sport news MARTIN KEOWN: Graham Potter's tactical flexibility makes Chelsea like a ... trends now
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If Graham Potter wants to comprehend the expectation of success at Chelsea, he need only look at Thomas Tuchel's record in the season before his sacking.
Tuchel won the Super Cup and Club World Cup, reached the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals, made it to the Champions League quarter finals and finished third in the Premier League. That wasn't enough to save his job after starting this season poorly.
Now Chelsea have turned to a new coach in the hope that he can turn his tactical prowess into trophies. Potter is one of football's most flexible coaches and I've always found his teams a fascinating watch.
Chelsea have a new coach in the hope that he can turn his tactical prowess into trophies
Brighton last season used 13 systems across 38 Premier League matches, the most of any team by some margin. Yet the starting formation is not where it ends with Potter.
His team is like a chameleon, always changing and disguising itself from its prey. It leaves opposition coaches scrambling to work out what formation they're facing.
We've already seen this changing of system in Potter's first three matches as Chelsea manager. Against RB Salzburg, Chelsea used 3-4-2-1, with Potter demonstrating he is not afraid to make decisive decisions by dropping Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly – £104million's worth of centre backs.
Instead he cleverly used two full backs either side of Thiago Silva in the back three which enabled them to get extra bodies down the flanks.
Former boss Thomas Tuchel was sacked by the Blues despite his success with the club
Against Crystal Palace, Chelsea changed to 4-2-2-2, including a midfield box – Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic as the first tier and Mason Mount and Kai
