Graham Potter blames Chelsea’s ‘sub-optimal’ pre-season for the club’s struggles

Chelsea manager Graham Potter says some of his senior players have complained about the club’s pre-season preparations under former boss Thomas Tuchel.

It is not the first time discussions about Chelsea’s preparations for the 2022/23 campaign have come up.

Potter said (via the Evening Standard): “It is really tough. My quote a few weeks ago was that this is probably the toughest job in football, and there are a lot of factors for that.

“There was a sub-optimal pre-season – and speaking to a few experienced guys, they thought it was the worst pre-season they have had for different reasons.

“That is not to blame anybody for the reasons. It is just that it happened.”

Tuchel also complained about the pre-season organisation and the amount of travelling involved.

However, Tuchel did not help by playing players close to leaving the club. Michy Batshuayi, Timo Werner, and Marcos Alonso got plenty of minutes, while the German boss sent several youngsters home for not being ready.

Apart from the preparation issues, Potter said the many big-money arrivals need time to gel together as there were many changes.

Potter also mentioned the injuries Chelsea have had to deal with. Several key players have had spells on the sidelines leading to incoherence on the pitch.

These factors have led to Chelsea’s poor performances, leaving them fighting a losing battle to finish in the top four.

The Blues have crashed out of both domestic cups. They also have one foot out of the Champions League following their 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, but it will be a tough ask to collect three points considering their recent poor performances.