When tactical demands and TACTICS INVOLVE and completely change a player’s destiny!
Marc Cucurella is currently on Chelsea’s injury list due to a hamstring problem. The Chelsea left-back was substituted at half-time in the match against Leeds United and replaced by Jorrel Hato. This is the second similar issue Cucurella has faced in recent months.
Injury troubles Cucurella for weeks. He was visible playing despite the pain.
The Spanish defender has clearly been struggling physically. His intensity, recovery runs, and defensive reactions have not looked convincing since his promotion to the regular starting side. However In recent matches, especially, his movement has not provided security defensively, and it seems he has not been fully ready for the physical demands of the Premier League.
It was visible that players were playing with particular pain in his wrist.
In Liam Rosenior’s system, the left-back role requires constant upper movement and pitch covering towards the midfield — covering the entire flank, leaving deep defensive zones to advanced attacking positions. Central- Backs in this system remain vulnerable and open to being attacked in one-to-one situations.
Cucurella’s impact on defence:
This is Chelsea’s main problem, and it is why Chelsea is conceding goals. The central back is highly vulnerable in one-to-one situations. Chalobah, Bashiashile and Acheampong are being broken defensively in one-to-one situations, which leads to goals and direct chances for opponents.
Cucurulla’s defensive mistakes and good positioning. The left back who is extremely oriented toward offensive preferences.
Especially in Cucurella loses the player or makes mistakes by being overturned, or the gap opens behind him. There is a lot of space for players in the Premier League that is being left behind by Cucurella.
Cucurella brings serious positional discipline and structure on that side. He is playing on authority and is a very important player in the offensive build-ups. His positioning is the best part of his football and is very important for Chelsea if he is there.
He progresses the ball cleanly on his side and adds tactical balance for the team, which is great.
His experience from La Liga gives Chelsea an additional dimension. When he is fit and sharp offensively, he transforms the balance to the side of opponents with great runs without the ball and also with the ball.
He is being marked heavily and has such a great reputations so the defensive central back and full backs are trying to defend him by blocking his crosses from the left side, on which he operates regularly.
Cucurlea’s position at Chelsea- The depth of his play– Construction of attacks:
He transfers power to the opponent’s defence and, with great runs, opens himself up in the deepest positions in front of the opponent’s goal. In this position, he can assist or even score a great goal with his left foot. His left foot can be a very deadly weapon.
This is how Chelsea is attacking with Cucurella. He is the most dangerous player in this part of the pitch. But this demands a lot of demanding runs, opening and reading the game, avoiding offside traps and is spoiling and damaging his abilities to do defensive tasks properly.
Lack of good defending by Cucurella:
Cucurella, who is not there even tactically to do so many defensive tasks. Leaves the defence open and vulnerable. He leaves a huge gap behind while doing the offensive runs and coverage. He also needs to do so many runs without the ball and to press high to make a successful offensive run.
This is a highly demanding work for a defender and any football player at all. But Cuccurella is doing it well. Even more than well.
Ex-manager Maresca has shaped Cucrella’s role to offensive side to extremes:
Many goals in Enzo Maresca’s days at Stamford Bridge were produced and created like this. Cucurulla was pressing constantly in every match. Which has affected players’ current fitness and freshness, leading to injuries later in the season.
Playing with the pain:
However, since returning from his previous injury, it has been visible that he has been playing through discomfort. There were moments where his movement suggested pain, and it was clear he needed recovery time. Chelsea were concerned about risking a more serious injury that could sideline him for a longer period during crucial stages of the season.
The expectation is that Cucurella will recover in time for key Champions League fixtures, where his balance and attacking positioning are important. Defensively, he can contribute with proper marking and structure, but his role is heavily offensive, which often leaves space behind him.
Biggest weakness- Mark Cucurella
His biggest weakness remains defensive transitions, as he needs to play backwards to switch the course and defend from there. He is vulnerable in offside traps while defending, has great recovery pace, and when isolated one-on-one, he can be beaten very easily. It is all about first touch and the first destination. It defines the Cucurella situation and defending.
His forward runs are long and demanding, which leaves the left side exposed. Opponents can bypass him with quick combinations, creating space behind him.
In the Premier League, this is not a regular scenario, and in the Champions League, players are overturning him with two or three player blocks. Players are creating on his side by putting Cucurella under pressure, who is not positioned defensively. He is catching the gap in front instead, positioning himself in good positions for receiving the ball.
Defavlnsly he is not great with bad covering and deep defending. He lacks the pace in situations when he needs to change his foot in defence. He is covering and defending this position badly when left one-to-one. This all leads to problems in Chelsea’s defence line in the Champions League fixtures. There is no right balance from his deep left-back positions.
He seriously lacks motivation and agility for these tasks. It makes him even angrier.
Cucurella covers large areas of the pitch and gives Chelsea territorial control, but his defensive movement during quick switches of play is one of the weaker aspects of his game. Individually, he has not progressed significantly in recent seasons in defending, although his positioning and confidence have improved.
