Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado believes he was not given enough of an opportunity to demonstrate his quality at Chelsea, where he spent half a season before returning to Serie A on loan.
Now with Juventus and hoping to make his move permanent this summer, Cuadrado was a huge disappointment in west London.
Having signed for Chelsea from Fiorentina for £23.5 million he failed to make an impact either as a sub or a starter. The pace and verve that saw him shoot to fame with La Viola and for Colombia at World Cup 2014 was almost wholly absent.
This left Chelsea fans to wonder how Cuadrado had commanded such a high fee, but it seems the Colombian has a good explanation: he was never given enough of a chance to showcase his skills.
He is performing well for Juventus, playing a part in their climb back to the top of the Serie A table. When asked why things went so wrong at Chelsea, he told the National: “When I got there, the squad was already really tight and solid.
“I don’t think I was given enough opportunity to show what I can do, but that’s football. I’m happy to be back being a protagonist with Juventus.”
Lack of playing time can often be overstated by players looking to make excuses for poor performances, but in this instance Cuadrado may have had a point. Playing only 12 games for Chelsea in half a season is not really enough time to fully showcase your talents, especially when those 12 games were spread across a measly 331 minutes.
Cuadrado’s reduced minutes saw a dramatic decrease in his production, even in per-90 metrics. For a winger like Cuadrado, being unable to take on opponents dramatically reduces the impact he can have on games, as everything else comes from his dribbling. The fall in goals, assists and chances created correspond to his lower success with take-ons.
In Serie A, playing a full role, he managed an impressive 3.94 take-ons (for Fiorentina) and 3.61 (for Juve) while at Chelsea he maxed out at a paltry 1.36. Chelsea may rue not giving Cuadrado the chances he has been afforded in Italy.
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