Graham Potter, in his first game as a game as Chelsea manager, deployed a 3-4-3 formation with Raheem Sterling and Reece James playing out wide as attacking wing backs.
Many have criticized Graham Potter for playing Cesar Azpilicueta at the center back while Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana benched.
Despite an early glimpse of what Graham Potter wants to implement at Chelsea, the blues could not win their first Champions League game of the season and Potter’s first Chelsea game.
Cesar Azpilicueta has revealed that Graham Potter’s plan for the game was to allow their wingbacks, Raheem Sterling and Reece James, the room to operate freely as attackers.
What did Cesar Azpilicueta say?
Speaking at a Post Match conference after Chelsea‘s 1-1 draw with RB Salzburg, The Chelsea skipper said: “I think we are quite flexible in terms of system and position of players and that is the way the manager believed that we could hurt them and be stronger as a team and we work on that,’ he pointed out.
“Of course, we are disappointed with the result, but I think there are as well a lot of positives to take. We will keep working hard now. We have an international break and we then have a run coming with a lot of games every three days, and we have to be ready for it.
“The manager has made very clear what he wanted from the players individually and as a team and we have to keep working. We know that we can do better, we have a big room for improvement, we need to keep sticking together and working hard, and hopefully, the results will arrive.”
The Chelsea skipper also added that Chelsea needs to put in Much effort if they want to qualify from their group.
Chelsea’s next Champions League is against group leaders and Italian Champions AC Milan.
“After losing the first game [against Dinamo Zagreb] we were in a tough position and now, it is a bit worse.
“it is still in our hands and now we work hard and with a change of manager, of course, we try to adapt as quickly as possible to get ideas and to affect them on the pitch.
“We play two games in a row against Milan and we have to be at our best level if we want to get the results and to go into the next stage.
“Then we conceded a goal that was disappointing because when you are not effective in both boxes, you get punished at this level in the Champions League.
“Raheem is an amazing player when playing wide and creating one-against-one chances and it was an amazing goal, and we tried to build from the back, get the spaces, get the midfield players into positions and for a moment we had good control of the game, for others not that good, but that is where we are and we have to analyze and be humble.”
The blues are at the bottom of the group and need to beat AC Milan in their doubleheader.
