Chelsea players who can thrive under Enzo Maresca and additions needed – Talk Chelsea

Whilst yes I still fully believe this is a HUGE risk and I have MASSIVE concerns about this appointment, I will support Enzo Maresca as Chelsea head coach, and there are certainly positives.

He’s been hired due to his style of play, with Chelsea wanting to control games with possession-based football.

We know that Maresca will use inverted full-backs, and that is part of what made Leicester more dominant in games last season.

Chelsea have Reece James and Marc Cucurella (if he’s not sold) as two good inverted full back options on either side, and they will also be able to switch in-game. I would be excited to see James in an inverted role, because I have always loved the idea of him playing as a defensive midfielder and feel he could thrive there.

This brings me to my first ‘need’ for Maresca, potentially another left back. Chelsea could sell one or both of Cucurella and Ben Chilwell this summer, and with how Maresca sets up, if it is just one going, you’d be inclined to think it could be Chilwell. The England international suits a back five better than a back three, and I am not sure he can be an inverted full back. Even if Cucurella stays, Chelsea will need to bring a new left back I believe, one who would be more suited to being inverted. Or maybe Chilwell can be inverted? Only Maresca will know that.

Building from the back is another key feature of both Guardiola’s and Maresca’s games. One of the Italian’s first signings at Leicester City was goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who not only became one of the Championship’s top shot-stoppers, but was also comfortable with his feet.

This is the next ‘need’ because let’s be honest, none of Robert Sanchez or Djordje Petrovic would fill anyone with confidence of being able to step up as a true sweeper-keeper with the high standards of quality with the ball at their feet. For me, Chelsea will absolutely need a new goalkeeper more suited to play this way.

Cole Palmer will be a key player for Maresca, as he would be for any manager, and I believe he will look to Palmer to be one of his chief creators.

Maresca also loves to use 1v1 wingers who can take a man on and get past them to create.

Do Chelsea have such wingers to fulfill the one-v-one ambitions of Maresca? I’m not so sure. Noni Madueke could be a key feature, Raheem Sterling is a good 1v1 winger, Mykhailo Mudryk not so much in terms of skillset but does have the pace to do it. Cole Palmer is a creator. Christopher Nkunku is more of a 10.

Chelsea will probably need another winger. Can Michael Olise fit that? It will be interesting to see who we go for as another key piece to the Maresca puzzle, right?

The striker is obvious for me, everyone knows we need a new striker and that goes without saying. Even if you highly rate Nicolas Jackson, you will know we need more than just one number 9 in our squad. Jackson by the way, maybe he could be a 1v1 winger out on the left? I’ve always preferred him playing in from the left.

One player who might not suit so well in a dominant possession-based style of play will be Conor Gallagher, and maybe that will just be another reason why Chelsea are looking highly likely to sell him.