on the eye but that is as far as it goes.
"I wouldn’t have had to worry about them making runs in behind me because everything they do is in front of the opposition midfield."
Souness also insisted that Kovacic and Jorginho playing in deeper midfield roles is not an excuse for their low goal and assist numbers.
The former Scotland international added: "Please don’t tell me they play holding or defensive roles. Anyone who aspires to play in the middle of the park should have the full facet of skills - tackling, passing, shooting and finishing - and be looking to use them at all times.
"The footballer who is happy to embed himself in a deeper role is withdrawing into his comfort zone and betraying himself as a midfielder.
"It’s not even as if they are doing a good job shielding their defence because Chelsea have conceded 49 goals in 36 matches. Ten teams have conceded fewer."
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