Enzo Maresca and Chelsea spoil Shim Mheuka’s first start: ‘I feel sorry’
Chelsea let down their young striker Shim Mheuka on his first start for the club because “the system wasn’t right” while he was on the pitch, according to Joe Cole.
The Blues went into their Conference League match-up against FC Copenhagen (6 March), knowing the competition is their last chance for silverware this season.
Despite this, manager Enzo Maresca still chose to use a rotated line-up against the Danish side, giving starts to Benoit Badiashile who has just returned from injury, 19-year-old Tyrique George, and a first senior start for 17-year-old Mheuka.
Following a drab first-half, the youngster was replaced by his manager, while the service for him was criticised by the former Chelsea icon, Cole.
Enzo Maresca ‘has to get a tune’ out of senior players
With the match being Mheuka’s first senior start, and only third senior Chelsea appearance, much was expected from the young forward’s teammates to support the striker.
However, speaking on TNT Sports, Cole explained why he felt sorry for the 17-year-old, and his teammate George, saying (6.35pm): “You have to work hard mentally to switch yourself on for a game like this, and everything I wanted to see, the professionalism, doing it right, moving the ball quick, wasn’t quite there.
“It ends up with a game where you’ve got one team, Copenhagen, with one shot on target, and Chelsea, with all the quality they’ve got on the pitch, with no shots on target, and it comes down to mindset and being ready and prepared.
“Experienced players understanding the moment, feeling the moment and driving the team. The manager has to get a tune out of them.
| Match stats vs Copenhagen | Mheuka |
| Minutes | 45 |
| Passes (accurate) | 5 (4) |
| Shots | 0 |
| Touches | 8 |
| Duels (won) | 3 (0) |
“I feel sorry for Tyrique George and Mheuka, the young lads coming in, they didn’t get fed the ball because the system behind them wasn’t right.
“It was just a nothing half for Chelsea.”
Following a triple-change at the break, the West London side finally responded, scoring through Chelsea captain Reece James in the 46th minute.
Enzo Fernandez then doubled the Blues’ lead in the 65th minute, before Gabriel Pereira got one back for the home side in the 79th minute, setting up an intriguing second-leg tie at Stamford Bridge on 13 March.
Cole then added at full-time: “I just feel a bit sorry for the young fella Mheuka because he’ll have a big future, but in your first game [start] you want to get on the ball and they just couldn’t find a way to get him on the ball in the first half, so I felt for him.”
Senior Chelsea players let down young Shim Mheuka
The life of a striker can be a lonely one, especially when you’re a 17-year-old making your full debut, next to some of the world’s best players, and receiving absolutely no service.
That was young Mheuka’s life for 45 minutes against Copenhagen, and it was miserable to watch.
In the youngster’s previous cameo off the bench against Southampton on 25 February, the Cobham graduate almost scored, and looked full of energy, and smart running, the talent is obvious.
However, against Copenhagen, out-of-form Cole Palmer failed to reliably find Mheuka, whilst Enzo Maresca‘s puzzling decision to start without a natural left-winger left the youngster with such limited supply.
The 17-year-old is destined for a bright future, he would not have started against the Danish side if he didn’t, but the next time he does, his manager, and teammates, would do well to give him a little more support.