Melchiot
The ex-Blues defender believes Moses has matured into a top-class performer and is fully deserving of the recognition he is now getting.
Chelsea are now starting to move ominously through the gears after a shaky start under the guidance of Antonio Conte, with the Blues currently on a four-game winning streak in the Premier League.
That run has lifted them to within a point of the early pacesetters, with a tactical switch to 3-4-3 delivering handsome rewards.
The Blues, who were out of sorts for much of last season, are looking more like their old self, with key men recapturing form and summer additions settling nicely into new surroundings.
Eden Hazard and Diego Costa have been the brightest of star turns in recent weeks, but one of those who had become something of a forgotten man at Stamford Bridge has also been earning his fair share of praise.
Victor Moses – farmed out on regular loan spells under previous regimes – is suddenly back in favour and revelling in a wing-back berth that is seemingly tailor-made for him.
Former Blues defender Mario Melchiot believes the Nigeria international may be the biggest success story of Chelsea’s rejuvenation in 2016/17, with added maturity seeing the 25-year-old finally fulfil his potential on the grandest of stages.
He posted on his personal website: “Victor Moses might be the big headline of them all.
“I played with Victor when he was at Wigan. [Roberto] Martinez was very impressed by his talent and we once talked about how we couldn’t believe no big club could see it.
“I do have to say he sometimes had to learn to be more focused, not just in the games but in training. He was only 20 years old back then, and I think that’s something every young star has to deal with when they break through. You have to learn to separate the jokes from work because when you hit the pitch, whether in a game or training, it means business.
“It didn’t take long before Chelsea saw Victor’s qualities and snapped him up. Then there was a long loan out process at a number of clubs until Conte came and changed the system.
“He put Victor in a role where he had way more responsibility than he was used to. In the [Manchester] United game I saw Victor in his own box more then I’ve seen him ever in a game. Back-tracking and winning balls and headers like he was a defender.
“Wing-back isn’t an easy position to play, of course it asks for a lot of fitness, but also intelligence because you need to be on time, helping out the defence, but when the team goes forward you need to be there to give them the outside option and even take people on to deliver a cross into the box.
“Moses has managed to adjust and handle his new role well and I hope he can keep this great form going.”
