Roberto Martinez Says Chelsea FC Loanee Christian Atsu “Needs Time”
Chelsea prospect Christian Atsu had his ‘coming out’ party in the 2014 World Cup. With a standout performance against the United States, people were beginning to take notice of his abilities and the type of player he could turn into. The future Chelsea man has had good loan spells at other clubs such as Rio Ave in the Portuguese Primeira Liga (6 goals in 27 games) and Vitesse in the Dutch Eredivisie (5 goals in 28 games), but has yet to adapt to the style of the Premier League, Roberto Martinez says:
"“We need to give him a little bit of time to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League just like any player but especially a winger. In other leagues referees allow less contact and they are a bit more protected. But I think the way he has adapted to the way we want to play so far has been impressive. He’s an intelligent footballer.”“I expect him to be himself in the second half of the season and he can be a very important player for us. To be left-footed in that wing position with a real penetrative edge like he has can give you a big advantage.”Source: Liverpool Echo"
Martinez may look to use him more in the coming games with Kevin Mirallas injured, but he still has to face the likes of Steven Pienaar, Aiden McGeady, and even Steven Naismith for playing time.
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Even with his rough start for Everton, he’s been getting some sort of recognition on the international stage. He’s been called up to the Ghana squad as they hope he repeats his performances that he had in the first couple of games of the 2014 World Cup.
Fans of both clubs, Chelsea and Everton, will want to see him get more time and perform better than he is now. He’s a bright talent for the future, and will certainly learn from the best when he comes back to the Chelsea squad.