Reece James has shared his thoughts on Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca after he cancelled a players' day off.
Maresca's debut campaign at Chelsea has had its highs and lows. His team had started the season off as Premier League title contenders up against Arsenal and Liverpool. Progress slowed down at the turn of the year, but the squad is still fighting to maintain their Champions League position, and Chelsea also remain favourites to win the Conference League.
Despite being in the tail-end of the season, Maresca is not letting his standards drop. Last Wednesday, Chelsea somehow lost 3-0 to an U21 side during a training session at Cobham. Following the embarrassing defeat, the 45-year-old head coach cancelled the players' day off on Thursday and instead brought them back in for training.
Although we don't know exactly who played in the 3-0 defeat for Chelsea, the likes of Malo Gusto, Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku were likely to have been in action. One player who definitely wasn't playing was Reece James, as he was away with England on International duty. Following the eye-catching incident, though, James has spoken about his feelings on the manager.
"He's been amazing since he arrived." the Chelsea captain said. "I wasn't sure what to expect when he came in, but he has surprised me a lot with how advanced his football knowledge is and his understanding and the way he sets up and wants us to play.
Reece James has backed Enzo Maresca as Chelsea's head coach.
Reece James has backed Enzo Maresca as Chelsea's head coach. (Image: Getty Images)
"I think he's doing an amazing job and I hope we can achieve what we want to together."
While the Chelsea players left behind during the international break were getting a stern telling off, James was busy scoring his first goal for England with a stunning free-kick against Latvia.
The Blues return to action on Thursday evening where they will meet Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. The reverse fixture was a goal-fest that ended 4-3 to Maresca's side. Spurs will be hoping to move up the table from 13th and fight for a possible European spot and, despite it being a London derby, the Chelsea captain isn't looking at it any differently.
He continued to say: "Preparation for this game, and for every game doesn't change, it is always the same.
"We know the opposition is going to be high-quality. It's going to be a tough game, and I'll prepare the best I can, and likewise for the rest of the team.
"I think it helps. I have a routine and not a lot changes day-to-day. Week-to-week it's very planned and I wouldn't say too much changes. The Premier League is tough. Every game is going to be a tough battle and we are playing against two rivals in our next games, but I don't think that changes much.
"We have our way of playing, our style, and our objective is to win every game that we go into."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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