Chelsea youngster Hall ‘has another 30% to unlock’

Chelsea development squad boss Mark Robinson says there is still “30% more to unlock” from match-winner Lewis Hall.

Hall struck in the 82nd minute following Mason Burstow’s equaliser just two minutes prior to hand Chelsea’s youngsters a 2-1 win over League One side Oxford United in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday.

Hall, 18, impressed in central midfield alongside team-mate Charlie Webster, but Robinson believes there is still much more to come from the youngster.

“He’s done really well but there’s a lot of room for improvement with Lewis,” he said.

“As good as he’s done, I think there’s another 30% in there that we’ve got to unlock, so we’re going to keep on at him because he’s got a lot of ability.

“He looked very good, as did Charlie in there, but there’s more to come from him. No doubt about that.”

Chelsea looked to have spurned a great opportunity to get something from the game when, after winning the spot-kick, Omari Hutchinson saw his penalty saved by Simon Eastwood before being denied again on the follow up.

Hutchinson joined the Blues in July from London rivals Arsenal and put in a bright performance out on the right-hand side, despite the penalty miss, and forced Eastwood into an excellent first-half stop from his bending free-kick.

And Robinson says he has been impressed with how quickly Hutchinson has settled into life at the club and praised both he and fellow wide player Dion Rankine for their off the ball work against Oxford.

“He’s really settled in now and I keep to talking to him and Dion, the wide and exciting flair players, that football is all about trust in terms of managers playing you once you get to first-team level,” he said.

“So they’ve got to pride themselves on the off the ball stuff as well, because the on the ball stuff will look after itself because they’re really, really good players.

“I was really pleased, they both put in a fantastic shift and kept to the game plan that we had and that’s absolutely key because that’s what will, in the future, get them first-team football.

“A manager needs to trust them off the ball because there’s no doubt how good they are on the ball.”