EPL

Changes are needed at Chelsea, but not on the touchline

Published

3 months ago

January 1, 2023

Graham Potter’s poor start at Chelsea got even poorer on the first day of 2023 as his team drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest, and frankly didn’t deserve much more from the game.

They now sit down in eighth in the Premier League, seven points off a top-four spot having won just one of their last seven league games.

As a result, many are starting to wonder whether Potter is the right man for the job, but Todd Boehly would be wise to make changes on the pitch before switching managers again.

Whether sacking Thomas Tuchel was a good decision on the American owner’s part is very much up for debate, but picking Potter as his successor most certainly was. The 47-year-old worked wonders at Brighton, getting excellent results while playing exciting football, and is one of the best young managers around.

He hasn’t been able to impress as much in his new job just yet, but there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll be able to do so if given time and a squad that suits his needs.

The Englishman hardly hit the ground running at Brighton with the team finishing down in 15th with just 41 points and nine wins in his first season there. That’s largely because he didn’t have players particularly well suited to playing his possession-based, high-pressing style of play, and he has a similar issue at Chelsea.

That issue starts at the back. Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly are both excellent defenders but neither is particularly mobile or quick off the mark, making the team vulnerable to counter-attacks when they play as high a line as Potter likes to.

Meanwhile in midfield, Potter doesn’t have many players that are able to press hard, win the ball and get forward – Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic are far more passive players and N’golo Kante is past his best.

The problem up top needs no explaining with the club lacking a top striker able to link up play as well as score goals for a long, long time now.

Thankfully, Chelsea are one of the richest clubs in the world and have the ability to address all those issues in the transfer market. If they do so, giving Potter the players he needs, he could well turn things around as he did at Brighton.

Doing so shouldn’t be too difficult either, with a number of quicker centre-backs and dynamic midfielders around and available for the right price, including one that worked with Potter at Brighton and would surely like to do so again in Alexis Mac Allister, one of the stars of the World Cup.

Getting a top striker is admittedly tough in the current market, but there are good options out there such as Memphis Depay, who could be available for next to nothing and has everything they need on paper.

Boehly may be reluctant to provide financial backing to a manager that hasn’t started well but, ultimately, it’s a risk worth taking.

He need only look north to Manchester for proof of that, where Erik ten Hag is turning things around at Old Trafford after being allowed to get rid of one of the best players ever and spend a huge amount of money on two players that had never played at a higher club level than the Eredivisie before, including a centre-back that most said was too short to succeed in the Premier League.

Young exciting managers that can play entertaining football while getting results are hard to come by, and when you get one, you should do everything you can to help them succeed.

Source link

EPL

Fabio Paratici opens up on Antonio Conte’s Tottenham exit & provides update on manager search

Published

6 hours ago

March 28, 2023

Sean Walsh

Tottenham Hotspur managing director of football Fabio Paratici has discussed the decision to part ways with head coach Antonio Conte.

Spurs reached a mutual agreement for Conte to depart the club on Sunday night following a disappointing run of results.

Conte oversaw exits in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League this season despite high hopes of ending the club’s 15-year trophy drought.

In his personal life, Conte lost three close friends – Spurs fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, former Italy colleague Gianluca Vialli and Serie A legend Sinisa Mihajlovic – while he had to undergo emergency surgery on his gallbladder at the start of February.

Speaking to Tottenham club channels, Paratici leaned on these reasons as to why Conte’s reign ended so sourly.

“About Antonio, we know how difficult this season was for him personally. Gian Piero died, Vialli and Mihajlovic [died], the surgery, the club supported him a lot about this and everyone was close with each other. But we arrived to this mutual agreement, and I think the decision we made was the right decision to everyone,” Paratici said.

Paratici went on to talk about interim manager Cristian Stellini – Conte’s former assistant who took charge of Tottenham in his absence this year – as well as speculation over a permanent successor.

“So Cristian managed the team even when Antonio was sick this season and was good. He has a lot of experience as a second and even first coach in the past. We have Ryan Mason who can help him a lot because he’s been part of this club for a long time, he knows everything about this club and this kind of group of players. So I think we are really, really confident that these two persons can do a very good job,” Paratici continued.

“The players doesn’t have to change a bit, the style of training. So change everything when you have just 10 games to go I think would be really difficult to the players.

“I would like to see, not just this season but even last season, when we came here we speak about ‘rebuild’ a bit. We started to play Conference League, starting not so good. Then at the end of the season we achieved a big result to get Champions League.

“Then this season, we played Champions League, we passed the group, it was a good achievement for us. And then we get out against Milan.

