This may seem harsh and there is no denying that Cahill on his day can be very effective, yet world class he is not.
When a player with a modicum of pace runs at the Englishman, there are problems for the Chelsea defence.
Destroyed by Harry Kane, struggling against Altidore, the stuff of Papiss Cisse’s dreams.
Imagine Cahill without Terry to help him at the back or Matic to shield him – the image is not so rosy for the Blues.
When there is a world class defender in Madrid waiting for Jose Mourinho’s phone call, you have to wonder when Cahill will be getting used to life on the bench.