Graham Potter needs a statement victory as Chelsea head coach and will have two chances to defeat Manchester City in the coming days

Had to be Manchester City, didn’t it? Not once, but twice. That is what Chelsea and Graham Potter needed right now: matches against the high-functioning football machine built by Pep Guardiola. And let’s not forget about its sharpest weapon, Erling Haaland, a striker who has scored more goals in the Premier League this season than the entirety of Chelsea’s first-team squad.

But here’s the thing: Chelsea can beat Man City at Stamford Bridge tomorrow. And in the FA Cup too. It is highly unlikely, some may even say utterly fanciful, yet there is quality within Potter’s squad. Not perhaps as much as is required to compete in the Premier League consistently – and certainly not as much as there should be for the money spent in recent years. But it’s there nonetheless.

There is no denying Potter has struggled to maximise the talent available to him since taking charge at Chelsea in September. A solid start has long dissipated and one win in seven Premier League matches has left the Blues tenth in the table, below the likes of Fulham, Brighton, and Brentford.

Injuries to key players have influenced that dismal form. Potter has not been able to call upon N’Golo Kante since taking charge and will be without the Frenchman until at least late February. Wesley Fofana has endured an extended spell on the sidelines too. As have Reece James, Ben Chilwell, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Armando Broja is also set to miss the remainder of the campaign.

Those absentees have highlighted and enhanced shortcomings that pre-date Potter. While the squad possesses genuine match-winning talent, it is one built by two ownership groups and a collection of head coaches with different approaches. Key positions – namely central midfield and right full-back – have long been neglected. A consistent goalscorer has not been found either.

Potter’s Chelsea – and the same could be said for much of Thomas Tuchel’s tenure – are rarely a good watch. The ball is moved too slowly. Inventiveness is rare. And goalscoring chances are at a premium. Out of possession, the lack of physicality and pace across the team can be ruthlessly exposed; Nottingham Forest highlighted that on Sunday evening at the City Ground.

Different formations have been deployed with mixed success and different players handed opportunities. No winning formula has been found. But the Chelsea head coach has not panicked. “We want to win – and I don’t want to sound like it’s acceptable to lose, it’s not – but unfortunately part of the game is dropping points, is not succeeding, you’ve got to suffer and get better.

“When I think back to how I got to this point, a lot of the things are the setbacks and the moments of struggle. So it’s not thinking of it [the matches against Manchester City] as a kickstart to the season. We focus on the next match, try to improve, and try to get better.”

Potter is a project builder, a long-term thinker. It’s why he was recruited by new Chelsea owners Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, who football.london understands expected Chelsea to be stronger in the second half of this campaign than the first when they hired the 47-year-old from Brighton.

But Potter can’t simply write off recent performances and results in the name of progression. Signs of improvement are needed, both from the team and from him as the Chelsea head coach.

One of the consistent criticisms of Potter is his anodyne nature in front of the press. He appears to lack the authority and innate confidence the majority of elite head coaches possess. Perhaps that is no surprise given his previous clubs are Ostersunds, Swansea City and Brighton; the expectations placed upon him have never been greater.

It’s on Potter – the owner of a masters degree in leadership and emotional intelligence let’s not forget – to change the narrative, to project a sense of control, to be a more commanding figure. Do this and his largely non-existent relationship with a vast swathe of Chelsea fans will begin to grow.

There is more to this all, however. It’s intangible, unquantifiable, and something only those who have supported the club for years can truly understand. Under Roman Abramovich, the status quo was set: chaos and trophies. Chelsea existed in a permanent state of flux, a winning culture built upon shock therapy. That is now removed and the uncertainty is unnerving for many.

Boehly, Eghbali and Feliciano have huge ambitions for the club but they will not be realised this season – perhaps not even next. And with no reference points for supporters to fall back on, a sense of apprehension is palpable, both at Stamford Bridge, the away support, and among those who use social media.

Trust needs to be built, something which will take time. For now, the easiest way to assuage supporters and quieten the ever-growing voices of dissent is to win matches. Potter and the players can make that happen, although you sense they wouldn’t have picked Man City as the place to start.

SOURCE: football.london