Enzo Maresca has called out his Chelsea captain Reece James. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is clearly not worried about making friends in west London, and this time he has directed his anger at captain Reece James.
The Italian has been brutally honest when dealing with players so far, and depending on one’s point of view, this is either a breath of fresh air or a completely wrong way of doing things.
He also doesn’t seem interested in anyone’s opinion on how to do his job, and he clearly is more than happy to support players when others may consider them to be underperforming or perhaps exceeding the requirements.
Enzo Maresca challenges Reece James to give more
Maresca knows his own mind, is confident enough to speak it when needed, and perhaps that is the kind of strong mentality the Blues have lacked under the likes of Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino et al.
The player who has felt the sharp end of the tongue on this occasion is James, and the manager’s words have hinted that there could soon be a change in who wears the armband at Stamford Bridge.
Brutal honesty from Enzo Maresca to Reece James?#ITVFootball | #CFC pic.twitter.com/W04c4zFB3f
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 25, 2024
“I spoke to him. He’s doing well and he’s progressing, but most of the time a player thinks that because I’m captain I expect him to give me more,” he said in the pre-match press conference for the weekend’s game against Newcastle.
“No. For me, since you are the captain, you have to give more. You have to give more than the rest. I expect that from Reece and his teammates expect him to always give more in terms of leadership.
“Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella are some of the leaders, also Tosin. Levi is great and you can tell he’s one of the guys that always talks. We have to build on that.”
Maresca has effectively thrown down the gauntlet at right-back in what can only be perceived as another impressive rant.
The upside threat of losing the captaincy could see James expand and grow more into the role his manager would prefer.
Or, he could retreat further into his shell and find himself sidelined just like Ben Chilwell and others.
