After a long injury, Reece James featured against Liverpool in an important English Premier League match, and he retained his captaincy under the new manager. But his performance didn’t justify the decision. After the match, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has criticized the English right-back for a lack of leadership ability.
Chelsea lost one of the most crucial games of their season. All happened because of the goal from Curtis Jones as the Liverpool midfielder entered the penalty box without any marking. This incident has infuriated Maresca on Chelsea captain Reece James because the goal came from the right flank.
Situation of Chelsea captain Reece James
According to BBC sports, Maresca wanted more from Chelsea captain Reece James in the match against Liverpool. The gaffer doesn’t seem to be happy after his performance. When Nicolas Jackson equalized the scoreline, the Blues were unable to hold the scoreline for a minute.
Not only this incident, the Blues were looking shaky throughout the entire 90 minutes. This indicates that there is still a lack of experience in the Chelsea defense, and Reece James might not be able to lead it. That is why the captaincy might slip from his hands.
The picture will be clear in the upcoming games. The Blues will be playing NewCastle, Manchester United, and Arsenal in the next few weeks. So, it is a difficult run of fixtures for Chelsea. The question is whether Maresca will entrust James with Chelsea captaincy or not.
If the English right-back wants to retain his position at the club, he must improve his performance. On top of that, James should lead the backline. The 24-year-old is one of the most senior players in the squad. On top of that, he has vast experience in the English Premier League.
We all know about his talent. The Chelsea fans are hoping that soon he will be back at his best. Last few seasons, he was badly suffering from injuries. Maresc said that the 24-year-old is now progressing well from his injury and will be able to play the full 90 minutes. Last game, he played only 45 minutes, which indicates that he hasn’t completely recovered from the hamstring injury.
Candidates for Chelsea captaincy
Besides Reece James, there are other players who can take up the captaincy at Chelsea. The list includes Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Levi Colwill. The most likely option is the World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Under Maresca, the Argentine has found a new confidence.
On the other hand, Moises Caicedo has been the best Chelsea player after Cole Palmer. In each and every match, the Ecuadorian international is delivering one-after-another masterclass performance. In the match against Liverpool, he and Romeo Lavia dominated the midfield and outplayed with the likes of Curtis Jones, Szobozslai, and Gravenbach.
In every Chelsea victory, Moises Caicedo remains an unsung hero. He is as important as Cole Plamer because the Ecuadorian international makes important tackles to keep the opponents away from goal posts. That is why Caicedo deserves the armband more than any other player at the club. On top of that, he has fewer injury problems.
But some players cannot bear the responsibility of captaincy, and it affects their performance. This might happen with Caicedo. That is why Enzo Maresca has kept him in the vice captain position, whereas Fernandez seems to be familiar with his new role at the club. If another injury happens with James, he might be out for a long time. That is why the fans are praying for Reece James so that he can have a fantastic season without any injury.
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