October 15th 2024.
Enzo Maresca has certainly hit the ground running at Chelsea. According to Pat Nevin, the new manager would be wise to give more playing time to two talented players in his starting lineup. Despite the club's big spending in the summer transfer window, they have made an impressive start to the Premier League season.
Under Maresca's leadership, Chelsea has not lost a single game in the league since their opening match, and the Italian was just named manager of the month for September. Despite having many options to choose from, Maresca has stuck with a familiar lineup in the league, instead using the Conference League as an opportunity to give playing time to his squad players.
However, Nevin, a former Chelsea player himself, believes that two of the club's recent signings, Joao Felix and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, have shown enough quality to deserve more minutes in important matches. Although Joao Felix has only scored one goal since returning to Stamford Bridge, he has only started two games in all competitions this season. On the other hand, Dewsbury-Hall took some time to adjust to his move to Chelsea but showed his skill with a well-taken goal against Gent in the Conference League earlier this month.
"Enzo Maresca has made a great start," Nevin expressed to The Agency. "He has brought stability to the squad and a clear style of play that was missing before. At the beginning of the season, I predicted a top-four finish for Chelsea, which not many people agreed with, but now they have the basics in place and a squad full of quality."
Nevin is particularly impressed with Joao Felix and believes the young player has been underestimated by many. "I am a huge fan of Joao Felix. He may have been overlooked by some people, but don't count him out. He just needs a longer stint in the first team, perhaps as cover for Cole Palmer. There's no doubt that he will prove his doubters wrong."
"Looking at the rest of the team," Nevin continued, "players like Dewsbury-Hall have not even had a chance to play yet, and he is a fantastic player. He proved that in the Conference League a few weeks ago, and I believe he deserves more opportunities soon."
While Nevin acknowledges that Chelsea still has room for improvement, especially in their defense, he is pleased to see his former side playing with their trademark flair and creativity. "They have talent all over the pitch," the Scottish football legend remarked. "Their defense may still need some work, but the quality of players they have brought in is remarkable."
"I find them to be an entertaining team, and for me, that is what matters most. Whether they win or not or make it to the top four, I want to be entertained. Chelsea has always been an entertaining team in the last few decades, and I expect that to continue this season."
Nevin was speaking on behalf of sports betting site BetVictor. Stay updated on all the latest Chelsea news, exclusives, and analysis by signing up for our email updates. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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