Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel has just delivered a firm message to one current Blues player about what he needs to be doing so much better.
The Chelsea squad is going through its toughest spell of the season right now. Therefore, who will step up as the leaders in the dressing room to dig them out of this hole?
The Blues are out of both domestic cup competitions, plus they’ve now dropped to sixth position in the Premier League table.
Chelsea and Enzo Maresca are already holding meetings about potential summer signings, but the head coach will need to make do with what he’s got for the remainder of the campaign.
John Obi Mikel tells Chelsea player he ‘needs to do more’ of one thing
According to John Obi Mikel, Chelsea captain Reece James, 25, needs to start showing so much more leadership.
The right-back’s injury problems have interrupted his career in recent seasons, so it can be hard for him to lead when he’s rarely on the pitch. In fairness, he’s featured in the last five consecutive Premier League matches as he’s slowly integrated back into the XI.
Speaking on his podcast, Mikel said: “Do you think Reece James is going to speak to Enzo Fernandez? No. I don’t see that happening. Don’t kid yourself there. That’s why I say Reece James needs to do more as a captain. But you can only do more by being on the pitch and showing leadership. He’s been injured half of his career at Chelsea.”
It’s pretty obvious that the Blues’ young group could do with some more leaders on the pitch, but there are some individuals rolling their sleeves up in that regard more recently.
Jason Cundy thinks Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo plays like a captain as the beating heart of the team’s midfield. Elsewhere, Frank Leboeuf says Marc Cucurella has emerged as a Chelsea leader.
The reality is that James is the club captain and the person who should be leading from the front.
Enzo Maresca recently defended Reece James
Even if James isn’t the most obvious captain on the eye, let’s not forget he’s a product of the Chelsea academy and loves the club.
Blues manager Enzo Maresca recently defended the full-back by insisting that he’s growing as a leader and is a key player at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca highlighted James’ leadership is improving. He said back in January: “In general Reece is one of the most important players for us because he is the captain… He’s improving in that [leadership] aspect.”
If James can stay fit from now until the end of the season, we’re confident he can play a major role in all aspects of helping the team achieve their goals. The all-action defenders leads with his top-class performances when he’s fit and firing, so supporters will be keeping their fingers crossed that he stays available.
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