Three reasons for Chelsea to back Graham Potter
Chelsea are the talk of the town at the moment, just for all the wrong reasons. More accurately, Graham Potter is at the forefront of discussion amongst fans and naysayers alike.
The stage was set for the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager to win over the Blues supporters and begin a journey of trust. Tottenham Hotspur, in their own backyard, without Antonio Conte on the sidelines – it was the perfect plot.
What followed was a deflating effort from a run that reads one win in 11 matches across competitions. Magnify it a little more, and you’ll see Chelsea have scored one goal in six matches and are currently on a three-match losing streak.
All fingers point towards Potter. A £600 million transfer record doesn’t help a manager who coached his first-ever Champions League game about four months ago either.
The Blues symbolize profligacy, and with Potter’s side closer to relegation than the top four, calls of the famous Chelsea axing have come pouring down from the faithful.
Chelsea continue to move backwards, appearing to descend into the depths of a never ending tumble down the standings. And while the popular opinion rightfully narrows in on a sacking, here are three reasons for the Blues think tank to support Potter.
Potter is merely part of a constitutional change at Chelsea
Former fan favorite and captain, Gary Cahill, zeroed in on the level of transformation Chelsea have undergone since the ownership change.
Speaking after the game to BBC, Cahill said “I think it’s a lack of confidence. There’s been so much change; so, so much change. We’ve spoken about it before – in terms of ownership, manager, players, staff. And when there is so much change in a football club, it’s very difficult to be up and running straightaway.”
Tactical flexibility, a winning mentality and a charismatic, caring relationship with the fans made Potter’s predecessor Thomas Tuchel a man of the people.
While none of those attributes can be attached to Potter thus far, it’s important to note that shortly after the Blues went on a 10-game unbeaten run during the start of his tenure, the management splashed the cash in the market to round off a scattergun approach of signing players.
With the squad swelling up at an incredible rate, there’s an obvious need for time, as Potter and his staff prepare a team more suited to their style and methods.
Christopher Vivell, Laurence Stewart (technical directors) and Paul Winstanley (Director of Global Talent) were also recruited, underscoring the wealth of changes from top to bottom.
Unfortunately for Potter, he’s become the lightning rod for criticism due to the club’s on field results. For a side jammed with players and various sporting practitioners, it takes a while to mesh each other’s ideas and put everything into practice.
Players have a significant role to play for Chelsea’s falling apart
The away game at Spurs was, perhaps, the only time where Graham Potter didn’t have a heap of injured players. Mateo Kovacic, (illness), Cesar Azpilicueta (concussion), Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kante were the players missing.
Mind you, that still makes up four players – potentially two starters. It’s a squad plagued with injuries across the field – from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to striker Armando Broja.
Key players in Mason Mount and Kai Havertz are drawing blanks game after game, while experienced summer signings Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly among others are yet to find their feet for various reasons.
They all play in fits and starts. Joao Felix can hold his head high as the only player who remains an attacking outlet currently, one from whom it flows through. In fact, he was the solitary goal scorer for Chelsea for February.
While there are issues with changing formations and switching players, there are plenty of guilty parties on the squad who must raise their hands and accept blame for substandard performances.
Having said that, Potter hasn’t been particularly inspiring or tactically superior with his substitutions. If anything, not giving the likes of David Datro Fofana, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke a run of games will plummet their confidence as young players.
But for the ones who are selected week-in-week-out, there’s a lot to be desired from the watcher’s perspective.
Potter has yet to have a pre-season with the congested squad
The new ownership decided to free Tuchel from his duties 100 days into their reign. They shook up Chelsea, imprinting their distinct qualities as owners to forge a new identity. With a slew of modifications in place, that hasn’t happened yet. At least, not on the pitch.
Again, it’s fairly easy to forget that he is yet to have a full season with Chelsea’s senior team. It’s argued great managers instill their ideologies across months not weeks. Take the examples of Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel or Erik ten Hag.
But Potter worked with an ever-changing squad that saw its vice-captain, Jorginho, depart and an influx of players walk in. For a side that’s so used to winning, these changes are bound to have a domino effect on the team structure.
Losing to the likes of Southampton and failing to put up a fight against London rivals Tottenham or Fulham is next to inexcusable without doubt.
However, the aforementioned rationale calls for more faith to be shown, albeit there’s not much time left if the dreaded run of defeats continue.
Chelsea host 17th-placed Leeds at Stamford Bridge on March 4th, and then are set to take the fight to Borussia Dortmund in what could be their last Champions League outing for a couple of years.
Football works quickly and Potter knows that as well as anybody else in the industry. Which is why it goes without mention to state that these next two matches could make or break Potter’s Chelsea tenure.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Ank Kumar. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.