Potter is only new and trying to get players on his side, but after a game like tonight he needed to have a go ( a gentle one if that helps) at his players, instead of just saying we played well but a draw is fair and acceptable. We didn't play well for the last 2 games, could have been 1 instead of 4 points if Kepa didn't turn up. I'm all for treating players nicely ( like if they dont get enough love already) and creating harmony in dressing room, but can't just let performance slide without saying a word. This weekend will be huge, really can't afford to drop points against another top 4 rivals, knowing we aren't good at finishing off teams from mid to lower tables.

13 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Potter is only new and trying to get players on his side, but after a game like tonight he needed to have a go ( a gentle one if that helps) at his players, instead of just saying we played well but a draw is fair and acceptable. We didn't play well for the last 2 games, could have been 1 instead of 4 points if Kepa didn't turn up. I'm all for treating players nicely ( like if they dont get enough love already) and creating harmony in dressing room, but can't just let performance slide without saying a word. This weekend will be huge, really can't afford to drop points against another top 4 rivals, knowing we aren't good at finishing off teams from mid to lower tables.

0 points if not for Kepa, he made that one point blank reactionary save that was very good today.

I don't see us beating United, losing James has been too big a blow. Is like the team 2020 and before being with Hazard.

Edited October 20, 20223 yr by axman2526

 

 

6 hours ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Potter is only new and trying to get players on his side, but after a game like tonight he needed to have a go ( a gentle one if that helps) at his players, instead of just saying we played well but a draw is fair and acceptable. We didn't play well for the last 2 games, could have been 1 instead of 4 points if Kepa didn't turn up. I'm all for treating players nicely ( like if they dont get enough love already) and creating harmony in dressing room, but can't just let performance slide without saying a word. This weekend will be huge, really can't afford to drop points against another top 4 rivals, knowing we aren't good at finishing off teams from mid to lower tables.

He's not Tuchel, not going to throw the playes under the bus in public because it has no other effect than saving your own skin in front of your fans. Players will slowly lose confidence if you do that.

Behind the scenes is a different fiver. But yesterday I don't think he was fuming. The first half was poor but overall the performance wasn't horrible. It was a tight game against a good opponent.

7 hours ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Potter is only new and trying to get players on his side, but after a game like tonight he needed to have a go ( a gentle one if that helps) at his players, instead of just saying we played well but a draw is fair and acceptable. We didn't play well for the last 2 games, could have been 1 instead of 4 points if Kepa didn't turn up. I'm all for treating players nicely ( like if they dont get enough love already) and creating harmony in dressing room, but can't just let performance slide without saying a word. This weekend will be huge, really can't afford to drop points against another top 4 rivals, knowing we aren't good at finishing off teams from mid to lower tables.

Can say what he likes to the press, and I'd prefer he doesn't throw players under the bus month one, it's what matters behind closed doors that counts. 

I actually thought we played well last night. This is going to be a slog of a season, rotating the team is key and play that last 30 minutes 10 times and I think we win more often than not. 

He didn't say what our ex managers always say: we are Chelsea, we need to win these games. Maybe that is a good thing...it is hard to say yet.

Sterling at wingback needs to stop. He's totally wasted there.

Will only take the positives because, as a former junior athlete myself, I know what this kind of period means. This is an incredibly congested run of fixtures and as much as athletes love to be on the pitch all the time and would rather play an official match than go inside the gym, this period is brutal!

Potter has steadied the ship and hats off to Kepa! He is in stellar form.

 

What is it with Chelsea managers playing our best players out of position  all it does is destroy their confidence. Potter if anything is taking it to a whole new level Sterling was our best player and scoring goals till all this wing back sh*te started, he now looks totally pissed off and wondering why he came here. Play or forwards in their proper positions and on their best side of the pitch 

11 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Mod has not rated Potter from the get go but I don't think most of us are slagging him off.

He has rightly been given praise for Kepas return to the side and excellent form, at the same time he rightly gets criticism for mistakes.

For example he spoke about not overplaying players to the point of injury. How about in terms of tiredness as well? Will Mount be fresh for United or would have we been better served to start Pulisic or Carney on his place for both today and for mounts sake on Saturday?

Why does Havertz keep playing even though he continues to be poor? Why is Sterling being used at wingback? 

These are fair points and questions.

No I don't think questioning decisions is slagging off and most people aren't but you get the odd few on here claiming that after 7 games we're becoming mid table or he isn't cut out for this level etc. 

Unfortunately we've been massively cut short at RB/RWB which is very important in our system so he's trying to figure out the best way to get through this Reece James-less part of the season. Genuinely we should just call up one of our kids, RLC is not a short term fix for that position

12 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

…. or he isn't cut out for this level etc. 

But he clearly isn’t looking at his management history, whether he proves that he is, is something we are to find out.

He would be well out of his depth at a Roman Chelsea, but we are not that now which is more than unfortunate.

10 hours ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Potter is only new and trying to get players on his side, but after a game like tonight he needed to have a go ( a gentle one if that helps) at his players, instead of just saying we played well but a draw is fair and acceptable. We didn't play well for the last 2 games, could have been 1 instead of 4 points if Kepa didn't turn up. I'm all for treating players nicely ( like if they dont get enough love already) and creating harmony in dressing room, but can't just let performance slide without saying a word. This weekend will be huge, really can't afford to drop points against another top 4 rivals, knowing we aren't good at finishing off teams from mid to lower tables.

