Graham Potter needs to do these things in Chelsea’s next two matches

Graham Potter has enjoyed a relatively good start to Chelsea in terms of results but there are questions online and in and around Chelsea as to how we really even got here in the first place.

1 point against Manchester United and Arsenal toppled with questionable lineups and approaches to games has raised concerns online with supporters and inside the ground I have overheard many conversations of individuals who are worried.

With that said, here is what I think Potter needs to make sure he does over the next 2 games against Manchester City and Newcastle, both huge away games with Manchester City presenting a Carabao cup tie in what could easily be described as 2 final contestants.

Pick players based on MERIT :

I am absolutely sick of individuals playing based on their name, the likes of Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang are probably getting more starts than their performances deserve.

Conor Gallagher and Christian Pulisic have produced impressive cameos off the bench and the latter especially has never really been considered as a starter under Potter, I question what more he needs to do to start over Sterling?

Armando Broja signed a new 6 year contract and has seen Kai Havertz play as a false 9 ahead of him a couple of times now, leaving him as the 3rd choice option in attack. With limited minutes, Broja doesn’t have much time to impress or develop his still clearly raw abilities. Furthermore, Broja has been strangely deployed as a winger rather than a striker in certain matches.

Chelsea missed the midfield pace and physicality of Denis Zakaria vs Arsenal as the gunners bypassed the midfield of Chelsea which included Jorginho and Ruben Loftus Cheek, with just 2, 3 or 4 passes from defence to attack.

I want to see Potter start players on merit in the next 2 matches, if Christian Pulisic, Denis Zakaria, Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher perform against Manchester City, I don’t want to see them on the bench against Newcastle, it’s really as simple as that.

Be consistent with substitutions :

In game management is massive and overall Potter has been quite pro active but I feel like most of that is because the game plan has gone wrong with the opponent outplaying us, in games against Aston Villa and Manchester United, Potter made early tactical substitutions as the opponents looked far superior.

Brentford and Arsenal presented matches where Potter made his first substitutions around minute 60 but what’s concerning to me is that in the Arsenal game specifically, the first half performance was abysmal and he didn’t show the same urgency to change things like the Manchester United home game even though the performance was arguably worse, as it happened, the first substitution against Arsenal came after their first goal was scored.

Against Crystal Palace, Potters choice to bring on Conor Gallagher proved the difference as he netted a late winner. I want to see potter being consistent with pro active changes if things go wrong.

AC Milan legs and Wolves provided hope for supporters in terms of team performance.

Pick/make sure players are playing for the badge :

Jokes are often made online about passion and playing for the shirt however so many current players are not playing for the shirt, life is easy going for them, they play like it’s a kick around, they play without emotion and ambition, they play like 40,000 + fans aren’t depending on them for their weekly dose of sports happiness, like the fans don’t pay hundreds of pounds for a season ticket or buy a Match-day ticket and like in some circumstances, travelling across the world to attend a game, all of these points happen every week, especially in a game like Arsenal.

No backbone was shown, no desire, no nothing. The players looked frail and scared and when that happens, the fans look to the manager for inspiration only to be met with an emotionless figure crossing his arms, the manager is responsible for preparing the team mentally as-well as physically.

We understand via a source that the training ground atmosphere hasn’t exactly been good in the early weeks, with “Shock” at the decision to fire Tuchel.

On top of this, we understand that while the reports of Tuchel losing the dressing room were not considered to be “Wide of the mark” they were rather overdone, with a plenty of individuals perplexed as to why Tuchel was fired, hence the overwhelming shock in the camp.

In fairness to Potter, he hasn’t exactly had time on the training pitch between matches to lay a foundation and an idea of what he wants to do, but the fact that he has been tinkering a-lot in the early weeks has surprised and confused some.