Kai Havertz probably not intended to channel the thoughts of the wider football world. However, when he surveyed, chelsea “We have a lot of players on the roster,” he said. A lot, unquestionably, and not the least Graham Potter. Chelsea’s form in the fall and winter meant they had few auto options, the sheer scale of their hiring drive meant they often had too many options. A revolving election door and disgusting results proved to be an alarming combination.
Now a corner may have been turned. “Winning three games in a row is important to us because we had a tough time before that,” Havertz said. Best week in Potter’s reign since the Clearlake Capital takeover, second best week. It was a season that was part transition, part transformation, part an exercise in getting to know everyone’s name. Now there is a formula hint.
“We knew it would take time to adapt to everyone,” Havertz said. “So maybe, you can see we’re not done yet. It will always take time to develop.” If part of Potter’s job is to find a mix between current players and the expensive ones, relatively old players and many newcomers, Saturday’s trip to Leicester could be of symbolic value. Three goals were scored from Ben Chilwell, Havertz and Mateo Kovacic, acquired by Frank Lampard, and assisted by Kalidou Koulibaly, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, who were recruited last year.
They reflected the six elements of the Chelsea puzzle. No matter how many strikers they’ve caught, they continue to rely on their first choice wingbacks, Chilwell and Reece James, to make them stronger, and although the latter missed the Leicester trip, it’s no coincidence that their performance has been better since then. they are back. Koulibaly is unlikely to score much more with deep mids on the far post, but while the signing of Benoit Badiashile in January meant that a summer buy had already fallen from the strongest side, he impressed and improved. He feels a resurrected figure.
The skillful chip that Fernandez used for Havertz’s second goal in multiple matches destroyed the entire Leicester defense and showed the scope of his abilities. “You can see the quality; He passes the ball forward when he gets it,” Potter said. If the Argentine player is to prove he’s worth £107m, this will have to come out more often. Yet if his most obvious resemblance as an energetic ball winner is to N’Golo Kante, it’s an implied pass from Jorginho. If he can deliver a mix of Chelsea’s Champions League-winning double-player performance, that bodes well.
Fernandez’s uncertain start to life at Chelsea came when he was hampered by his lack of a regular partner. Kovacic’s return to fitness has been another catalyst towards better form. His goals – while often spectacular – are rare, but his capacity to bring teams together and his suitability for a Tuchel-like 3-4-3 formation have made Chelsea fit.
But the two most interesting cases could be in the attack. Havertz was struggling and lacking as a forward on a team that lacked a natural striker. Potter changed him to work behind others, liberated him, and received a bounty in the last two games. “I’m very free on offense. I can find my spaces. I like the position, but I also like to play as #9, but that’s okay with me,” said the German player.
Kai Havertz scores against Borussia Dortmund from the penalty spot
(PA Wire)
Potter’s decision was not merely positional. Chelsea’s messy arms spending, divergent ownership, and multiple management regimes have brought in a slew of talented players, but there’s no one-size-fits-all system. Havertz was sacrificed when asked to run the line and is now given priority.
Mudryk has to make concessions now. A £88m winger now finds himself in a non-winger formation: his respect for logic hardly prevails. After two games as an unused substitute, Mudryk was redesigned as a striker in the absence of injured Raheem Sterling. His speed and eager running posed a threat to him; There was a certain cruelty as the rest of King Power Stadium continued to celebrate what they thought was the first Chelsea goal after realizing he was offside. His was a valiant effort and perhaps garnering the support of a defender gave a cross-section to Kovacic’s path, but did not imply that he was a natural fit for the role.
Potter sounded positive. “He’s a young player who doesn’t have that much experience, so every game will get better,” the manager said. “His attitude is great. He wants to help and work with the team. I am very happy that he got an assist and helped us.”
Given Potter’s dislike for clear goal scorers, perhaps it would be tempting to use Mudryk as a mid-range, fast-running winger. But part of the Chelsea puzzle is figuring out which 11 players to use where and how. Because as Havertz said, you have so many to choose from.