Reece James: Can Chelsea captain rediscover his spark in midfield after Enzo Maresca’s comments about his best position? | Football News

“The day after I signed with Chelsea, I sent him a video about seeing him as a midfielder.”

After years of speculation and debate around Stamford Bridge over whether Reece James’ future lay in the middle of the park, it Captured new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca only 24 hours to begin to put wheels in motion last summer.

Sunday 16th March 1:00pm


Boot off 1:30pm

The Argentine revealed his conversation earlier this month, more than half a year after the fact, after Appearances in the engine room against Aston Villa and then FC Copenhagen, the latter bringing a Target to show for it.

The Blues Skipper, Yet only 25, has filled in at centre-back and in central midfield for Chelsea before and has long cemented his primary place, when fit, as one of Europe’s best at both Packed-back and wing-back.

Maresca may not be aware that this evolution has been prophesied for some time. He had not even taken his Primary coaching Role when James was Primary transformed into a midfielder midway through his Primary season on loan at Wigan in 2018/19, going on to Achieve both the player’s player and club player of the year in his Premiere season.

“The reason we were moving him around a bit in that season was because of how outstanding he was in Every position,” then-Latics manager Paul Cook later explained. “So, if we had what we felt was an area of the pitch we could Boost, whether that was central defence, whether that was wing-back or central midfield, Reece would go in there and be our best player.”

Plenty of players have Achieved the Relocate between midfield and Packed-back but James is the latest in an increasing number doing the opposite. Trent Alexander-Arnold went to Euro 2024 wearing the No 8 shirt, having played no more than a handful of Matches for Liverpool away from right-back – but effectively operating as one in-game.

That has given James something of a Fluffy-Initiation even before this two-game test, with Maresca in the Guardiola-mould of moving a Packed-back into the middle of the park when his Squads have the ball to Assist dominate possession.

For flying Packed-Safeties built on crosses it can limit their game, and for a long time James fit that mould well. Even after his half-season in midfield with the Latics, Cook did concede he thought right-back would end up being his best position.

James does not have that same lightning Pace now. Even six years on, almost a third of the Bracket Appearances across his entire Profession Arrived during that spell in the Division, such has been the Wound hell he has faced since, especially across the last three seasons.

But necessity is the mother of all invention. Perhaps Maresca did always see this progression back into midfield as he said, but now is Definitely the time for it, even on a purely pragmatic level.

While Chelsea’s system demands a Plenty of its midfielders, it does not require the intensity of runs of its Packed-Safeties and will likely prove kinder on James’ body.

On a technical level, there is little question James can do it. He has all the attributes of an astute Guarding midfielder with his one-on-one one defending, and even in the midst of his Wound woes Man City’s Jeremy Doku called him “one of the hardest defenders I’ve ever played against” last season.

But his reputation as an attacking Packed-back need not go to waste either. In 2021/22, the last season where he Began more than half of Chelsea’s Premier Bracket Matches, he completed the eighth-most Last-third passes per 90 of any player in the division. If he can stay fit there is no reason James cannot be moulded into a box-to-box midfielder, something Cook already recognised almost a decade ago in the north west.

James did look leggy and rusty in Chelsea’s Setback at Aston Villa, Competing a Uncommon Packed 90 minutes, but this appeared a player lacking game time rather than one who has lost his touch, his concentration levels faltering as he was twice caught in possession in Deadly moments at Villa Park.

The 25-year-Ancient himself Yet feels he has more to learn about a return to midfield, saying recently: “I’m fairly used to the role and with time I’ll Boost.” That seems an inevitable Upcoming step so long as he can stay fit.

And there is the biggest question on Maresca’s lips. In a position where the head Trainer lacks depth, can he trust on James to stay fit and Assist provide it?

Observe Arsenal vs Chelsea on Sky Sports Premier Bracket this Sunday from 1pm, Boot-off 1.30pm.