Don Hutchison singled out Chelsea’s Reece James for special praise after his performance a couple of days ago at Old Trafford.
The Blues were disappointed to earn just one point in the Premier League after dominating large spells of Thursday’s match against Manchester United.
Unfortunately, Thomas Tuchel’s side were unable to take their chances in the 1-1 draw. Marcos Alonso’s excellent strike was cancelled out by Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal.
Despite the mixed result, there were a couple of outstanding performers.
ESPN pundit Hutchison waxied lyrical about Chelsea’s right wing-back James after his individual display.
“I was watching that Chelsea vs Man United first 45 minutes and it was astonishing how good Reece James was, but he was up against no one,” Hutchison told ESPN.
The 22-year-old was too hot for Man United to handle on the right flank, with opposition manager Ralf Rangnick admitting post-match he was a problem for them.
In addition, Gary Neville heaped praise on the England international after his midweek performance.
Chelsea balance
It does feel like Tuchel’s XI looks much more natural and balanced when James starts games at wing-back.
He’s shown his defensive qualities recently by successfully slotting into a centre-back position in a back three, which is a trait that could end up helping him nail down a permanent spot in Gareth Southgate’s England line-up.
Chelsea look a greater side with James on the right flank, though.
Most of the Blues attacks against Man United came from his side, linking up really smartly with teammate Mason Mount.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Tuchel shapes his side moving forward in the next few months, but let’s hope it centres around James as the creative threat on the wing.
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