Merson Praises 30 Year Old Midfielder As He Claims “Chelsea Aren’t The Same Team When He Doesn’t Play”

Merson Praises 30 Year Old Midfielder As He Claims “Chelsea Aren’t The Same Team When He Doesn’t Play”

Paul Merson believes Chelsea midfielder Jorginho doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his performances in a Blues’ shirt.

The 30-year-old has often been criticised by pundits and fans alike, but Merson feels that he is an “underrated” player whose absence is keenly felt by Chelsea when he isn’t on the pitch:

“Jorginho has got flaws like his lack of pace, but he’s very assured on the ball and controls the game from a deeper midfield position. For me, he’s very underrated as people really don’t understand what he brings to the table in the Premier League. Chelsea aren’t the same team when he doesn’t play, as his presence allows the likes of Reece James and Marc Cucurella or Ben Chilwell to bomb forward in attack.”

As Merson mentions, one of the main criticisms that can be levelled at Jorginho is his lack of pace. Especially in a two-man midfield, where he is asked to cover a lot of ground, he can be exposed.

When he is partnered with N’Golo Kante, those shortcomings can be masked somewhat and his best attributes, such as his excellent passing range, come to the fore.

It will be interesting to see how new manager Graham Potter utilises Jorginho. He is definitely at his most effective in a midfield three so we shall find out if the Italian is given the opportunity to play in that system.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.