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‘Sometimes I get lost to see what Chelsea are trying to do’: Alan Shearer admits he is baffled by Graham Potter’s side’s strategy after abject loss to Southampton as pressure mounts on shaky manager
- Alan Shearer is confused by Graham Potter’s attacking strategy with Chelsea
- The Blues failed to score against Southampton despite talented men up front
- Shearer also praised the Saints players for the way they defended against Chelsea.
Alan Shearer has said he cannot understand Graham Potter’s attacking strategy for Chelsea, following their loss to Southampton.
It’s been a torrid 2023 for the Blues, and the situation worsened with a 1-0 loss to bottom-table Saints on Saturday.
James Ward-Prowse scored the only goal of the game from a free kick, to lift the spirits of a rudderless Southampton and put more pressure on Potter’s role as manager at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to Match of the Day, the former Premier League legend Shearer couldn’t understand what the former Brighton manager was trying to do with the Chelsea front line.
“It was a superb mix of defending and goalkeeping and some really poor forward play from Chelsea,” Shearer said.
Graham Potter’s attacking strategy has been called into question by Alan Shearer after the loss.
Shearer said Southampton’s win was a combination of poor attacking and superb defence.
He highlighted problems among Chelsea’s dazzling array of forward talent, including David Fofana, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix and Conor Gallagher, among others.
Shearer said: ‘Sometimes I get lost seeing what they’re trying to do. The first half that they had Fofana up, they took him out, they put Sterling in, because they didn’t create anything.
‘This is what I mean when I say that I struggle when I look at Chelsea. Ok, Havertz there, Felix there, they brought in Sterling, who was probably their best player in the second half.
“But Sterling has the ball there, there are no options, so he drops back, goes straight, that allows Southampton to get the men behind the ball and make it very difficult for them.”
In addition to Sterling’s back movement, Gallagher was also noted for his play, which allowed the Saints to get behind the ball. Shearer said: “When he doesn’t get his shot, that allows Southampton to put the players behind and defend.”
Shearer summed up Chelsea’s problems by reflecting on “the lack of options”. The lack of a center forward, that killer instinct.
He also discussed the future of Potter, who is under intense scrutiny following a series of poor results, including just one win in the calendar year so far.
Raheem Sterling was hailed as Chelsea’s greatest player after coming off the bench in defeat.
Southampton’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles flagged for a critical block for denying the Blues
“It’s a worrying time for him, he’s under a lot of pressure,” Shearer fumed. ‘One win in ten, four goals in the last ten games in all competitions. Not nearly good enough in the forward position. Miles away.
On the other side of the coin, he praised the Southampton defenders, noting how they celebrated after a strong defensive performance under caretaker boss Ruben Selles. ‘Look at the reaction, that’s what it means to them. It was really unbelievable at times,” said the former Saints player.
He highlighted a block from Ainsley Maitland-Niles that was instrumental in keeping Chelsea at bay. Shearer said: ‘Diving in front of goal, it’s incredible. It would certainly go to the back of the net without him doing that.
Chelsea’s next game will see them visit Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday in a London derby with key implications for the Champions League race, while Southampton travel to Leeds in a relegation fight the day before.