“Play him in his right position & see wonders” “Don’t ruin his football career” – Tuchel warns Enzo Maresca after what he did to Chelsea star in 2-1 victory over Copenhagen
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has dropped a major tactical revelation, confirming that playing Reece James in midfield has been part of his plan from the very beginning. The Blues captain, widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in Europe, was deployed as a No.6 during Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Copenhagen in the UEFA Conference League last-16 first-leg tie.
Maresca’s Midfield Plan for James
Speaking after the game, Maresca revealed that he had always seen James as a midfielder and had shared his vision with the Chelsea captain even before they met in person.
“So, you can ask Reece; when I signed with Chelsea, probably the day after, I sent him a video about seeing him as a midfielder,” Maresca said. “I see Reece as a midfielder, not now—since day one. Before I met him for the first time, he was on holiday, and I sent him a clip of him playing in midfield.”
Now , Former Chelsea and current England coach Thomas Tuchel has warned Enzo Maresca to stop Reece James in a wrong position claiming during his time at Chelsea he’s a wing back who really helped Chelsea a lot back then.
Tuchel told Enzo Maresca the best positions to play Reece James :
“The back three is a little bit less demanding physically, in comparison to the wing-back position, especially given he is coming back from a muscle injury over so many weeks.
“It’s a bit of an advantage to have him in the back three because it’s less physically demanding. But this is the next step. How many games can Reece play at wing-back? If he plays at wing-back during the season on a level where he is decisive, it is a bit less physically demanding in terms of acceleration and high speed in the back three. This helps us have him on the pitch for more minutes.
“He can play both positions brilliantly, we only have him once and we need to decide, but this is why we have him there at the moment. I love him in both positions.”