Mateo Kovacic believes he 'feels better' playing for Frank Lampard at Chelsea than last season as he is allowed to try things more and be more aggressive.
The 25-year-old has had an excellent year so far, playing on a consistent basis as N'Golo Kante has struggled to play regularly due to injuries.
Kovacic's ability on the ball has been exceptional throughout the campaign and he has formed a decent partnership with Jorginho, with the Croatian being a big part of the early success.
Last season, Kovacic had an under whelming campaign while he was still on loan from Real Madrid. However, he signed in the summer permanently and has looked much more comfortable.
And Kovacic believes the style that Lampard wants to play has meant his form has had a turn up in fortunes as well.
"My game is to open spaces for other people," Kovacic told the Chelsea website .
"It’s a big strength and I have felt I am trying it a lot more because we play a little bit different football to last year. Now we are more direct, more aggressive, we just try things we didn’t try last year. I feel better.
"I think my best position is in a midfield two.
"I can play as well in a midfield three, but in the two I feel maybe more comfortable with more freedom. But in the end the formation doesn’t matter too much."
