3 Things Graham Potter got wrong in Chelsea 0-1 Southampton

Starting Cesar Azpilicueta instead of Reece James

Reece James’ importance to this Chelsea side is such that insofar as he is fit and ready for selection, he has to start. Against Southampton, Chelsea’s lack of dynamism and attacking flair in the first half could perhaps be explained with James’ absence from the side. While the Blues‘ reliance on James perhaps borders on concerning, it is simultaneously true that the Blues lose so much in attack without the English full-back marauding down the right side of the pitch. This is not intended as a slight on Azpilicueta but rather an indication of just how important of a talent James is. As much as Chelsea’s current club captain remains a reliable defender and undeniably offers much needed experience on the pitch, he is simply unable to offer the dynamism that James can.

Against Southampton, Azpilicueta struggled during parts of the first half to keep pace with Southampton’s attacking duo of Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana. Moreover, in what can only be described as a moment of ill-judgment, it was the Spaniard’s rash challenge on Stuart Armstrong that gave away the free kick from which the only goal of the game was scored. It was a poor performance from Azpilicueta and while it can be argued that poor showings and rash challenges are an inevitable part of the game, what is less forgivable is Potter’s decision to leave James completely out of the team. In doing so, the Englishman effective hamstrung himself and denied the team an opportunity to utilise another attacking dimension with the home side desperately chasing for an equaliser. Considering that James was left out by choice rather than due to a knock from the previous game against Dortmund, Potter’s selection once again opened himself up to further criticism from the fans.