Sterling switch and three things Graham Potter changed at Chelsea

Karan Tejwani

15 Sept 2022 08:55 BST
3 min read

Graham Potter took charge of his first match for Chelsea on Wednesday evening against Red Bull Salzburg, and he didn’t get the result he would’ve hoped for.

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The former Brighton boss completed his move last week and wasn’t able to take charge in the Premier League this past weekend due to fixtures being postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Instead, he had to wait for his debut against Salzburg which also happened to be his first-ever Champions League match, and there were some noticeable changes.

Chelsea were only able to draw 1-1, leaving them bottom of the group, and will have to start winning games if they wish to qualify, but face Italian champions Milan next.

Raheem Sterling

The big switch came in the form of Raheem Sterling, who was initially signed as a forward for the Blues, but he had a different role to play in the match against the Austrian champions.

There was a shock when it was revealed he would be playing as a left wing-back, but despite that, he was the most advanced Chelsea player, playing high up the pitch.

He also added to that by being the first goalscorer of the Potter era, but his goal wasn’t enough to win Chelsea the game as Salzburg later equalized.

Raheem Sterling has more Champions League goals (25) than:

◉ Luís Figo (24)
◉ Paul Scholes (24)
◉ Frank Lampard (23)
◉ Steven Gerrard (21)
◉ Gareth Bale (20)
◉ Ronaldinho (18)

Now he just needs to lift the trophy. #UCL pic.twitter.com/krszjWmvNJ
— Squawka (@Squawka) September 14, 2022

Centre-backs

With Sterling at wing-back, Potter started with Marc Cucurella and Cesar Azpilicueta at centre-back, along with Thiago Silva in the middle.

The two were able to drive forward with the ball, either through dribbles or passes, and that was a noticeable change from the Thomas Tuchel era.

Cucurella was already used to this from his Brighton days, but it may be a lesson for Potter as his team sometimes struggled defensively and he may have to delve into his arsenal.

Quiet Leadership

Compared to Tuchel, Potter is a much calmer character on the touchline, occasionally delegating team instructions to his assistants and maintaining a quieter demeanour.

Whereas Tuchel was loud and non-stop, always looking for perfection and audible on the touchline, there’s a big difference when it comes to Potter.

This was already quite well-known from his days at Brighton, and it’s something that the players may appreciate in the coming months.