NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Former Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris hailed Reece James as a ‘total footballer’ after the 10-man Blues beat Leicester City at Stamford Bridge.
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James provided an assist as Chelsea recovered from the first-half dismissal of Conor Gallagher to beat Leicester 2-1.
The 22-year-old has developed into one of Chelsea’s most important players in recent years and Morris, one of his former coaches, says he is ‘pure quality’.
‘He can play on the right-side of a back-three, right-wing back, right back or in the midfield,’ Morris said on Stadium Astro.
‘I used to joke with him that we could play him up front and he’d still produce pure quality. That’s what he is. He’s just a total footballer.
‘We’re blessed in this country with great right-backs but he was the best player on the pitch today in the first half. His range of passing really came into play.’
Thomas Tuchel may have been fearing the worst when Gallagher was sent off for a second booking in the first-half of Saturday’s Premier League fixture.
But Raheem Sterling, who completed a £50m move to Stamford Bridge earlier in the summer, scored twice after half-time to earn Chelsea the victory.
Tuchel said: ‘We were in total control for the first 20 or 25 minutes. We had big chances with Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] and the penalty, which was marginally offside but looked a big strange on our mobile devices.
‘Then suddenly you’re one man down and after a corner for us, a good opportunity to score with a set-piece goal. We were sloppy again on set-pieces and conceded a counter-attack.
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‘It was a bad decision from Conor and it gives you a big disadvantage in these conditions, where we come from a defeat and it’s so hot.
‘Unfortunately we conceded a goal which was totally unnecessary, therefore we were under pressure and conceded two big chances. We were lucky not to concede the equaliser.’
Chelsea have now taken seven points from their first four games of the new season and return to action on Tuesday night against Southampton.
MORE : Thomas Tuchel reveals where Chelsea need to improve after Leicester win
MORE : Thomas Tuchel slams Conor Gallagher after Leicester City red card
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