Graham Potter has been urged to return Reece James to his right wing-back role after 'taking away' the Chelsea star's qualities.
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood disagreed with Potter's decision to start Ruben Loftus-Cheek out wide as Chelsea suffered a damning 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa on Saturday. James, 23, was instead employed as the right-sided centre-back, forcing him to play a more reserved role when the Blues attacked.
With Chelsea now in the bottom half of the Premier League table and enduring a crisis period, Sherwood has urged Potter to move James back to the more natural role in which he shone under previous Blues boss Thomas Tuchel. "I cannot understand why Reece James is not playing as a right wing-back," the ex-Spurs and Villa manager told Premier League Productions.
"You've got [Benoit] Badiashile on the bench, why's he not playing because it makes it more solid, they look a threat on the counter, Aston Villa. The most offensive player they have is Ben Chilwell. He's giving them the width, he's playing high up the field, they've just got to force that ball in there time and time again and they're just not doing it.
"Look at the frustration [when Chilwell doesn't get the ball]. He's got a good delivery, he's a threat. This should be a threat on the right side as well but unfortunately it's not because you've got Reece James playing as a right-sided centre-back instead of a right wing-back.
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"For me he has to be there, you've taken away a lot of what Reece James gives you, which is offensive threat. You look at Loftus-Cheek on the right side, if that's Reece James he would be as high as Chilwell is on the other side, it'd give them a double-pronged attack down the left and right side."
Like his sister Lauren, who plays for high-flying Chelsea Women, James started out as a forward in his youth but maintains that his favourite position to play is now right-back. During a recent interview with England Football, the 23-year-old declared: "Right-back is the position I play most now and is a position I enjoy. I haven't really played anywhere else to say it isn't [my best position]."
Although fans, like Sherwood, believe that James has been shackled of late by playing as a wide centre-back, Potter clearly rates the England international and reckons that he could be a "Chelsea legend." The Blues boss said in October: "I think Reece is just a fantastic player. He's a young player so he's developing all the time. He'll get better and better as we go and I've really enjoyed working with him as he's got a lot to offer.
"He can play in any game in the world - he's just tremendous. My job is to try and help him reach his potential because his potential is beyond the sky. We love him and he's so important for us. He could be a Chelsea legend. That's the level and potential he has. But for that to happen, he has to be part of a successful team and that's what we are working towards."
