There’s only one game left in this World Cup, then we can go back to the Premier League and we can get back to the real stuff: arguments over net spend, VAR in football and debating whether a manager deserves more time.
Chelsea fans have been happy about the break: their season was becoming a terrible drag when we broke up. The dismissal of Thomas Tuchel had made everyone uncomfortable, the good run that Graham Potter started meant that we could relax a bit, but when his results worsened, the bad vibes returned, and in greater numbers.
Everyone has been praying that this time out has given the new manager a chance to get his message across, and that we see a new and improved Chelsea on the 27th when we return to action against Bournemouth. But we have our doubts. Many of Potter’s starters have been away in Qatar, receiving even more minutes on their legs and missing out on any of the benefits of training with their new coach and his staff.
One thing that will be certain, and can play a huge role, is the return of injured players. Some will be back for that Bournemouth game and others soon after. Fans will be watching nervously in those early games to see if the return of Reece James and company. he can give the team the massive boost it needs to get back in the top 4.
Seems like a great question, even for players of that level. The fact that we’ve also lost one of our two top picks in the interim is also a real blow – we could take two steps forward and one step back. Arrmando Broja wasn’t in top form, but at least he was an option up front, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang alone isn’t scaring anyone.
In short, Graham Potter knows that results are vital from the moment his team returns to the field, and those first two games against the Cherries and against Fulham have to add 6 points, since then we face Man City and the things get tough.
There are still ten days left, but Potter must use them all very carefully. Once the break is over, we will play two games a week for practically the entire season, and there will hardly be a moment to rest or to get into the training field with your players.
