Calum McFarlane has heaped praise on Reece James ahead of this weekend's clash against Manchester City. The Chelsea Under-21s head coach will be in the dugout when the Blues lock horns with Pep Guardiola's side at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters at Cobham, McFarlane, who only joined the west Londoners from Southampton in July, singled out James for his leadership in light of Enzo Maresca's departure. The Italian parted ways with Chelsea on New Year's Day.
When asked about his first training session in charge, McFarlane said: "There's a really good culture at the club, in terms of the support from the first team, the directors, everyone seems interested.
"There's always a bit of an academy presence there [at U21s matches]. In all honesty, it's exactly the same as it always has been. We're all here for the same reason. Training was great today, there was a really good energy."
On how the players have reacted to Maresca's exit, McFarlane said: "You don't know what to expect, really, but the energy and enthusiasm was exceptional today. They were really focused, driven and hungry.
"We have a massive game on Sunday. Reece has been brilliant, he has been a real leader in the group and helped the staff and players to get ready for Sunday."
The Chelsea Under-21 assistant coaches, Andy Ross and James Simmons, and the analyst, Adam Keith, will join Bernardo Cueva, the first-team set-piece coach, and McFarlane in the dugout at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The coaching staff will hope to lead the Blues back to winning ways after three games without a victory across all competitions. On facing Guardiola, McFarlane said: "Ultimately, it's a football match.
"It's not about me, my first game or playing against Pep - it's Chelsea vs City. Two top sides, we'll go there and compete. We've seen this year how this team can do in big moments."
He added: "It's difficult to pick a team. You're going to leave people out and disappoint people. We'll pick the best team that we feel is ready to play that game and compete."
On how he and his staff have prepared for the clash against City, McFarlane said: "We found out after lunchtime yesterday, so we had the whole of yesterday to watch their games and see what they look like."
"Quite lucky they played last night, so we could see that game."
Sunderland held City to a goalless draw at the Stadium of Light on Thursday night. Guardiola's side had won each of their previous eight games across all competitions before facing the Black Cats, including a clash against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League.
McFarlane added: "I think that we know we're up against a really good team in really good form with a great manager, but we have a really good team. I wouldn't say we have nothing to lose, no."
