It can be hard to wait on players to improve when they come into a new situation in your team. However, could Juan Cuadrado not afford to play one game in a Chelsea shirt to the same standard he is currently showing in the Copa América? Even though Blues fans may be complaining about this now, his performances also show why Chelsea must be patient with him.
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In the Copa América, the Colombian has exhibited the pace and skill that the West London club thought they would be getting when he came to Stamford Bridge in January. Unfortunately, that has not been the case and Chelsea have been left disappointed. Disappointed to the point that some are wondering why we did not just keep Andre Schurrle.
The winger has been a star for Los Cafeteros in the first phase of the tournament (which we rounded-up here) and his performances will make some Chelsea fans hopeful that his showings at Stamford Bridge will pick up to match those in Chile. However, there is another aspect to this that needs to be considered.
We all want new players to reach their potential immediately, but this is just not entirely possible
With his national team, Cuadrado is playing alongside players that he’s known for a long time – a factor that can only help him fulfil his potential. Juan is simply playing free and open soccer at the moment.
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While many, including myself, were definitely disappointed in Cuadrado at some points this past year, it is important to understand the difficult situation he was in. He was adapting and learning in his new environment.
It shouldn’t be forgotten, either, that it took him time to adapt in Italy as well. It naturally takes people time to fully adjust when they are confronted with new circumstances and thus Cuadrado should be afforded enough to allow him to do so.
All of the aspects of a player settling down into a situation must play into how we judge transfers. It can admittedly be incredibly frustrating to wait for players to improve and get better when they move to a new team. We all want them to be superstars and reach their potential immediately, but this is just not entirely possible.
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You just cannot expect every incoming player to be like Diego Costa and immediately hit the ground running. Our hope is that Cuadrado matures and develops in his role as a Chelsea player. Having said that, a contributing factor to such a development could be the arrival of one Radamel Falcao.
Falcao could assist his fellow Colombian’s growth greatly. Having someone from your home country around to be with you and generally hang out helps with the non-footballing factors that are so often wrongly disregarded. This could be beneficial for both players. Each have under-performed in their last year of domestic football and are in need of come-back season this time around.
With rumours swirling that Falcao has already signed, the stars may just be aligning to see them both do it in Chelsea blue.
Next: Chelsea FC Transfer Rumour Round-Up, June 23rd 2015