Ruben Loftus-Cheek Needs to Play with More Authority to Become a Chelsea Star

There's a lot of talk surrounding Chelsea and the young players at the club right now. It's all for good reason, too, as the Blues successfully defended their UEFA Youth League title this week and still have the FA Youth Cup final to contend for.

With the club proving so dominant at junior level, the feeling is that Chelsea could be on the cusp of achieving something special with those players coming through—sort of their own Class of '92.

Like any revolution, it needs one player to get the momentum going, which is why so much is being asked of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. A former youth team captain, he's the academy starlet leading the way for his peers right now. Becoming more established under Guus Hiddink, the hope is the 20-year-old impresses enough to show Chelsea they can put faith in their youngsters to deliver success.

Loftus-Cheek has started three games on the bounce for Chelsea of late, completing the full 90 minutes against Aston Villa and Manchester City. Those performances will go a long way in aiding his development, but now the landscape of expectation is beginning to shift.

The focus isn't about getting Loftus-Cheek playing games, but on him doing enough to influence proceedings and show he is a solution to Chelsea's future as the club rebuilds after a nightmare campaign.

"I definitely feel like a first-team player now," Loftus-Cheek told the Chelsea programme ahead of last weekend's loss to Manchester City. "In my mind, I am one.

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

"The more you play, the more you feel part of the squad, and then in turn, you end up playing better. I think it's a psychological gap as well—if you don't think you're a first-team player, then you won't be."

We're still not sure where his best position is in midfield. Is Loftus-Cheek a No. 10? Should he sit deeper and use his physicality to bulldoze through the middle of the park?

Lacking the sort of creativity we associate with players in that No. 10 role, the suggestion is Loftus-Cheek will be better off playing deeper where he can influence games more, which is highlighted in that Chelsea programme interview.

In the same way Loftus-Cheek acknowledges he must think like a senior player, he equally must do the same as a No. 10. Only he hasn't been because he isn't one.

When Chelsea suffered a recent 1-0 loss to Swansea City, much like the rest of his team-mates, Loftus-Cheek didn't enjoy his best afternoon. He ran out of ideas in the final third, and despite showing some adventure, he was leaving the big decisions to others around him like Cesc Fabregas.

There was a moment after the interval when Loftus-Cheek showed his naivety to the detriment of the Spaniard. Unsure of where to go, he saw his more senior team-mate and, without a thought, passed to him when two Swansea players were ready to pounce.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

It was almost as if Loftus-Cheek was asking him to do something with the ball, as he didn't know what to do himself. A lack of leaders among the starting XI didn't help in situations like that, either, as Loftus-Cheek wasn't being guided as much as he should have been. Still, leaving a team-mate exposed didn't look too favourably on him.

Fabregas was quickly dispossessed, and Swansea countered as a result. When play stopped, the look from Fabregas to Loftus-Cheek said it all. Words weren't needed.

That's to be expected from any young player. It's by making those sort of mistakes that Loftus-Cheek will begin to fine-tune his trade. But if Loftus-Cheek is thinking like a first-team player, he needs to start playing like one whether he's out of position or not.

He can't always look to Fabregas for the answer in tight situations. And when he finds himself in dangerous positions, he needs to make them count. He didn't do that against Manchester City on Saturday.

Before Sergio Aguero's hat-trick, City were suffering a Champions League hangover at Stamford Bridge that Chelsea didn't take advantage of. Manuel Pellegrini's side were rattled at the back, and Loftus-Cheek was getting himself in some good positions.

When Diego Costa made the most of a defensive mishap, the striker had two options. With his back to goal, Loftus-Cheek was to Costa's his left, Pedro on his right. Both demanded the ball, but it was Pedro who shouted loudest and got the pass. Nicolas Otamendi cleared Pedro's effort off the line, but Loftus-Cheek had looked better placed to score.

Picking out Pedro suggests Costa didn't quite trust his younger team-mate. We can point to Pedro's seniority, but there was also the issue of Loftus-Cheek's body language; he didn't look totally convincing that he wanted the ball.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Again, he's 20 years old and barely into double figures for appearances, so we shouldn't be too critical. How long can youth remain an excuse, though?

To truly deliver on his undoubted talent, Loftus-Cheek must play with more authority in this Chelsea side. He needs to ensure Costa's next pass isn't to another team-mate, but him. That happens when he's demanding things happen.

The environment at Tottenham Hotspur at the start of this season was much more forgiving, and that has allowed Dele Alli to burst onto the scene. Equally, his desire to take the lead has been just as vital. Alli's success has been all about how he's imposed himself.

Now that he's got the platform simply by starting games, Loftus-Cheek needs to react in similar fashion. He needs to take charge, as this summer, new head coach Antonio Conte is expected to make sweeping changes that will alter the complexion of this side.

Top of the list will be adding some more character into a midfield that is lacking it. Chelsea need that authority, and it's Loftus-Cheek's task to start offering it.

"Chelsea's a massive club, one of the biggest in the world, so it's a big challenge," Loftus-Cheek added on Saturday when discussing his desire to become established.

He has the talent to do it, but it's only by playing like a star that he will become one.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.