Former professional footballer, Micah Richards, has recently voiced his opinion on the positioning of a particular player in the Chelsea squad. According to Richards, Enzo Maresca, the head coach of Chelsea, has been misusing one Blues player by not deploying him in his optimal position.
Despite a fairly positive start to the 2025-26 season for Chelsea, there is still room for improvement. The team's aim should be to climb higher up the Premier League table. With an upcoming match against newly-promoted Sunderland at home this weekend, it presents a decent chance for them to secure three more points.
The Blues have been known this season for regularly shuffling their starting line-ups. It remains to be seen what team will take to the field on Saturday afternoon.
Embracing regular rotation
Maresca has embraced regular rotation as part of his strategy to maintain overall fitness within his squad. This approach seems effective as most senior players are back in action except Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer.
One key point raised by Micah Richards revolves around Joao Pedro's role within the team. Despite seeing Pedro leading as central striker in many matches this season, Richards insists that Pedro’s best role would be slightly deeper - playing as a number 10.
Micah Richards, Manchester City legend, said:
“They’ve signed [Liam] Delap, they need Delap back, because Pedro, and you did the analysis last week, didn’t you? He’s a number 10, isn’t he, Pedro? He’s not a number nine.
“And I just feel like Chelsea, to go to the next level, they just need someone who can stick the ball in the back of the net at any time. And then they will be a real threat. I love the balance of the team.”
This critique comes amidst some recent challenges faced by Maresca regarding player availability and performance issues.
Upcoming changes expected
There is positive news on the horizon though; Liam Delap (22), another Blues striker who had been unavailable since August due to injury is expected back next week. Additionally Marc Guiu (19), who had fallen out of favour with Maresca recently returned into good graces and could potentially play centre-forward again soon.
As far as Brazilian star Pedro goes, his goal and assist tally have been dwindling since he's been positioned as the point of attack. With Guiu and Delap expected to share the number nine role, Pedro may be given more freedom to roam on the field, which could potentially reignite his performance.
While Chelsea has had a promising start to their season, there are still areas that can be improved upon. The team's strategy of regular rotation seems effective in maintaining squad fitness but player positioning remains a contentious issue. As per Micah Richards' critique, it will be interesting to see if Maresca reconsiders Joao Pedro’s position in upcoming matches.
