Chelsea manager Graham Potter has opened up on his plans for the upcoming break during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Premier League will have a break for more than a month after this weekend before resuming on Boxing Day (26 December).
Potter has admitted that he is looking forward to making the most of the upcoming World Cup break. The Englishman took charge at Stamford Bridge on 8 September following the controversial sacking of former manager Thomas Tuchel.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion has been in charge of the Blues in 13 outings so far, securing seven wins while drawing three and losing three games. However, things have not gone his way of late with the west London side losing three out of their last four games in all competitions.
Potter has highlighted his plans for the World Cup break as stated he will look to ensure that Chelsea make a solid impression when the season resumes. In his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Newcastle United on Saturday (12 November), he said, as quoted by Football.London:
“Have a bit of a break, then reconvene for a warm weather camp and a couple of games to prepare for the restart. I wouldn’t say looking forward to it. We have to use it for what it is. We have a game tomorrow, whatever happens then, then you have to take stock. We have to take that time to reflect and come back in a stronger way.”
Chelsea boss Graham Potter could use World Cup break to assess his team
Potter has certainly not enjoyed the best possible start to his managerial stint at Chelsea. However, it would be really harsh to judge him on his two-month spell because he has not had enough time to influence the Blues yet.
It’s always difficult for a new manager to join a club in the middle of the season because pre-season is the ideal time for managers to discover their best XI and tactical setup.
Potter was unbeaten in his first nine games as Chelsea manager, which is a fairly promising return. The break enforced by the World cup could be the ideal time for the Blues boss to assess his squad and consider his best team and system.
The west London outfit have as many as 12 first-team players taking part in the World Cup.