Chelsea got yet another win last night under the new Graham Potter reign.
It was a hard-fought 2-1 victory over RB Salzburg in the Champions League, and not only did they get the win, they also topped their group and cemented a place in the next round of the competition. When you think the state they were in in this competition when Potter took over, it’s a remarkable turnaround.
Salzburg had not lost at their ground for 40 games before this, and it was Potter’s Chelsea who ended that unbeaten run.
Potter remains unbeaten as Blues boss and in fact, Potter is the first Chelsea manager to go unbeaten in his first 4 champions league games since Roberto Di Matteo in 2012. We all know what happened in 2012…….. Don’t say it.
But his record since he arrived is truly admirable. He has managed 9, won 6, drawn 3, had 0 defeats, scored 15, and conceded just 4. Super impressive stuff.
For me this really proves that the players are responding to not only Potter as a person and as a manager, but also to his tactics and his setup. His tactics are sporadic, and he regularly changes formations from game to game, and especially in-game. You are always seeing him switch from a back three to a back four, depending on opposition and circumstances.
The players are certainly playing for him and enjoying doing so.
“Everyone has loved working with him [Potter] so far,” Conor Gallagher said after the Salzburg win. “Yes, it is different, with different formations to suit the game. Everyone is working their hardest for him and the club.”
“I think people can see that with the results and performances. We’re happy to qualify and keep the good run of form going.”
I think he is spot on here; we can all see it clearly just how much and how well the players are responding to Potter. They look like a unit that is together, lets just hope it lasts, as we have all seen this all before, right!?