Graham Potter’s Chelsea issues: No strikers, accidents, top-four stress, creators in midfield… | Soccer Information

After one other underwhelming Chelsea show of their 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest left the Blues eighth within the Premier League, the Sky Sports activities pundits assessed the issues dealing with boss Graham Potter.

The primary problem, argued Graeme Souness, is a scarcity of a striker.

Chelsea offered Timo Werner and loaned away Romelu Lukaku in the summertime, and whereas Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined in the summertime together with large ahead Raheem Sterling, and January signing David Datro Fofana watched on on the Metropolis Floor, their high Premier League scorers are Sterling and Kai Havertz on simply 4 targets.

“They did not cowl themselves in glory, Lukaku and Werner, however are they a greater crew with out these two? Are they extra of a aim risk with out these two?” requested Souness.

“Whenever you have a look at huge soccer golf equipment and who makes selections, at the beginning, when this new consortium takes over, Petr Cech, Marina Granovskaia, and Thomas Tuchel all depart the membership, and Todd Boehly publicizes himself as new director of soccer, quick time period.

“In case you’ve misplaced two strikers and also you exit and spend £270m+ on defenders, principally, the place is your soccer pondering? Certainly your precedence is to go and get a striker from someplace.

“I feel Graham Potter wants assist. I hope they’re sitting him down and he is a part of the dialog. ‘What do you want?’

“That squad just isn’t outfitted to go and win huge video games of soccer in a really demanding league as a result of they have no strikers. Metropolis have +28 aim distinction, Arsenal +26, Chelsea are +2. That stat alone tells you the place they need assistance.”

Nonetheless, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink did not really feel the problem was as simple, regardless of the membership scoring simply 12 targets in Potter’s 10 Premier League video games in cost.

He additionally pointed to harm issues throughout the squad – however warned there remained huge stress on the crew to complete within the Champions League qualifying spots.

“I do not suppose that’s the solely drawback,” he stated concerning the crew needing a No9. “It is not solely the strikers who rating targets. It is also midfielders who rating targets.

“The issue just isn’t the No 9, it is a number of positions. The midfielders aren’t scoring targets, not creating sufficient probabilities.

“I feel they’re too removed from the highest 4. Sure, they do miss some essential gamers. Reece James, N’Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell.

“He is had loads of accidents, it’s worthwhile to give him time. If you are going to change [manager] in the course of the season, and all these items are occurring, it’s worthwhile to give him extra time to mould this crew.

“However Chelsea can’t be out of the Champions League two years in a row. It appears this yr like they are going to be out of the Champions League… however he wants time.”

There have been 14 managers at Chelsea in the course of the 19-year reign of former proprietor Roman Abramovich and Jamie Redknapp identified the Russian would most likely have been unimpressed by the early outcomes of the Potter period.

Nonetheless, with the membership spending closely on younger gamers in the summertime, and skilled personnel quickly to be out of contract, Redknapp says it is smart for Chelsea to place their belief in Potter – who signed a long-term deal – to handle the transition and growth of the crew.

“He is had 10 Premier League video games and gained 4 of them, misplaced three. In case you had been within the Abramovich period, you are beneath enormous stress,” stated Redknapp.

“There’s going to be a large change on this subsequent yr or so, Jorginho is out of contract, Kante whether or not he indicators or not remains to be debatable, there can be loads of modifications.

“He’ll want time – there isn’t any level bringing in these gamers and never giving him time.”