Liam Rosenior has struggled to fill the shoes of Enzo Maresca, but he’s managed to bring out the best in one of Chelsea’s most promising young players.
Although Liam Rosenior has put Chelsea in grave danger of failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, he deserves credit for bringing out the best in Jorrel Hato. The 20-year-old defender, whom the Blues signed from Ajax in the summer for just £37million, has been one of the very few players to take his game to the next level under new management.
Hato was hardly given a chance by Enzo Maresca, despite having been identified as somebody who could provide cover across the backline. When Chelsea secured his signature, the former head coach noted his wealth of experience as a key factor behind his arrival.
The Netherlands international had played over 100 times for Ajax, often donning the armband towards the end of his spell. But Hato featured sparingly in the opening weeks of the season, with Maresca eager to acclimatise him to the physicality and intensity of the English top-flight.
Then, in November, the Dutchman was one of several players to make a mistake during a disappointing draw to Qarabag at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium. Although Hato was often named in the matchday squads, he was essentially banished from the starting lineup, featuring just once in the final eight weeks of the Italian’s tenure.
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Meanwhile, Cucurella was run into the ground, essentially playing every minute of every game across every competition. It wasn’t until Rosenior took the reins that Hato finally began to shoulder some of the Spain international’s workload.
The youngster has already played over 1,000 minutes for the former Strasbourg boss, featuring 20 times across all competitions. Although some have more game time in the bank, only Liam Delap has made as many appearances as Hato.
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He’s grown into a fine defender, often leading by example at the back, regardless of whether he’s been deployed at centre-half or left-back. During what has been a difficult period, on and off the pitch, Hato has been one of the top performers since Rosenior came in.
According to Opta, the Dutchman has completed the fourth most tackles (24), the fifth most successful passes (678), and the fourth most headed clearances (23). Also, only Moises Caicedo in the Chelsea squad has won possession in the defensive third more times than Hato since the start of the year.
His development hasn’t gone under the radar either, earning great praise from Ronald Koeman ahead of the World Cup. Speaking to reporters at the start of the March international break, the Netherlands boss reflected on Hato’s spell in west London.
“He also called me when he could make the transfer to Chelsea,” said Koeman. “Then it’s about whether you are ready for it, is it the step where you are going to play.
“He is developing tremendously and is only 20 years old. He is there for a reason, because he plays his matches at Chelsea.”
On whether Hato had to call him, Koeman said: “It’s not an obligation. It’s not like I tell players when you have a chance to change clubs that they have to call me.
“But they call and I think it makes sense. It’s about playing time and then I give advice. The advice is often followed.”
Hato will hope to make his fourth successive start in the Premier League when Chelsea lock horns with Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday night.
