From Zero to Hero: The Evolution of Jorginho

When the deal was announced that took manager Maurizio Sarri and his midfielder Jorginho from Napoli to Chelsea, it was met with plenty of excitement from Blues fans. 

The Italian was on the verge of joining Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but Chelsea secured his signature at the last second, no doubt in part to the acquisition of his former manager Sarri. 

Sarri and Jorginho were synonymous, the former the creator of an expansive, attacking system, the latter the executor. Sarri's fantastic start to his Chelsea career coincided with Jorginho in top form, and they were certainly connected. 

Jorginho was a "pass master," and exactly what Chelsea needed. Conversely, when Sarri's Chelsea began to dip in form, Jorginho's form dipped as well, and he came under criticism the most. 

He was now weak, soft, slow, and not good enough defensively to be a defensive midfielder. Certainly not with former Player of the Year N'Golo Kante in the team. 

The sight of Heung-Min Son dribbling past him way too easily in a 3-0 Spurs win at Wembley was just one of the many defensive errors Jorginho came under fire for, with the midfielder consistently being booed at Stamford Bridge. 

But in reality, he was just a scapegoat for Sarri's issues. 

Since Jorginho had been associated with Sarri since long before he joined the club, it was easier for fans to blame a player not executing a system correctly than to admit that the system itself was faulty.

When Frank Lampard was appointed Chelsea manager, no one really knew what would be made of Jorginho's future. He was considered "Sarri's son" and many believed he was the opposite of what Lampard would want in his team, given Frank's physical and robust nature. 

However, since his appointment, Lampard stressed how important Jorginho would continue to be for the Blues, and he persisted with him in the defensive midfield role, but playing him with a partner in a double-pivot, as opposed to Sarri's single-pivot system. 

Earlier in the season, that partner was Mateo Kovacic, and Chelsea's best form of the season came with the pair at the base of the midfield. 

Aside from his impeccable passing range, displayed by his majestic assist to Tammy Abraham against Watford, Jorginho has addressed some of his defensive struggles this season. 

He has been far more defensively sound, appearing stronger, fitter, and more suited to the physicality of the Premier League, and this has helped him to improve as a Chelsea player. 

He is also an incredible penalty taker, with his little hop-and-skip routine, having scored all 7 of his penalties under Lampard, including 2 crucial penalties against Ajax in the Champions League.

The fans who were booing him last season can now be constantly heard chanting his name at Stamford Bridge, and he has taken over the vice-captain role. He is one of the clear leaders in the dressing room, helping to balance out all the youth players who are shining for the club. 

His influence in the team is evident, as shown in the match against Arsenal last month. Being left on the bench, he was subbed in after just 30 minutes and completely turned the tide of the game, not only patrolling the midfield but scoring the equalizer in a last-gasp 2-1 win.

The midfield trio he has formed with Kovacic and Kante, if used properly, is a very balanced, talented midfield, certainly one of the best in the league. 

With Mason Mount and Ross Barkley on the bench, not to mention Ruben Loftus-Cheek coming back from injury soon, Chelsea's midfield looks in good hands.

Jorginho has had to adapt his game to win over his new manager, and the Chelsea faithful as well. 

"It's just great that I can see the fans looking at who I am, Jorginho the player, and at the same time I'm really happy to look at them and see their reaction and feel their support," he said. 

As we can clearly see, the support of the fans really means a lot to Jorginho, as this makes him more confident and assured. 

When he was being jeered by fans, he was not mad at them, but genuinely upset that they couldn't see his ability. It took a toll on him, and he suffered even more as a result. 

To the point, now that he is cheered on and encouraged by fans, he is not only more composed and confident, but he is now truly happy to be on the field playing for Chelsea, which has led to his significant improvement under Lampard this year.

Jorginho's rebirth this season has been one of the main talking points of Lampard's debut in the Premier League. The hope is that Jorginho can carry this form through this season and beyond, and if so, we will be able to fully see "Jorginho the player". 

Because let's not forget, he was the one who treble-winning Guardiola, fresh off City's record-setting season, earmarked as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho. 

Jorginho snubbed arguably the best team in the world at the time to play for a team in the Europa League, and his commitment to Chelsea can never be questioned. 

He has had his ups and downs during his time at Stamford Bridge, but this season he has truly shown his class, evolving into a world-class midfielder, and the best part is, he's just getting started.