Chelsea are sticking with Graham Potter for now, despite the manager clearly being under pressure, and with one or two players being frustrated with life at Stamford Bridge at the moment.
This is according to Ben Jacobs in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, with the reporter explaining that the Blues board remain adamant that Potter is a better fit for their plans than his popular predecessor Thomas Tuchel.
Things are clearly not going well on the pitch for Chelsea right now, so it remains to be seen if Potter can continue to ride this out, but that seems to be the plan, so that the former Brighton boss can get a full pre-season and work out his best XI.
Still, Jacobs adds that there are issues, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang named as one player who is frustrated, while Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount have also not been at their best in recent times.
“Potter hasn’t become a bad manager since leaving Brighton. And the owners look to Arsenal, and how much pressure Mikel Arteta has been under in seasons gone by, and hope their persistence in Potter pays off just like it has done for Arsenal with Arteta,” Jacobs said.
“Sacking Potter, which would have probably already happened under Roman Abramovich, could be counter-productive to Chelsea’s long-term project. This relies on youth and the manager needs to embrace the model and be excellent at managing upcoming talent. Potter ticks that box.
“Adapting to a dressing room full of senior stars will come over time and is arguably Potter’s biggest challenge, and Chelsea will clear out certain names over the summer leading to a slightly smaller squad which will make things easier. That’s why the owners want to give Potter until the end of the season and then have a stable pre-season ahead of 2023/24. Consistency sends the right message from both the owners to Potter and to the wider market.
“The final point to add is despite rumours suggesting some senior players are unhappy under Potter, my understanding remains he’s liked and respected at Cobham. He held a series of early one-on-ones to set the tone when he joined and has an open-door policy which is appreciated.
“One or two players are clearly frustrated, like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has missed out on the last three Premier League matchday squads and was excluded from Chelsea’s updated 25-man list for the Champions League. But this was a decision made by both Potter with the board’s backing.
“I think Raheem Sterling was a little uncomfortable when asked to play at wing-back and Mason Mount hasn’t found his scoring form of last season. But none of this means there is a mutiny against the manager. It’s really more a by-product of Chelsea’s squad being too big and the team lacking a bit of confidence and identity.
“Due to the huge upheaval at Chelsea at all levels since the new owners came in, and with all the big spending, there is almost an expectation of daily soap opera at Stamford Bridge. But I believe behind-the-scenes there remains a clear plan ahead of a big few weeks for Chelsea.”
Chelsea should sacks Potter before it too be too late
Switch to 3-5-2 might save Chelsea this session.
(Mudryk – Félix)
(Chilwell – Enzo Fernández – Sterling – Kanté – James)
(Badiashile – Silva – Fofana)