Chelsea: 3 players that will thrive in Mauricio Pochettino’s system
1. Reece James
In order for this type of system to work its magic, the wing backs for the west Londoners are going to have to be influential. The positive thing is Chelsea are extremely deep in that position with two players returning from loans in addition to possessing arguably one of the best duos any Premier League club can offer. During his time in north London, the Argentine was keen on having his two wing-back fly up the pitch and support the midfield and attack.
At the age of 23, there is no better full-back for Pochettino to work with than Reece James. The argument for James as the best right-back in the world is there. His strength combined with that creativity on the ball, and versatility on both ends of the pitch makes the former Chelsea academy graduate one of the cornerstones for this club’s future success.
Whether it was Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, or Ben Davies, the wing-back for Spurs were known to get involved in the attack and contribute assists. In the 2016-2017 campaign in which the north Londoners finished second in the English top-flight, Trippier, Davies, and Walker combined for 13 assists in league play. For full-backs, James is in the 91st percentile in expected assists.
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In the 2021-2022 campaign, the Englishmen played distributor on nine goals, just one behind Mason Mount for the team lead that season. Between 2016-2018, Pochettino’s Spurs ranked second in total progressive passes. With 6.23 per 90, James is in the 91 percentile in that category. In any system, the Blues’ No. 24 could thrive, but under the Argentine who emphasizes full-backs, James should be sensational.