“That guy is amazing” – ESPN pundit has to eat his words over player he called “not good enough” | OneFootball

Frank Lebouef has been on his ESPN show this week with a big apology to Chelsea’s match winner from yesterday, Marc Cucurella:

“I want to mention somebody because I was very harsh, very hard on him about two years ago. Cucurella. I call him Cucu the saviour! That’s what I call him. He’s become my idol! That guy is amazing: defensively, offensively. Cucu the saviour, I love you,” the former Blues defender said on ESPN.

To remind you, these were his thoughts a year ago:

“We don’t want to see Cucurella anymore. With all due respect to a man that I don’t know, the player is not good enough for Chelsea. It’s as simple as that. It’s crazy that they signed him for £60m, but we can see that he doesn’t belong to this level.”

Lebouef isn’t the only person whose mind Cucurella has changed, especially in the last 12 months where a new role for Chelsea has suddenly unlocked the best parts of his game while shielding the worst.

Cucurella’s unusual profile still doesn’t have some convinced

Marc Cucurella celebrates scoring against Leicester. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

We would argue that there are still plenty of people who believe that, or at least a version of that. But in reality it’s not that Cucurella was ever a terrible player, he just has a very unusual profile which is outstanding in some things and not in others. He’s very good at the things he’s good at, but not so strong in others.

The turnaround for Leboeuf had already begun last summer. We reported on his comments during the Euros where he admitted he had been impressed, and just questioned whether the full back could carry that form into the season with Chelsea.

We reckon that he’s had his questions answered now!