Reece James has opened up on where Chelsea went wrong last season and has even admitted that some players didn’t want to be at the club.
Chelsea are coming off the back of one of their worst Premier League campaigns to date. Having finished trophyless and in the bottom half, they didn’t have much to shout about last year.
The clearout has already begun this summer, as over 13 first team stars have already departed. Mauricio Pochettino is in full rebuild mode right now as he tries to bring the squad back together.
Much was made of Chelsea’s large squad last season and James has admitted that some players within that squad didn’t want to be there.
“Since the new staff and manager have come, the energy has changed,” James told reporters via The Mirror. “It has been a very good atmosphere, you can see that in our recent performances.
“It is definitely going to be a tough season, there is no easy one in the Premier League. It was very difficult last season, the toughest I have experienced.
“There was lots of change, some players didn’t want to be there. That was difficult. Now it is on to a new page and we are looking forward to the season.
“Last season we had a lot of bad results and bad results had an effect. It is not the best to be around. But this season there are a lot of fresh faces. It is a new start. That has had a big impact on the players so far, and everyone is excited and can’t wait to get started.”
The Chelsea full-back only made 16 Premier League appearances last season as he missed a large chunk of the campaign through injury.
James opened up about his spell on the sidelines admitting: “It was mostly related to injuries and last season.
“It was super tough when you get injury after injury after injury and you can’t do the job you enjoy. It is tough and frustrating and it takes its toll on you.”
Chelsea still have plenty of work to do in the transfer window, particularly when it comes to adding to their midfield.
The likes of Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante have already departed and Conor Gallagher is being heavily linked with a move to West Ham.
Chelsea are desperate to get a deal over the line for Moises Caicedo, but they are yet to come to an agreement with Brighton over the transfer fee.
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