๐ฃ๏ธ Xabi Alonso on Chelsea captain Reece James:
๐ค ๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ญ:
โI would say so. I would say heโs very comfortable, very confident playing in that position.
โHe has the intelligence to play there. He has the intelligence to connect with teammates around in the middle to know whatโs the best thing before and after you get the ball. And he has this awareness.
โI remember seeing him play very well in the middle. So yes, we are using him. He will have a lot of minutes in there as a first midfielder.
โI knew he could play there. I remember the last Club World Cup final in New York. He played with Moi [Caicedo] in the middle.
โAt Anfield, I think he played there last year. Itโs not new for him. Itโs not that Iโm discovering something.
โI think it has the needs of the team and his role in the team as well. Because I remember the game against Fulham [last month]. His impact in terms of emotionally, in terms of captain, leadership in the middle, heโs closer to everything and he can play an important role.โ
๐ ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ:
โFor me, physically he is fresh and he is prepared. He has been competing in the Premier League so that for me is not an issue.
โAs a midfielder you need to take a lot of little decisions, many right decisions because you are always very connected to the game.
โYou are very close to the action and if you are walking it is not possible. So Reece is really involved in the game.
โHe is already knowing where he has to be. He has the capacity to help the teammates around him so that is very important for me as well because he has this presence.
โHe has the respect from the teammates that when he tells something they listen and they follow him.โ
(Via Bobby Vincent - Football London)
#CFC #ChelseaFC #ARSCHE #ReeceJames
26September 4, 2026 1.6K 2
