FOOTBALL

Is Graham Potter the wrong person to manage Chelsea?

Published

1 year ago

February 18, 2023

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Chelsea FC’s current manager, Graham Potter, has made the worst start of any manager at the club in the last 30 years.

Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of a Champions League last-16 tie has raised important questions about Potter’s ability to manage Chelsea.

And understandably so.

Potter has been in charge for 24 matches, and his winning percentage of just 38% is the lowest for any Chelsea manager since Glenn Hoddle’s early tenure in the 1990s.

Under Potter’s management, Chelsea has scored only 25 goals, and the team’s goal difference of plus-two is also the worst for any manager since Hoddle’s returns of 17 and minus-11.

Moreover, there has been little evidence of a cohesive game plan coming together under Potter. The team’s attacking play is still too slow and relies heavily on a moment of brilliance or a fortunate break to go their way.

Many other coaches would love their respective owners to spend more than £500million in the market to get them the kind of players Potter has got. Despite having a squad of internationals with a wealth of experience, Potter has been unable to inspire the team to perform consistently.

In fact, observers have questioned whether he even knows his best starting XI, as he has made 61 changes to the lineup across 16 Premier League games.

Taking over with a season already underway has not been a negative for other Chelsea managers in the past.

Managers like Gianluca Vialli, Avram Grant, Guus Hiddink, Roberto Di Matteo, and Thomas Tuchel all succeeded despite similar circumstances.

Vialli won the League Cup and FA Cup in 1997-98 after replacing Gullit in the February.

Potter’s fellow September appointment Avram Grant took Chelsea to their first-ever Champions League final a decade later.

Guus Hiddink won the FA Cup in 2009 having been in charge for three months.

Roberto Di Matteo didn’t get the job until March 2012 but within weeks lifted both the FA Cup and the European Cup.

Tuchel took Chelsea to their second Champions League triumph in May 2021 having succeeded Frank Lampard in the January.

However, Potter’s decision-making has been called into question, particularly his decision to omit Aubameyang from the squad for the Champions League’s knockout phase. This has left Chelsea without a recognised striker, making their progress uncertain.

That’s not all. Potter’s decision making is being seen as suspect.

Having decided to omit Aubameyang from the squad for the Champions League’s knockout phase, there is no recognised striker available to help them progress.

Even if Auba is not considered good enough to lead the line from the outset, you would think he would be a useful asset to have on the bench. There are several midfielders Potter could have discarded instead to make room for Aubameyang,

Furthermore, the Chelsea dressing room has always been a difficult one to control. What adds to the problem is that Potter has won nothing.

Some supporters believe that Potter’s lack of trophies since his days with Ostersunds in Sweden six years ago, doesn’t give the authority to manage a team of superstars.

Clearly, he lacks the aura of a Mourinho or Tuchel that can inspire the current group of players and imbue them with a winning mentality.

No doubt, he is a nice guy but as the popular adage says, nice guys finish last.

And that is not good enough for Chelsea FC.

FOOTBALL

WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”

(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC

— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.

Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC

— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

FOOTBALL

PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

Published

2 months ago

March 2, 2024

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Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3^rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.