Potter has “happy headache” at Chelsea

There is a joke going round that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has bought so many new players that there were not enough pegs and lockers in the dressing room for their belongings! Not long ago Chelsea were forced to resort to their academy youngsters to make up the first team and 18 year-old Lewis Hall and 19 year-old Bashir Humphries were drafted into the senior squad. At one stage this winter 11 players were on the injured or sick list however that problem has gone away for coach Graham Potter to be replaced by intense pressure to produce results. Chelsea new signings Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernandes, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, David Dadro Fofana and Joao Felix all expect to play which gives Potter what is known as a “happy headache.” Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz also want answers as to Potter’s long-term plans for them. Reece James is back from injury and drafted immediately into the first team and Ben Chilwell is also available again after a long period in the medical department. Mateo Kovacic and Denis Zakaria are also back and training. Todd Boehly is looking at Potter to see his team climb back up the table however the coach said this week, “This is a difficult situation. We have got Joao, we have Kai and we have got David. But that’s not to say it is goodbye to Pierre-Emerick but I had to be honest with him and give him time. You have to understand that these guys are human beings, they have got families. There might be something that is better for him in the medium or short term, who knows. But while he is here we will treat him with respect.” Potter is being given time by the new owners who have been influenced by Mikel Arteta’s poor start at Arsenal and then turning things around to lead the Gunners to the top of the table. Billionaires can have pretty much anything they want in this world and the owners will not wait too long for the coach to produce that turnaround and success.

Casimiro missing is huge for United

Erik Ten Hag’s biggest problem is losing vital midfield general Casimiro and the clever play of injured Christian Eriksen. Ten Hag has plenty of players from which to choose in their positions however Casemiro’s ability to control a game has thrown the midfield out of balance while he is missing. It is important for a team not to rely too heavily on one player however in Casimiro’s case he is the vital lynchpin who controls how the team performs in midfield. Having performed well in central positions earlier in the season, Ten Hag is worried that despite Fred’s energy he lacks control and Marcel Sabitzer is taking time to settle into the Premier League. Regrettably the Reds central play is back to its old chaotic self and is Ten Hag’s priority.

Guardiola solves penalty chaos

Pep Guardiola talked to his players on Tuesday regarding penalties. There was much confusion around the awarding of a penalty against Aston Villa. Rodri took the ball and went straight to the penalty spot after Jack Grealish had been brought down in the penalty area.

Riyad Mahrez was already there and refused to move. Captain Ilkay Gundogan then joined in with Erling Haaland and Mahrez was given the ball and scored from the penalty spot. Guardiola spoke with the players and told them, “Normally Erling is the first penalty taker. I wanted that but Riyad always tries to do it, Rodri got involved and then I don’t honestly know what happened. There should always be the main one and that is Erling.” Okay, problem solved for next time then.

Tottenham suffer from midfield injuries

Tottenham Hotspur are suffering a number of injuries which has reduced the first team squad leaving coach Antonio Conte with few options. On Monday we learned that Rodrigo Bentacur will miss the rest of this season with a serious knee injury. His fellow midfielder Yves Bissouma is also on the treatment table struggling with an ankle injury and Ryan Sessegnon has a hamstring problem. Club captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris picked up a knee injury and I am told he could miss the rest of the season. Conte commented, “Sometimes luck abandons you”. He is not joking because at the moment he has only two fit recognised first team midfielders, Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr and they have played together only twice this season. After the midweek match against AC Milan Conte singled out both players for praise. The club had planned to bring former England goalkeeper Ben Foster out of retirement but the transfer window has closed and league officials turned down a “special circumstances” request from Tottenham. Fraser Forster is Lloris’s natural deputy however he suffered a bad day last week when Spur’s lost 4-1 and Conte is undecided whether he can provide quality cover for Lloris.

Rodgers turns Leicester around

Leicester City have been rewarded for their owner’s faith in coach Brendan Rodgers after Leicester recorded a 4-1 victory against Tottenham at the weekend. The club has also been recognised as having one of the best owners in Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, better known as Khun Top, who took over the club after his father’s tragic death in October 2018. He has written off a Leicester debt owed to his company, the King Power organisation, of £194million. After a poor start to the season Rodgers has repaid his owner’s faith by turning the club around and are making significant strides up the table. Goals are starting to fly in now that Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho are linking well together, something Rodgers has worked tirelessly on in training. Iheanacho in particular has been causing defenders all sorts of problems and Rodgers said of him, “He’s been a constant threat all season and he’s horrible to play against for defenders and especially if you are a centre-half as he’s so strong.” The loser in all this is former top scorer Jamie Vardy who has now reached the age of 36 and is no longer the regular first choice as the main striker. Vardy has started only one game in 11 and has scored only once this season. He is contracted until the end of next season and I understand he will leave and end a highly successful career with the Foxes. Brendan Rodgers would only comment, “time moves on.”

Greenwood still not clear to play at United

Despite having alleged attempted rape and assault charges against him dropped, Mason Greenwood’s future at Manchester United is far from certain. He was due to stand trial in November but prosecutors dropped the case after key witnesses withdrew and more evidence came to light. However, United have not ended their concerns and are due to interview Greenwood to hear his account of what happened and they also intend to use specialists to assess his mental and physical condition. He has a £100k a week contract until June 2025 but United will delay a decision as to his future with club. Inside the dressing room the players are divided about taking Mason back into the club. Several are worried whereas others have no objections however United’s women’s team have raised concerns.

Sponsors are very important to each player and to the club and United are aware that their backers might not be in agreement about having him restored to the first team squad.