“I expected more from him, if he continues to play like this then he will lose more of his playing time because we have so much talent on our hand that we can’t waste time on him hoping he will improve” – Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has openly criticized one of his players, stating, “I expected more from him.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca admitted he “expected more” from Reece James regarding his leadership qualities.

The Chelsea captain, recovering from an injury, made his season debut against Liverpool but is currently unable to play two matches per week.

James missed Chelsea’s Conference League win over Panathinaikos but is expected to feature against Newcastle, despite Maresca’s remarks about his leadership.

“I spoke with him and shared that I had higher expectations for his leadership, both in the dressing room and in other aspects,” Maresca acknowledged. “He’s improving, making progress, but I expected more from Reece in terms of leadership.”

“Often, captains believe that because they hold the title, they should receive more from others. In my view, being captain means you need to contribute more than anyone else. It’s not a role where you can afford to give less.”

“He’s one of the captains, and both I and his teammates have expected him to consistently show more in terms of leadership overall,” Maresca stated.

He also acknowledged Chelsea’s lack of true leaders within the squad, raising concerns about how this could impact their promising start to the season across various competitions.

While Maresca has encouraged James to enhance his leadership qualities, he commended young player Levi Colwill for quickly developing in that area, noting, “James is a more reserved person… but it’s not just him.”

“When a true leader is missing, you have to cultivate that quality. We don’t currently have a clear leader, though Tosin might be one of the closest. We need to develop leadership among the rest.”

“Reece is progressing but hasn’t reached that level yet, so he needs to work on it,” Maresca noted.

He praised Levi Colwill for his growth, saying, “Levi wasn’t seen as a leader at the start of the season, but now he’s one of the voices in the team. We need to foster that development.”

He added, “We want as many leaders as possible, and Marc Cucurella is also stepping up. It often comes with age, and in a few years, some will improve. But for now, we must guide them to grow not only in football skills but also in leadership.”