Frank Leboeuf criticised Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca’s team selection after the Blues dropped two beneficial Champions League points following a disappointing 2-2 draw against Qarabag last night.
The Italian, with the long-distance travel and a game this weekend against Wolves in mind, heavily rotated his team and handed opportunities to several fringe members of his squad.
Summer recruit Jorrel Hato was handed a rare opportunity from the beginning but the previous Ajax defender showed signs of ring rust and was chargeable for the 2 goals his side conceded.
‘I feel sorry for young Hato and the very fact he made two mistakes that allowed Qarabag to attain nevertheless it wasn’t only about that,’ former Chelsea centre-half Leboeuf told ESPN FC.
He added: ‘I would like to take into consideration Hato and I understand how traumatic it might probably be to have a game like that. I actually hope that guy goes to step up and his teammates will cheer him as much as be certain that he can have a terrific profession. I
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‘t’s never good to start out like that and folks have seen that. You must find some comfort from everybody. He has mine because he could make mistakes and he has to hold on. That was an off night.
‘It wasn’t an excellent game away from home for the so call best club on the earth but really I used to be very dissatisfied by the team today.’
Having launched into a 2,500 mile journey to Azerbaijan it was, perhaps, comprehensible that Maresca made so many changes, particularly given side are back in motion on Saturday within the 20.00 kick-off.
Leboeuf, nevertheless, believes it was the manager’s duty to pick a team that may virtually have guaranteed three points and the previous France international admitted Chelsea got what they deserved for not treating the opposition seriously enough.
He said: ‘It’s nice to rotate, it’s nice to provide some rest to some players but you may have to give you the option to be certain that you may win in Azerbaijan.
‘They played well for the primary 10 or quarter-hour, they scored an excellent goal from Estevao. But after that I didn’t see the difference between the 2 teams so I feel frustrated.
‘Let’s say that the players weren’t convinced it was a crucial game to play and draw can be enough to get through but I wasn’t convinced by anything today.’
Maresca said the Club World Cup is affecting his team selections after his side lost further ground within the race to secure a top eight place and avoid the necessity to appear in a play-off round.
‘The intention was to rest Moises (Caicedo), Enzo (Fernandez), Malo (Gusto) and more players,’ he said.
‘They should not capable of play every three days. The Club World Cup affected rather a lot. We tried to rotate. Once we win, no person mentions that but once we don’t, everyone is concentrated on that.’
The ultimate of the summer tournament in the USA, which saw Chelsea beat Paris St Germain 3-0, was played only five weeks before the beginning of the brand new Premier League season.
‘The (selection) is at all times because we predict the plan with the players is the proper one,’ said Maresca.
‘Today, we began the correct way, scored the goal but then we conceded two, the primary one after they had 10 players. We will avoid each goals. Of their box, we should be more clinical.’
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