Why playing different Chelsea role under Liam Rosenior has 'made big difference' for Andrey Santos
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Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has explained how head coach Liam Rosenior and his predecessor, Enzo Maresca, see him differently as a midfielder.
Rosenior's arrival in January has clearly benefited Santos' career at Chelsea.
The 21-year-old spent a season on loan at Strasbourg under Rosenior, during which he thrived and was even nominated for the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award.
He has also maintained a good relationship with Rosenior following his return to Chelsea in the summer.
Since Rosenior took over, Santos has transformed from a reliable rotation player under Maresca into a regular starter.
He has featured in 10 of the 12 games Chelsea have played under the English tactician.
This may partly down to Santos being able to play in a more natural deep midfield role more often compared to in the first half of the season.
"It was my first change of manager, but with these changes, it's clear that players get opportunities," Santos told Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte.
"Some change their style of play, but internally we are very focused, we know what we want, where we want to go.
"Maresca saw me playing a little further forward. Liam had known me for a longer time; he knew my potential, he knew things.
"I started to drop back a little more, playing as a number five (Brazilians usually call defensive midfielders number fives, instead of sixes), and that made a big difference to my performance."
In fairness, Santos is a versatile player and does not mind playing in different positions.
"When I was young, I always played like a number six, but here in the Premier League, it's a little bit different," he said about his preferred position back in November.
"But I can play in both positions, six or eight, the most important thing is to help Chelsea, the coach, and my teammates."
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.