‘Reece James makes a mockery of Enzo Maresca at Chelsea’
Reece James looks to have had the last laugh over Enzo Maresca after Chelsea narrowly defeated Man United at Stamford Bridge.
The 25-year-old, who wore the captain’s armband again on Friday, 16 May, played an integral role as the Blues took a vital step towards Champions League qualification, assisting the only goal by Marc Cucurella.
Despite the immense pressure on Maresca at Chelsea, the Italian could not hold back his joy at full-time after shaking the hand of Ruben Amorim, hugging and cheering with his players on the pitch.
It was an extremely important moment in the Blues’ overall campaign, but with James beautifully assisting the winning goal at Stamford Bridge the full-back looks to have show his manager the error of his ways this season.
Reece James restored to natural right-back position for Chelsea
Everybody is aware of the 25-year-old’s injury issues throughout the 2024/25 campaign and before, seeing him miss a multitude of games across the Premier League, Europa Conference League, and FA Cup.
However, since returning to full fitness in January, the defender has struggled for consistent game time in the starting lineup despite being the captain, and has primarily been asked to feature as a central midfielder, with James already being tipped to outlast Maresca.
All the more frustratingly, star defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo, has instead been converted to a makeshift right-back increasingly, which has not helped the fan fury when one of the team’s most talented players in dropped to the bench.
Supporters have been furious with the treatment of one of their own, with the player often moved into the centre of midfield to fit the manager’s playing style when given a rare start, and never really looking comfortable.
Finally being restored to his natural full-back position against the Red Devils, the right-back was key to victory, supplying the assist, hitting Andre Onana‘s post with a stunning long-range blast, and staying rock-solid at the back.
| Reece James v Man United | Stats, as per FotMob |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Passing accuracy | 85% (53/62 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Recoveries | 4 |
Enzo Maresca can reduce fan fury with simple Reece James decision
Thomas Tuchel, now the England coach, was present at the game on Thursday night, and the German is well aware of the right-back’s talents, having thrived under his leadership at Chelsea between 2021 and 2022.
It is completely understandable why the supporters are becoming more and more frustrated with their manager, who seems to be the only one at Stamford Bridge not capable of seeing James’ talent, not least as the club’s form fell away in the winter.
While his injury issues have been a problem for the Blues this season, he has still grabbed two goals and two assists in the second half of the campaign, and will be keen to kick on next season as well.
James will be in no mood for Maresca to resort to stranding him in the middle of the park though, and Maresca will no doubt feel the heat from the fans if that is to happen again.
The former Leicester boss has stuck rigidly to his system this season despite increasing opposition from the stands, and while it may yet pay off with Champions League qualification, but if that is to happen it won’t have been without the influence of his underused skipper.
A timely reminder that, when fit, James is one of the best right-backs int he world was delivered when it mattered in the 1-0 win over Man United, and fans will be hoping Maresca took note.