Modest Reece James picks one teammate doing an “amazing job” in strange circumstances | OneFootball

After a start to the season where Chelsea did well in terms of injuries, it all fell apart in January, and the last month has seen manager Enzo Maresca forced to make do and mend with whatever was left to him.

That meant Reece James featuring regularly in midfield and Pedro Neto playing up front while Nicolas Jackson is out injured. Speaking after a recent game, captain Reece James said he was happy to do whatever it took to help the team, and pointed to his teammate as a prime example:

“Everyone wants the best for the team and the club, so we will all do what we need to do. Pedro [Neto], for example, isn’t playing in his position at the moment but he’s doing an amazing job to help the team and that’s the mindset,” James replied when asked how comfortable he was playing out of position.

Natural positions work best despite valiant efforts

Pedro Neto scores against Southampton. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Both James and Neto have put in a valiant effort trying something new, but it’s clear that neither of them is really built for it. Despite Enzo Maresca’s protestations that he saw James as a midfielder since the day he was appointed as manager, that is an incredibly difficult position to learn even for a player as gifted as Reece.

As for Neto, he offers work rate and explosive running in behind which both Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku didn’t when played in the same role – but his physical limitations make it very clear that he’s not a natural fit there either.

For all their efforts, we will be far better off when Maresca has sufficient options to return them to their usual positions. With Jackson and Romeo Lavia set to return for our next game, that should be the end of the experimentation for now.