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Lee Carsley’s Strong Message: A Turning Point for Josh Acheampong

Chelsea FC

England U21 Coach Praises and Advises Chelsea Youngster

Lee​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Carsley, the manager of the England under-21 team, has praised Josh Acheampong, the Chelsea defender, highly and according to the sources, he also made a point of sending a message about his career development. Acheampong, a product of Chelsea’s renowned Cobham academy, has been the team’s out of the blue this season. Carsley referred to Acheampong’s spectacular performance, scoring his very first goal for Chelsea in a 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, and he further went on to characterize him as one of the defensive players of the Chelsea team who threw their weight in the club’s crisis in the center of the ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌defense.

Nevertheless,​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Acheampong has not been part of Chelsea’s starting lineups or bench after the 4-3 win against Wolves in the Carabao Cup and even though he has been on the bench for three matches, he has not played. So, fans were quite puzzle by this. Carsley pointed out that the player has to keep going to match with the club and also with the national team if he wants to develop to his full ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌capacity. “Josh is a player we rate highly and he’s doing well at Chelsea,” Carsley said. “He has a lot of potential, and he just needs to keep playing and getting the experiences he’s getting with club and country.

We will now unpack this drama and the report of Lee Carsley and Josh Acheampong.

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ 19-year-old left-back is a player that Borussia Dortmund and handful of Serie A clubs are keeping an eye on, which clearly shows that he is a very promising talent. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca, the head coach at Chelsea, has been experimenting with his center back duo and in the recent matches he has chosen Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana to play together, which has resulted in Chelsea not letting in any goals in their games against Tottenham and Wolves for the first time since ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌May. Nevertheless, the defense will probably still be rotate due to the heavy fixture list of Chelsea, and hence more tactical changes will be ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌in need.

Upcoming Challenges and Matches

Chelsea​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ is preparing for some games that are very important, among which is a hard one against Sunderland at Stamford Bridge. To come out on top, they will have to present a strong team with players who can give them a hand if it is a shortcoming in the defense department.

Will Acheampong and other young defenders continue their development and be available to play? Maresca is aiming for the defense to be as hard as a rock, however, he is also considering many other things such as the future player signings during the ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌window.

Without​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ a doubt, Chelsea needs reliable defenders. Once​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Acheampong and the rest of the young players elevate their game, the team will have enough quality to be able to play in all their matches. With emphasis on a compact and disciplined defense, Maresca is indirectly confirming that he understands the significance of a solid ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌backline. The side will only be able to deliver their best in these crucial matches if the defense is able to come ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌through.

Author’s Note

In this Lee Carsley and Josh Acheampong saga, Acheampong must understand from Lee Carsley’s words that a young player full of potential has to take into account the reality of the game and the minutes on the pitch. Since Chelsea have shudder defensively and wants to lay a solid foundation for the future, the advancement of Acheampong is a lead indicator for the club’s youth strategy and the strength of the squad. While Chelsea is dealing with difficult matches and transfer windows, the orderly growth of their rising talents will be instrumental in maintaining their winning ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌streak.

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