Chelsea players have been impressed by Graham Potter’s handling of the squad recently, including the decision to give Mateo Kovacic the captaincy amid injury absences of senior players, according to The Telegraph.
The Blues ended their six-game winless run last weekend and are now on two consecutive wins.
It is small steps in the right direction, but it did not happen because the team suddenly remembered how to play football. The players and the staff, including Potter, put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.
The Telegraph claims that Potter had “heart-to-heart” talks with the players amid the recent poor run of results.
This reportedly reassured some of the players, as doubts had set in among some of these players over the manager’s ability to turn the situation around.
Another decision made by Potter which has reportedly been received well by the players is the appointment of Kovacic as the captain in the last two games.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva’s injury absences meant someone had to step up and Kovacic, who is one of the senior player in this young Chelsea side, did really well.
Interestingly, Kovacic handed the armband to Kepa Arrizalaga when he came off the pitch, which makes the story of how he reclaimed the No1 spot after playing second fiddle to Edouard Mendy for two seasons even more inspiring.
Chelsea are now in a good moment, with the players, as Kai Havertz pointed out, fully in support of the manager.
This can hopefully help them keep the momentum and extend the winning run.
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