‘Don’t think he has any idea’: He has been using many Chelsea players in wrong positions and the players now don’t want to play for him
Andy Gray has been left baffled by Graham Potter’s use of Chelsea trio Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella.
Speaking on beIN SPORTS, Gray bemoaned Potter for deploying the three players out of position at various points in his tenure.
Gallagher was the latest man to find himself in an unfamiliar role against Newcastle United yesterday.
In the second-half, the 22-year-old shuffled over to cover at right wing-back, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek having departed the field extremely early on.
Loftus-Cheek can also argue he is better placed centrally, although he’s been relatively effective on the right.
He’s certainly seemed a more natural wing-back than Sterling, who surprisingly found himself in a defensive area for a few games earlier in the season.
One name who would love to get a chance at wing-back is Cucurella.
Instead, the Spaniard has played most of his football at centre-back, due to the absences of Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Potter cannot pick the prime XI
It is this repeated chopping and changing that has caused Chelsea to lose their last three Premier Leagues matches in a row.
“Chelsea, I don’t know from game-to-game what Chelsea team is coming out, or what system they are going to play, who who’s going to play where,” admitted Gray.
“They had Conor Gallagher half the time at wing-back last night. Come on, even I know he’s not a wing-back.
“They’ve played Raheem Sterling at wing-back. Come on. We know what Raheem Sterling can do and it’s not from wing-back.
“He (Potter) plays Cucurella as a left-sided centre-back. He’s a left wing-back.
“I don’t think he has any idea what his top side is.”
Chelsea cursed by injuries
Potter probably doesn’t know what his best XI is, mainly because he hasn’t had the personnel to put out a strongest 11.
Right now, he is without Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante, Reece James, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Fofana.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Loftus-Cheek had to be forced off prematurely on Saturday, so that’s a further few casualties to think about.
Mateo Kovacic has struggled with an issue since pre-season.
Hopefully Chelsea can return to maximum power once the World Cup is complete and all the wounded soldiers recover.