I think Potter needs to have a go at himself and assistants for the last two games as the set up was totally wrong and we were just lucky that Kepa is outstanding atm. 

Most of the members in this forum can tell you that the lineup and tactics have being wrong so i don't know how elite managers don't see it. 🤔 

 

6 minutes ago, Gentian said:

Most of the members in this forum can tell you that the lineup and tactics have being wrong so i don't know how elite managers don't see it.

Yesterday we saw Gallagher in the pivot, RLC at RWB, Sterling at LWB, Havertz at LW.

If you didn't know better you'd think he's on a wind up.

26 minutes ago, Mod said:

But he clearly isn’t looking at his management history, whether he proves that he is, is something we are to find out.

He would be well out of his depth at a Roman Chelsea, but we are not that now which is more than unfortunate.

I wouldn't say being inexperienced means he isn't cut out for it, we've taken a gamble and it's waaay too early to tell if it's going to pay off but the facts are we've not lost any of his 7 games in charge and we are far from playing the way he wants us to play. Barring a couple we've done nothing but hire experienced managers over the past 20 years and most of them barely make it 18 months, not to mention we haven't mounted a serious league title challenge for 6 years

I am noticing the outside CB's are constantly in one on one situations (Villa & Brentford). 

Don't recall seeing it that often with Tuchel. 

1 hour ago, Droy said:

Yesterday we saw Gallagher in the pivot, RLC at RWB, Sterling at LWB, Havertz at LW.

Didn't Tuchel literally do two of those three aswell?

5 hours ago, SwedishEntity said:

He's not Tuchel, not going to throw the playes under the bus in public because it has no other effect than saving your own skin in front of your fans. Players will slowly lose confidence if you do that.

When was this a thing in Tuchel's "honeymoon phase" that ended with us winning the CL?*  Let's talk again when Potter actually accomplished something major with this squad just to see them repeatedly slacking off afterwards. 

 

*edit: it ended much later in reality because I remember us playing some great football with good results and top league spot until injuries hit us hard.

Edited October 20, 20223 yr by weetee

15 hours ago, axman2526 said:

I don't think we get top 4. Losing James and not having Kante have been damaging.

Be a tough season for Potter. Could honestly see us 6th or lower depending on what Newcastle do.

We have 4 more league games before the World Cup break, and tough ones at that. I am hoping we can pick up a decent amount of points from those games. But even if we don't the good news for Potter is that he then has some time to regroup and hopefully get key players like Reece back from injuries. Not to mention he may be able to get some reinforcements in January. I agree that top 4 will be more competitive than ever but because of this unusual season I don't think we will have a good idea on how things will look from our perspective until end of January at least.

1 hour ago, weetee said:

When was this a thing in Tuchel's "honeymoon phase" that ended with us winning the CL?*  Let's talk again when Potter actually accomplished something major with this squad just to see them repeatedly slacking off afterwards. 

 

*edit: it ended much later in reality because I remember us playing some great football with good results and top league spot until injuries hit us hard.

No idea, but it won't ever be a thing with GP.

If the players "slack off" after a title then the club culture is flawed. Too result based and not focused enough of eternal improvement and development.

It's still early days but the attack looks so much more direct than under Tuchel in the run of play. 

 

3 minutes ago, HonoreMeiBalsac said:

It's still early days but the attack looks so much more direct than under Tuchel in the run of play. 

 

Expect for RLC, who looks like he wants to take the time to take the ball out for a nice meal before he pics the wrong pass or choice in the final third. 

Needs to be converted to a defensive midfielder, his attacking play is terrible.

I said that this little run of games will be a test for Potter - Villa, Brentford, United and Salzburg. Some tricky games. 

It worries me slightly that despite the win, we were awful vs Villa. 0 goals against Brentford (though it is a tricky place to go). Against an inform United will be a big test. 
 

If the performance and results continue poorly then I’ll be worried. 

15 hours ago, bisright1 said:

Can say what he likes to the press, and I'd prefer he doesn't throw players under the bus month one, it's what matters behind closed doors that counts. 

I actually thought we played well last night. This is going to be a slog of a season, rotating the team is key and play that last 30 minutes 10 times and I think we win more often than not. 

Agree to disagree here, I thought it was the same kind of game we have seen half dozen times under Tuchel in the past 12 months. We had good possession but rarely threatened, defensively we got caught more than what we used to, it's fortunate we have a GK in form. Brentford is not a bad team, but it's easier to get 3 points against them than United, I'd rather get the points instead of rotating for the sake of United game on Sunday.

If we somehow avoid losing to Man United he's a genius.

13 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Agree to disagree here, I thought it was the same kind of game we have seen half dozen times under Tuchel in the past 12 months. We had good possession but rarely threatened, defensively we got caught more than what we used to, it's fortunate we have a GK in form. Brentford is not a bad team, but it's easier to get 3 points against them than United, I'd rather get the points instead of rotating for the sake of United game on Sunday.

I think this Kepa MOTM thing last night was a bit lazy tbh. Against Villa yes he saved us but last night apart from the Toney chance I'd expect any half competent keeper to save what he faced.

Also Potter is not just rotating for the sake of the United game, he's rotating with the bigger picture in mind. We will be lucky to get a midweek off between returning from the world cup and the end of the season, even if we throw the cups we have still have two additional league games to squeeze in somewhere. If we go hell for leather at them all like we did last season then the restart period will feel like a relaxing stroll by comparison.