McEachran made his Chelsea debut in the Champions League on 15th September 2010 against MSK Zilina when he came off the bench. The 2010-11 season turned out to be a good one for young Josh as he made a total of 17 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions. The next season, under new boss Andre Villas-Boas, first-team action was limited. This led to the youngster completing a loan move to Swansea City, although game-time was at a premium at the Welsh club; he only made 5 appearances for the Swans.
McEachran was a part of Chelsea's 2012-13 pre-season tour. In the first match against the Seattle Sounders, McEachran made a pass that split the Sounders' defence and found Romelu Lukaku who calmly slotted the ball beyond the keeper. It was a real positive moment for the young midfielder. However, it was his mistake that led to the Sounders getting an equalizer; a poor back-pass was pounced on. The mistake clearly shook the youngster.
While McEachran's quality was never in doubt, it was apparent to one and all that he needed regular game time in order to improve. It was also apparent that he would never get regular game time at Chelsea. So when a loan move to Middlesbrough was finalised before the 2012-13 season began, it was seen as the right move for the youngster. So far, the loan move seems to be working well. He has 3 assists for Boro in 31 appearances, and while the returns appear poor, stats don't tell the entire story. Especially for a player like McEachran.
Josh's ideal position is that of a deep-lying playmaker, someone who sits deep in midfield and controls the game and dictates the tempo at which the team plays. He has excellent vision and good composure on the ball. He also has the ability to unlock defences with a good pass. Chelsea's current 4-2-3-1 formation would certainly suit his abilities very well and may even bring out the best in the midfielder. However, it is uncertain if Chelsea will choose to retain his services or send him out on another loan spell to gain more experience and game time.
One cannot doubt Josh's talent and it he has certainly improved during his loan spell. However, there is one thing Josh must work on before he returns to Chelsea to fight it out in order to become a first-team regular: work on his physique. At the moment Josh is a tad bit skinny and may well find himself getting bullied around by defenders in the Premier League.
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