“He’s a specialist in that area” “Stop using him wrongly” – Tuchel slams Enzo Maresca over Chelsea star position
Enzo Maresca’s choice to start Reece James in midfield has drawn criticism from Thomas Tuchel, who maintains that the Chelsea captain is still more comfortable playing as a full-back or wing-back.
Prior to the World Cup qualifying matches against Albania and Latvia, Tuchel, who is currently the manager of England, released his initial squad, and James’ recall was one of the more noteworthy choices. The 25-year-old has missed England’s last two international tournaments due to a terrible run of injuries, but his recent comeback for Chelsea has won him a spot in Tuchel’s side.
James excels in his natural position, according to the former Chelsea manager who led the Blues to Champions League victory in 2021.
“I know Reece,” Tuchel said. “In calling him up now, we made sure before we called him up that he was constantly available in training, that he was constantly available to be picked for matches – so that when he’s not picked for matches, it’s not because of injury, it’s just a choice of the club to maybe protect him a little bit. This was the basis for the nomination.
“I still feel he is a player for the full-back and wing-back positions. I think we have enough players in central midfield who are more specialists there.”
Maresca, however, has been firm in his belief that James is best deployed in the middle of the park. The Chelsea boss revealed that he has viewed James as a midfielder since his first day at the club.
“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 explained.
“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.”
The Italian further justified his decision by pointing out that James has been accustomed to playing in a back three at Chelsea, which he believes makes the transition to midfield feasible.
“I’m aware he was exposed to less high-intensity work because he played a different role. He started playing in a back three, so with the ball, they were building a back three with him, which he did also for me at Chelsea.
“In Copenhagen, he played in midfield, so you are not exposed to high-intensity runs. But the history and the numbers recently tell us it is possible, so it’s on him to prove the point.”
Tuchel, however, is not entirely convinced that James can handle the physical demands of a midfield role.
“We need to see if he can do this. He needs to prove the point, to be honest. He needs to prove that he can do it,” the England boss added.
As James prepares to make his return to the international stage, the debate over his best position continues to rage on. While Maresca remains committed to his vision, Tuchel’s stance suggests that, at least for England, James will remain in his more familiar role as a full-back or wing-back.