READ NEXT

“I think about growing up, the team and the club. The pathway for the club was good about results in that way. And then of course we are disappointed because we can be better in the FA [Cup] against Sheffield [United]. Every time you lose one game, you regret it.

“Of course we are focused and looking forward about being better arriving at the end of the season and the next season better again.

“The Premier League always is tough, so we have a lot of teams and clubs [who are] really, really prepared…but we fight, we like that. So we will fight to achieve our target, we are prepared to fight until the end of the season. We have to be focused on the last part of the season.

“We don’t speak about other coaches or follow the speculation in the media because this is just speculation. We are focused and now concentrating on helping Cristian and the staff, the players.

“I think today we have to be focused on our squad and our manager because it’s an important moment.”

Paratici is one of 12 former Juventus officials who were due in court this week regarding the club’s financial mismanagement, though a date for the hearing has now been pushed back until May.

LISTEN NOW

On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss Julian Nagelsmann’s future and links to the vacant Tottenham head coach role, Barcelona’s ambition to bring Lionel Messi ‘home’, Brighton teenager Evan Ferguson, Florian Wirtz, Kalvin Phillips and more!

If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

Source link

EPL

Bruno Fernandes disagrees with Cristiano Ronaldo’s assessment of Roberto Martinez

Published

7 hours ago

March 28, 2023

Sean Walsh

Bruno Fernandes has revealed he does not agree with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo regarding the impact of new Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez.

The former Everton and Belgium boss was named as the surprise successor to Fernando Santos following the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

While Martinez has been known to coach attacking and entertaining football, his teams are often characterised by their haphazard and sloppy defending – almost the inverse to how Portugal played under Santos.

Ronaldo, who scored four goals in two games for Portugal this month, was quick to tell reporters of the positive impact Martinez has had on the team.

“It’s a new chapter for everyone, for the players, the staff and the country. We feel good energy. It’s a breath of fresh air,” the Al Nassr forward said.

READ NEXT

But when speaking to Portuguese channel RTP3, Fernandes simmered Ronaldo’s excited judgement.

When asked if he agreed with Ronaldo’s comments, Fernandes replied: “No, it’s just a new coach with new ideas. There is no breath of fresh air at all. It’s just a transition period.

“The atmosphere in the national team has always been good. There’s never been anything that wasn’t fresh of the air, so I think it’s just new dynamics, new coach, and you have to assimilate his ideas.”

Portugal have made a perfect start under Martinez’s management, securing a 4-0 win at home to Liechtenstein before beating Luxembourg 6-0 on the road.

Fernandes and Ronaldo’s recent careers have been intertwined due to their prominence with the Portugal national team and their 15-month spell together at Manchester United.

Upon Fernandes’ arrival in England, the Old Trafford faithful devised a chant which referenced his arrival ‘from Sporting like Cristiano’.

The duo didn’t quite hit their best heights in tandem while at United, and Ronaldo’s bitter exit in November 2022 was followed by the two appearing to be on frosty terms ahead of the World Cup.

But Ronaldo dismissed this suggestion at the time, telling the press: “My relationship with him is excellent.”

LISTEN NOW

If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

Source link

EPL

Premier League clubs keen to sign wantaway Lorient star Enzo Le Fee

Published

11 hours ago

March 28, 2023

Tom Gott & Graeme Bailey

A number of Premier League sides are monitoring Lorient midfielder Enzo Le Fee after he confirmed his desire to leave the club this summer, 90min understands.

The 23-year-old has dazzled this season for Lorient, impressing both defensively and in attack and chipping in with four goals and five assists in 28 games.

90min reported in November that Leicester had begun tracking Le Fee as they prepared for the departure of Youri Tielemans, and sources have confirmed to 90min that the Foxes are by no means alone with their interest.

Both Fulham and Wolves have voiced an interest in Le Fee while one source also named Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham as admirers of the France Under-21 international.

The interest in Le Fee has follows the midfielder’s public admission that he does not plan to extend his contract, which expires in the summer of 2024, and his desire to secure a move away from Lorient this summer.

READ NEXT

“It’s time for me to leave,” Le Fee told Le Telegramme on Monday.

“I have a special bond with the club and that’s why I wanted to extend my contract at the start of the season. I waited for a contract offer from Lorient until December. It never came. Now, I don’t expect anything from the club and I won’t extend my contract.

“I hope to leave this summer so that my transfer will bring money to Lorient.”

Before that interview, Le Fee told L’Equipe of his desire to finish the season strongly to boost his chances of a summer transfer.

“I’ve never wanted to leave Lorient through the back door,” he stressed. “We’re having a very good season and I know these last few months are very important if I want to join a big club.

“I am someone who likes challenges, risks too. I want to show that I am capable of playing at the highest level.”

LISTEN NOW