‘Maresca to axe Gusto for Reece James as disaster Chelsea call backfires v Betis’
Chelsea supporters’ surprise was proven right after Enzo Maresca decided to start Malo Gusto in the Europa Conference League final.
Many were shocked to see Reece James and Levi Colwill missing from the starting lineup, including the pair themselves, it seems, as the Blues prepared to face Real Betis in the final at the Tarczynski Arena on Wednesday, 28 May.
The right-back position has often been a problem for Maresca this season as, with Reece James spending a lot of time on the sidelines, Moises Caicedo was reverted there from the centre of midfield.
However, with the club captain back available and impressing massively over the last few weeks, the starting lineup should have almost named itself before the final in Poland.
Despite this, Gusto was trusted to mark the incredibly talented Abde Ezzalzouli and Isco, both of whom made the Frenchman look foolish for the opening goal, and therefore, Maresca too.
Enzo Maresca to replace Malo Gusto with Reece James at half-time
Having originally given away possession in the middle of the park, the full-back failed to get back in time to thwart Ezzalzouli’s strike, and there must be a change at the half-time break for the Blues.
Maresca had brought James back into the lineup in recent weeks, which seemed to have worked and made a fool out of the manager’s tactics, having reverted to a natural full-back system for the England international.
The Italian has clearly learned from Pep Guardiola, preferring to push his full-backs into midfield to help maintain possession, but this only helped Betis to pick holes in Chelsea’s defence in the opening stages.
If the Blues are to get back into the game and Maresca is to prove his credentials as Chelsea manager ahead of next season, he must make the cut-throat decision to swing the axe in the dressing room.
| Real Betis’s 1st half | Chelsea’s first half |
| 32% possession | 68% possession |
| 7 shots (2 on target) | 3 shots (1 on target) |
| 9 fouls committed | 6 fouls committed |
| 3 corners | 2 cornera |
Chelsea experiment backfires in Europa Conference League final
The Blues created very few chances in the opening half in Poland, and while James is only a right-back, his attacking abilities could change the game completely if Maresca just accepts he was wrong from the start.
He completely changed the game against Man United, assisting the only goal at Stamford Bridge by putting the ball on a plate for Marc Cucurella to score his seventh goal of the campaign.
Supporters should still be hopeful of a second-half comeback, with the Blues showing enough fight against Nottingham Forest to secure Champions League football, but changes are vital at half-time.
Gusto doesn’t look at all comfortable playing the hybrid-midfield role and would be far better off as a traditional full-back in the style that has got recent results.
But if Maresca is intent on sticking to his previous setup up then club captain James surely has to be brought in as soon as possible.