Marc Cucurella unique: Chelsea defender on classes from first season, beating Spurs and studying from Pep | Soccer Information

By Marc Cucurella’s personal admission, his first season at Chelsea didn’t go to plan. Amid a torrent of managerial adjustments on the membership, the left-back discovered that the shape which secured strikes from Barcelona, Getafe and Brighton in successive summers didn’t fairly observe.

However the 25-year-old is making use of the teachings learnt over a tough 12 months to the present marketing campaign, and factors to mentality as being key.

“I am not pleased with my first season, however I can be taught so much, particularly within the unhealthy moments,” he stated forward of Chelsea’s match in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on Tremendous Sunday, stay on Sky Sports activities.

“I can be taught once I must handle the pinnacle as a result of that’s so necessary in soccer. Earlier than I got here right here, I all the time performed and performed properly and by no means had issues like this.

“However right here once I got here, I did not play at my stage, I am a bit of bit annoyed and I can be taught to handle this. Now I can present them that I am very comfortable right here and all of the issues I learnt final season, I can put right here on this season.

“I feel this season is best. I am superb mentally and I feel this is without doubt one of the necessary issues as a result of in case you are good mentally and in your life, I feel you may you may play higher, you may assist the crew and you’ll take pleasure in this.”

Cucurella has needed to watch for his alternatives beneath Mauricio Pochettino. He had largely been restricted to Carabao Cup appearances till not too long ago, beginning 4 of the final 5 Premier League matches.

The defender has topped a variety of defensive classes amongst his team-mates in these video games too, together with tackles and headed clearances.

Whereas predominantly a left-back, Cucurella has began on the fitting this season, generally to fill positions left vacant by damage. The identical may be stated for his appearances at centre-back final time period too.

“It’s good as a result of if I play extra positions, I’ve extra alternatives so that is higher for positive,” the defender stated.

“I’ve by no means performed on the fitting and it isn’t straightforward. Typically you want various things and you’ll want to have time to be taught as a result of it is the identical however on the other facet so you’ll want to change some issues.

“I bear in mind the primary minutes [at right-back], I felt a bit of unusual as a result of what I wished to go a method and my physique went to the within, however these are this small particulars. However then with extra minutes, you are able to do this. It’s good as a result of I attempt to do my greatest and do regardless of the supervisor decides.”

Needing to fill spots may sound unusual contemplating the dimensions of Chelsea’s squad. However with so many gamers jostling for simply 11 beginning locations, conserving your self ready is significant in case you are not assured of recreation time.

Cucurella mirrored: “It’s tough as a result of all of the gamers wish to play, however a very powerful factor is in the event you do not play, you’ll want to practice properly. In the event you do not play after which you do not practice, you will not be prepared then when you might have the alternatives.

“So I strive to do that, coaching to be prepared and I am ready when I’ve the chance with out stress. When I’ve the chance, I attempt to do my greatest, I’ve a superb stage after which it is our continuity. I am feeling good and I attempt to assist the crew when the supervisor decides.”

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Creating and bettering your self is vital too. Cucurella has solely ever scored one Premier League aim with three assists at each Brighton and Chelsea, and is eager to enhance these statistics.

“I feel I can enhance a variety of issues. I feel the primary one is scoring objectives as a result of I’ve probabilities, however I by no means rating,” he added.

“In coaching, I rating so much, however within the video games, I do not know why [I don’t score]. I feel when there’s a clear probability, I miss however when the possibilities shouldn’t be clear, you rating.

“Within the final step of the pitch when you’ll want to help or rating objectives… generally I play so much and my stats will not be superb in these phases.

“Possibly it is one of the necessary issues I can enhance as a result of then when you have all of the stats with a variety of objectives and assists, folks say that you’ve a superb season.”

‘Plenty of Chelsea positives from Spurs win’

The left-back’s subsequent probability to enhance these numbers comes on Tremendous Sunday, when Chelsea host Man Metropolis. It continues a difficult run of fixtures for the Blues who then play Newcastle, Manchester United and Cucurella’s former facet, Brighton.

Pep Guardiola’s facet have some thanks to offer Chelsea for his or her present first place standing within the Premier League, coming by advantage of the Blues’ chaotic 4-1 win in opposition to second-place Tottenham on Monday Evening Soccer.

Cucurella performed within the second half of the sport, when Nicolas Jackson went on to attain a match-winning hat-trick.

“Within the first half, I can not consider what I what I watched,” he mirrored. “On the bench, you may see every thing you are able to do in a recreation and also you noticed in these 45 minutes that it was a loopy recreation and for positive it’s higher in the event you win.

“However I feel it is vitally necessary for us as a result of it gave a variety of confidence. For the followers as properly, we all know it’s a essential recreation for us, for the crew and the membership.

“We’ve a variety of optimistic issues [from the game] as a result of we got here again, we got here up with a outcome and generally, we’ve met some issues with this. We might see earlier than that it was not fairly often that we got here again for the outcome, so that is necessary.

“Then as properly, we will undergo as a result of within the first quarter-hour, we did not play very properly they usually performed higher than us. We suffered collectively and awaited our probabilities to attain. Then we scored 4 objectives and perhaps at first of the season, we’ve issues with the scoring objectives.

“Nico [Jackson] scored a hat-trick, Reece [James] is again as properly they usually play a very good recreation. So we’ve a variety of a variety of good issues.

“We gained at an necessary membership, one of many greatest golf equipment within the league and we’ve three extra factors. Then we’re able to play in opposition to Man Metropolis this weekend.

“We all know the fixtures are tough, however I feel we will present the extent of the crew. Typically we’re not very common [with results] so we will win after which lose and that is perhaps one factor we have to enhance.

“Taking part in in opposition to Man Metropolis may be very tough, however we come [into the game] with an necessary win and we’ve extra confidence from this recreation [against Spurs].

“We are going to attempt to do our greatest to win this recreation, we all know it is tough however I feel we’re prepared to point out the those who that this crew is able to do good issues.”

How Guardiola helped develop Cucurella

Cucurella has underlying hyperlinks to Man Metropolis supervisor Guardiola. Each are from the Catalonia area of Spain and got here by means of La Masia. The Chelsea defender joined the famed Barcelona academy in 2012 as Guardiola departed as males’s first crew supervisor.

Whereas the pair didn’t cross paths on the membership, Cucurella has credited Guardiola’s affect throughout Barcelona for serving to his personal enchancment as a younger participant.

The 25-year-old defined: “He modified the mentality at Barcelona. Earlier than Guardiola, Barcelona had been a superb crew and when he got here, they modified the philosophy, they performed superb soccer – I feel the most effective groups within the historical past of soccer. They performed at one other stage.

“The philosophy within the Barcelona academy modified as a result of all of the groups, they play the identical model, the identical formation with the identical mentality and I feel this is superb.

“We are able to see they do the identical right here at Manchester Metropolis. The crew performs rather well they usually have good issues to point out, yearly they modify some issues to attempt to enhance on this.

“I haven’t got a relationship with him, I’ve seen him at some occasions and I can converse a bit of bit with him. He is an excellent individual.

“Not for me personally however in my academy stage, they confirmed me so much as a result of they modified their mentality and a variety of issues I can learnt are from his concepts that he dropped at Barcelona.”

On the age of 25, Cucurella has loads of time to make the development he desires. Having had influences resembling Guardiola and now Pochettino to information the way in which, the left-back’s potential to be taught and enhance on his first season at Chelsea is already taking form.

Watch Chelsea vs Man Metropolis on Tremendous Sunday stay on Sky Sports activities Premier League from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm.