Graham Potter has been under extreme scrutiny in recent months following his dismal run of form sending Chelsea plummeting into 10th place in the Premier league. However, in the past 4 games Potter and his team have managed to turn things around to some degree, getting 2 wins in the Premier League and an emphatic 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund to reach the Quarter finals of the Champions league.
This recent run in the last four games whilst not eradicating the issue has at least hushed the sacking shouts from the majority of the Chelsea fanbase. Now the challenge for Potter is how can he continue this upwards trajectory and keep the fans onside. In this article we will look at four things Potter can do and should do to ensure the month of April is successful and progressive.
The first factor that Potter can control in order to keep the Chelsea fanbase on his side and gain their trust is sticking with the 3-4-3 which has brought success in the past four games. The impact of reverting to this 3 at the back system has seen Chelsea maximise the qualities of both Reece James and Ben Chilwell who shine in their respective wing-back roles. Ben Chilwell especially of late has been in tremendous form and comparable to his Champions League-winning performances under Thomas Tuchel.
Graham Potter should continue to use this system whilst it is working, and continue to get the best out of the personnel currently at the club whilst Chelsea still have no recognised number 6 to fully transform back to a 4 at the back side.
The second factor I would highlight for Potter to focus on is using the young core he has built at Chelsea to fully bleed them in whilst stakes are at an all-time low this season. With Champions League qualification via the top 4 looking slimmer than ever, these Premier League fixtures carry little weight in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, by using the young core in the likes of Enzo, Mudryk, Madueke, Badiashile and Fofana it will allow the new signings time to fully adapt and create connections on the pitch ready for next season. This is also a positive as these are the types of players the fans want to see in the team as they are new, young, exciting talents.
The third factor I would point out is of the six Premier League games in April, four of these come against sides Chelsea would usually be “expected” to beat. With games against Villa, Wolves, Brighton and Brentford, Chelsea should be aiming for at least 10 points from these fixtures. Now I know I said the Premier League games are lower in stakes than ever before, but Chelsea fans will not settle for losing games against teams they are “expected” to beat.
The other two Premier League fixtures in April are against Liverpool and title challengers Arsenal. Chelsea will want to be competitive in these games and irrespective of the result, Chelsea fans will want to see progression in these performances against Arsenal and Liverpool in order to create a foundation for next season and the future when challenging for major honors.
Lastly, and the most important of them all, the Champions League quarter-finals. Chelsea will play both fixtures against Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the Champions League in April. The last thing Chelsea fans want to see is Real Madrid walk them over and finish the tie before it has even begun. The key to this is the first leg at the Bernabeu on the 12th of April.
This game has to be tight and controlled by Graham Potter’s Chelsea and ensure that when this tie goes back to Stamford Bridge on April 18th, it is all still to play for. If Chelsea can show progression on the pitch and their ability to handle a two-legged tie against one of the European giants, this will go a long way for Graham Potter and his Chelsea future.
By showing clear progression, tactics, and team management skills in the next month, I believe Potter can further gain trust from the Chelsea hierarchy and fanbase. It is important Potter can build upon the past four games where Chelsea began to find some form and structure. One thing for certain is the month of April (with nine games for Chelsea) will be a pivotal one for Graham Potter and his future, especially with such a manager like Julian Nagelsmann lurking in the shadows.