Cucurella transformation caused by tactical aspects over the years:
The style of play of former manager Enzo Maresca has transformed Cucurella into a left back with extreme offensive preferences. The back is avoiding defensive tasks, and also the most important defensive aspects of the game.
He lacks defensive patterns and avoids the tactical obligations, relying on offensive preferences. This goes on tactics.
Avoiding defensive aspects, he overcompensates with a good first run with leads to pressure. He is also good at reading the game on the first ball. He reads the opponent’s idea and intercepts it in a great manner. This happens mostly at the beginning of the fixtures while he is fresh and well-positioned.
Under Rosenior: Form and update:
The former Brighton & Hove Albion and Getafe player has delivered limited offensive numbers in the Premier League this season. Before Rosenior’s arrival, his attacking output was particularly underwhelming. From advanced left-sided positions, his crosses were often predictable and easily blocked. Under Rosenior, before this latest injury, he looked much sharper in the final third.
Cucurella needs time on the ball to control, set himself, and deliver a cross. He is not naturally explosive like a winger and does not possess the creativity of a great midfielder.
True nature- Yellow cards expert:
When isolated defensively, he can struggle, and deeper defensive positioning exposes his tendency to commit fouls, which can lead to dangerous set pieces and yellow card bookings constantly.
Wherever he is pressed or is under high pressure, by the players in his position, it ends with an immediate yellow card for Cucurella.
He is so bad at defending. One to one, overturning is not problems with Cucurella, who is taking his position up and losing the balance on the field.
The Chelsea defensive line is extremely vulnerable with Cucurella, but the structure itself is not damaged since his expertise in midfield positioning. His task is to transfer the balance to the opponent’s side of the pitch.
The Verdict on Cucurella from Premier League Analysis:
But when balance and rhythm are destroyed, and there is no composure, since Cucurella is being overturned constantly under the pressure. Just apply pressure on him, and Chelsea will be stretched and damaged.
He is a player with a strong reputation, but he must improve consistently. His role should be progressive ball advancement, not leaving centre-backs such as Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, and Josh Acheampong exposed due to positional gaps.
The character of Mark Cuccurella:
His arrogance in avoiding defensive tasks is arrogance itself. tasks. While avoiding defensive improvement and insisting on playing the pivot role, which he is doing quite well. This is leading him to play something which he is actually great with, but while avoiding to improve defensive side, he will be sidelined at the end, and Chelsea will lose some crucial beetles.
That reveals the low maturity and lack of ambition for a professional sportsman to improve his weak sides. It is childish, sober-headed behaviour, and it lacks sportsmanship mentality and is doing very badly for Chelsea. Explicitly on long-term look.
But if he does this, avoid working on defensive improvement, defensive runs, and coverage, Chelsea will have a left back who is playing only one side. Completely, and he is respected, so it is not easy not to play him.
Constantly improving, working on constant improvements. Details do matter and make a difference at every level. Not just at the top level.
Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality defines professional sportsmen and makes key differences.
The key to low mentality Sport aspect that defines the case- Low mentality of Mark Cucruella.
Take it from his side and his perspective: He is great in offensive style. Take abilities, he does not want to improve his abilities for the club. He lacks defence. He avoids it.
“But if you are a true sportsman, you want to improve the bad aspect of your game and evolve. This is Ronaldo and Nadal’s mentality that leads to the top. You work every day on aspects you are not good at in order to improve, and once you become the best in your position, then you go further, and more. There is always more and more. Details do matter.“
This is all Cucurella is: no winning mentality, no ambition, desire to profess and to help the Club that is paying his huge wages.
At news times, tennis player Carlos Alcaraz is a perfect example of a great professional athlete who is evolving greatly.
He is avoiding the aspect he lacks, and he cheats the club, manger and supporters, even himself.
Chelsea will pay the greatest price for Mark Cucrulla’s attitude and bad behaviour:
Chelsea will cost in crucial moments, Cucurella’s bad covering, and it is not enough for him to strive for improvements. Even the start of this is not easy at all. When being put under pressure, he is booked, he fixes his hair, complains heavily and continues. Strives and starts it all over again.
If you ask him and confront him with all of this, he would be defending his own interests with tactics and tactical demands that are in front of him. THIS is where a great manipulation lies. He is all covered and is secured at the moment.
He is not even thinking of Chelsea’s success. These mentalities downgrade the sports themselves.
The best aspects and great sides of Cucurella as a professional footballer? What does he bring to Chelsea football?
This injury may ultimately benefit Chelsea, as it allows him to fully recover before decisive matches, since his presence and positioning on the pitch make him great at applying the pressure and transforming and overturning the balance to the side of the Chelsea opponents. It is crucial.
He is tactically oriented and given tasks by the manager to provide this playstyle in important Champions League fixtures.
Jamie Gittens injury update:
In contrast, Jamie Gittens has suffered a serious ankle-twisting injury and will be sidelined long-term. That could mean more playing time for Alejandro Garnacho despite his inconsistent and poor performances.
While fresh and playing rested, Garnacho is performing much better for Chelsea. Pedro Neto is also expected to be one of Chelsea’s main attacking threats and attacking needle at Chelsea.
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