When Graham Potter took the job at Chelsea last week, he knew he was walking into a chaotic situation, but no one could have predicted what came immediately after.
Hours after his announcement as Chelsea’s new manager, one of the biggest news stories in years broke when it was confirmed that the Queen had died.
The connections to Potter’s time in Chelsea were immediate and are still being worked out. At first, the ripple effects seemed positive. Most significantly, last weekend’s game against Fulham was cancelled, meaning that instead of rushing onto the bench for a game 48 hours later, Potter was given a few days to at least settle in Cobham. .
But it was not unique, and the interruption has not ended there. Chelsea live scores sites don’t know whether to add these games or remove them, even with only a couple of days left before kick-off.
The next game on the agenda was Wednesday night’s Champions League game against RB Salzburg, a game given extra importance by the fact that we lost our first group game. It has now been confirmed that it is okay to continue, but only now, on a Monday afternoon 48 hours before kick-off. Hardly ideal for Potter and his new backroom staff, let alone the players.
Then there is the small detail of this Sunday’s game against Liverpool. It is scheduled to begin 10 days after the Queen’s death, but the fact that the funeral is taking place in London puts the game in serious doubt. All the things we’re preparing now suggest that it just won’t happen.
So that small benefit of a postponed game is now greatly outweighed by the negatives. The confusion of our season interruption will go far beyond this week of uncertainty, as these postponed games pile up on an already impracticable schedule.
Potter will enjoy every day he spends in training camp, but these extra days now come at the cost of rest later on, and as a coach who has yet to train in Europe, he has serious challenges to face in terms of keeping the team fresh during a unique test season that became even more complicated.
The sooner we find out about this Sunday’s match, the better, for the players, for the fans, and above all for the new coach, who already has enough on his plate.
