Ruben Loftus-Cheek has always had one special move – the gliding drive forward in midfield that takes him from a standing start and gets his big frame moving to burst out of tight areas.
It’s a beautiful thing to watch, and while he’s often told to play very safe when he’s in the middle, opposition players know that if they leave him a space to attack he won’t hesitate to drive into it, and once he’s got his body ahead of you, it’s very difficult to stop him
The fact that he’s been used regularly at right wing back as cover for Reece James has given him the chance to use that ability even more, as the stats show.
RLC has attempted 55 “take ons” according to FB Ref, the third most on the team. He has one of the higher success rates too.
Of course he will never be as dynamic as the explosive James, but this ability is lending itself to his game as much at right back as it did in midfield.
Which secret weapon from a guy who’s so lazy… running like a hyena in the pitch.