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Reece James

Almost certainly going to be on the move in the summer. We will struggle to get rid of the deadwood at the prices Clearlake want, and he is easily our most saleable asset.
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I couldn’t agree less.

No club will come close to anything like what we’d want for him and I don’t see him wanting to go.

He’s miles off being 100% fit and needs a full pre season. I reckon he’ll be our first choice right back next year despite what Pepelini has said and James will still be a Chelsea player after Maresca goes.

 
I better not hear any “ He’s not the player he once was” nonsense anymore.

If he stays fit for the entire season there isn’t a RB in the world that’s close to him PERIOD!!

 
Hope he's RB for at least 7 healthy seasons. He should be the focal point of our setup, getting the ball out to Palmer and our new quality striker.

 
I better not hear any “ He’s not the player he once was” nonsense anymore.

If he stays fit for the entire season there isn’t a RB in the world that’s close to him PERIOD!!
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My apologies 😅

Hopefully he stays fit. The longer he stays injury free, the more confidence he will gain mentally. It must be in the back of his mind that something will go wrong the moment he is forced to run at full speed or stretch for the ball.

 
When he got injured again after his operation, I genuinely thought that it was it for him. He's still not at his best yet, but he's slowly getting there, and even James at his current level is world class.

Nobody at the club deserves this more than him. To go through all of those injuries and come back the way he has takes a lot of character. 100% deserves to be captain of Chelsea Football Club.

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Form is temporary, class is permanent. The most games he has played in over 3 years. I liked what Maresca said when asked about Joe Cole why he didn't start, with Maresca saying he would start Reece every game if he could, but he has to protect him. Thrilled for James - its been a long journey, and he more than deserves moments like these.

 
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A bit worried about his role going forward. We've seen some experimentation during the CWC but ultimately - our best midfield has Caicedo and Lavia. Enzo and Palmer are must-picks because of their goals and chance creation. That means Palmer back on the right, who needs a marauding fullback, which is also how you get the best out of Gusto. An inverted James breaks a number of these positions and is not ideal for his skillset. So it may come down to whether his body can handle a more traditional role once again.

 
A bit worried about his role going forward. We've seen some experimentation during the CWC but ultimately - our best midfield has Caicedo and Lavia. Enzo and Palmer are must-picks because of their goals and chance creation. That means Palmer back on the right, who needs a marauding fullback, which is also how you get the best out of Gusto. An inverted James breaks a number of these positions and is not ideal for his skillset. So it may come down to whether his body can handle a more traditional role once again.
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You are right to be worried.

 
A bit worried about his role going forward. We've seen some experimentation during the CWC but ultimately - our best midfield has Caicedo and Lavia. Enzo and Palmer are must-picks because of their goals and chance creation. That means Palmer back on the right, who needs a marauding fullback, which is also how you get the best out of Gusto. An inverted James breaks a number of these positions and is not ideal for his skillset. So it may come down to whether his body can handle a more traditional role once again.
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Don't think his body can handle the full back role, either.

For me, his best position in Maresca's formation is as the third center back.

Right center back in possession and right back when defending.

Cucurella inverting in midfield and sneaking into the opposition box feels more natural and is way more effective.

 
Don't think his body can handle the full back role, either.

For me, his best position in Maresca's formation is as the third center back.

Right center back in possession and right back when defending.

Cucurella inverting in midfield and sneaking into the opposition box feels more natural and is way more effective.
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Agreed. But that again affects the team balance negatively. The RW will need to be a touchline winger. You'll have to drop Lavia. Overall, an inferior setup. It was fine last season because Lavia was injured and Santos wasn't at the club. I guess we may see this in rotation if Lavia only plays 1 game a week.

 
Don't think his body can handle the full back role, either.
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Disagree, I think he can handle RB comfortably, but his game time may need to be managed. He possibly can't play 50+ games but then he doesn't need go.

The problem is his backup can't player Maresca ridiculous inverted nonsense, and he refuses to change to suit the squad.

 
Don't think his body can handle the full back role, either.

For me, his best position in Maresca's formation is as the third center back.

Right center back in possession and right back when defending.

Cucurella inverting in midfield and sneaking into the opposition box feels more natural and is way more effective.
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Most athletes can't handle the strain of a modern fullback anyway.

He'll be fine, he just can't play every game. If the coach can work out a plan with the manager to optimally utilize his minutes, he'll be good until his late 20's

 
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Disagree, I think he can handle RB comfortably, but his game time may need to be managed. He possibly can't play 50+ games but then he doesn't need go.

The problem is his backup can't player Maresca ridiculous inverted nonsense, and he refuses to change to suit the squad.
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It's not whether he can play at RB, it's whether he can play like he did before. Up and down, supporting the RW on the outside and putting in those beautiful crosses. That's up for debate, and judging how he's being used now, it seems the staff are not too confident.

 
So it seems Maresca did something to accomodate Reece that I never thought was even an option - Palmer on the left...

 
Just don't be a hamstring injury. I'm going to be pissed if after everything, we go into next season with the exact same issues. All 3 of James, Fofana and Lavia injured.
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Had the same conversation with my other half last night. We can't repeat that season after season. I do think we have better options to pick up the slack, and in some cases even start, within the squad now (Santos for sure, Tosin seems very settled, emergence of Josh, and Essugo will get his chance).

Its also what frustrates me with Enzo - he gets so much stick, despite a very good season. The minutes he plays is massive for us - ever present and dependable, a great quality.

 
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