For Graham Potter, the truth that the world will cease caring about membership soccer for the following month is an absolute blessing.
His Chelsea dream has shortly descended right into a nightmare, with some followers calling for his head to roll after a run of 4 defeats in 5 video games in all competitions heading into the World Cup. With no wins in his final 5 Premier League outings both, there’s an entire lot that Potter wants to repair – and fast.
Slightly tactical tweak each every so often is important to any managerial success, however altering formation three or 4 occasions each sport is likely to be taking issues a little bit too far.
Potter has chopped and altered issues far too continuously in a workforce who’re nonetheless attempting to get used to his strategies, and it is abundantly clear that the gamers do not know do their many, many roles.
Chelsea want one thing settled, at the very least whereas they become familiar with Potter’s method of doing issues.
This one is a little bit harsh as Potter misplaced each his most well-liked full-backs – Reece James and Ben Chilwell – to harm.
That being stated, once they want changing, how about we do not go together with Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic?
Deploying the 2 wingers in such a task was a daring technique that did not repay (after which some) towards Brighton, so Potter must take it straightforward on the dangers for now.
Marc Cucurella was speculated to be a superb signing for Chelsea through the summer time, and reuniting with Potter – the person who made Cucurella adequate to earn a £60m+ transfer to Stamford Bridge within the first place – felt like perfection.
The outcomes on the pitch have been something however.
In the same large centre-back position he performed at Brighton, Cucurella has struggled tremendously in Chelsea blue, and he hasn’t supplied a lot on the left both. Potter wants to determine why.
The prolific Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea in the summertime as the person to repair Chelsea’s goalscoring woes, solely to attain towards a Leicester aspect in disaster and a Southampton workforce slowly heading in the direction of one.
Sterling hasn’t lived as much as expectations, however how a lot of that’s all the way down to the actual fact he has performed in no fewer that 5 place since Potter joined is unclear.
The duty right here is to determine why the Manchester Metropolis model of Sterling was elite and the Chelsea model has underwhelmed. It might want a tactical tweak.
Potter seems to have taken a liking to Kepa Arrizabalaga, who returned his religion with a string of wonderful performances earlier than a irritating harm ended his World Cup hopes.
If the boss desires to stay with Kepa upon his return, that is effective. It is a determination which is able to possible drive Edouard Mendy out the exit door, nevertheless, so Potter must play this one nicely.
Kepa’s potential with the ball at his toes appears to have given him the sting, and if that is the case, so be it.
Chelsea headed into the World Cup break in defensive mode as they set as much as face Newcastle with a entrance three of Armando Broja, Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher.
The trio are all glorious in their very own proper – that’s not for debate – however they pleasure themselves extra on business than finish product. Their work price towards Newcastle was high notch however the actuality is Mount had the fewest touches of the entire sport and Chelsea have been comprehensively battered at each ends of the pitch.
It seems like Potter has been attempting to offer 19-year-old Omari Hutchinson an opportunity, solely to search out himself unprepared to take the chance with Chelsea already struggling.
The temper across the Chelsea supporters is getting fairly poisonous. Opinion was divided when Thomas Tuchel was sacked and Potter was recruited, and regardless of some early optimism, these detractors are out in full drive nowadays.
The best way to win them again? Constructive, coherent performances. Followers clearly need wins however they need to see their workforce look competent within the face of adversity, not tactically unaware towards Brighton and fully afraid of a Newcastle aspect who, with all due respect, ought to by no means be thought-about higher than Chelsea, no matter type.
Chelsea return to motion towards Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, which presents Potter with the proper probability to inject some life again into his despondent Blues.
