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Inside Graham Potter's first weeks at Chelsea: Trevoh Chalobah new position and honest meetings with players

Inside Graham Potter's first weeks at Chelsea: Trevoh Chalobah new position and honest meetings with players

Graham Potter's first weeks in charge has lacked in official matches but the head coach has made his impact after meeting Chelsea's players.

Graham Potter arrived at Chelsea earlier in September and has already made an impact on the Blues squad, despite only playing one competitive match under the head coach.

Replacing Thomas Tuchel, a man who lifted the Champions League just months after his arrival, was never going to be easy but the 47-year-old has already made his mark at Stamford Bridge.

His first match in charge of the team came against FC Salzburg on Potter's Champions League debut.

Ending in a 1-1 draw, there were plenty of positives for Chelsea as Potter opted for a new system but similar formation as the Blues lined up with a back three.

Potter took charge of Chelsea for the first time against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League (Image: Alamy)
Potter took charge of Chelsea for the first time against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League (Image: Alamy)

Several chances were created and the Blues were unfortunate to end the match with just a single point, but since then Potter and his staff have been hard at work at Cobham.

The Athletic have provided the in-depth coverage of his first month in charge of Chelsea as Potter has already tried players in different positions and held meetings with his new squad.

An early priority for the former Brighton head coach was to get to know his squad on a personal level.

He already shared a strong relationship with Marc Cucurella, who joined from Brighton earlier in the summer.

Potter pledged every first-team player would be given a one-on-one meeting and this has now been done.

The tone of these meetings was described as relaxed as Potter encouraged the players to share honest assessments of the team and their individual situations.

Potter then offered his thoughts on the ability of those in his squad, discussing their place in his plans at Chelsea and the opportunity for them to develop under his stewardship.

Potter's communication has been well received both by the senior players and those who felt frozen out by former boss Tuchel.

September 17 saw a behind closed doors friendly against his former club Brighton, which the Blues came out 2-1 victors in.

Carney Chukwuemeka, who arrived from Aston Villa in the summer, netted both goals off teh bench.

Interestingly, Trevoh Chalobah, who had struggled for game time under Tuchel this season, was deployed as a lone six.

Trevoh Chalobah was linked with a move away from Chelsea in the summer. (Alamy)
Trevoh Chalobah was linked with a move away from Chelsea in the summer. (Alamy)

Trevoh Chalobah must grasp chance to impress Graham Potter amid Chelsea exit rumours

This differs from where Tuchel played him, on the right of a back three, and could hint at a potential future midfield role for the Cobham graduate.

Chalobah has been linked with a January departure, and it remains to be seen as to whether Potter will hand him the game time that he is demanding.

Furthermore, Bruno Saltor, who joined as an attacking coach with Potter, has already struck up a bond with Cesar Azpilicueta as the two have a mutual friend in former Chelsea star Juan Mata.

Potter was appointed Chelsea head coach earlier this month (Image: Alamy)
Potter was appointed Chelsea head coach earlier this month (Image: Alamy)

Early impressions of Potter and his coaching staff have been positive as the Blues squad are optimistic about the appointment.

The players have fresh memories of playing against his Brighton side and this has helped them be open to the appointment.

While Potter is yet to take charge of his first Premier League match for Chelsea, they will come thick and fast as the Blues will play 13 matches accross all competitions between October 1 and November 12.

Potter will be hoping to change Chelsea's fortunes around this season as they look to compete on all fronts under the new head coach.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Football, Premier League

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