The storm clouds over Stamford Bridge are starting to clear, and there is a positive mood back at Cobham.
Demand for Chelsea tickets will be high again after Graham Potter not only stacked up back to back wins, but back to back wins by 3 goals to 0, playing with some serious style.
To make things even more impressive, he did it with 7 of 10 outfield players changed between Wednesday’s win over AC Milan and Saturday’s demolition of Wolves.
Balancing several competitions and a schedule with an unprecedented traffic jam of games will be a huge challenge for Potter, and one that he has not had to navigate too often in his career so far, but it seems like we’re already learning he’s happy to trust his squad players and shake things up.
Key to this all will be a system that is easy to implement and learn for new players. They will be expected to step in and play without several games in a row to get up to speed, so it’s vital that their roles are clearly defined.
Like all managers, Potter will have his favourites, but he has been true to his word of giving everyone a clean slate, and the chance to earn the new coach’s favour is clearly working incredibly well as a motivational tool.
Players like Christian Pulisic are coming in from the cold looking hungry, and young players like Carney Chukwuemeka and Armando Broja probably see the new regime as a great chance to advance their case.
As it stands, everyone is pulling in the right direction and belief that Potter has the authority to control an often rebellious dressing room is growing – despite his lack of medals to lay on the table.
In the end, every player from Thiago Silva down to teenage debutant Chukwuemeka just want to win games and trophies, and they would back anyone as their coach as long as the results are good – that’s why these early weeks of Potter’s spell are so vital, as he looks to convince the fans and players that he is a top coach who will bring the club forward, not just a yes-man for the new ownership.
The real test of that will come when things go badly of course – and no season is without it’s down moments. But so far the balloon is rising, and it’s hard to not feel uplifted by the positive energies flowing through the squad.
