https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/
potter-on-his-respect-for-frank-and-excellent-start-at-chelsea
Potter on his respect for Frank and excellent start at Chelsea
18 OCT 2022
Ahead of Chelsea's upcoming Premier League fixture against Brentford,
Graham Potter has revealed why he has so much respect for our opponents
and their manager Thomas Frank, as well as discussing the reasons behind
his own team's impressive form and his plans for the squad during the
World Cup.
https://i.imgur.com/lt1PABM.jpg
We travel to our west London neighbours Brentford in the Premier League on
Wednesday evening and when speaking to the media in the build-up to that
game our head coach was asked for his opinion on the work his opposite
number Frank has been doing there.
It was clear that Potter has a healthy respect for what the Dane has
achieved in getting Brentford promoted to the top flight and allowing them
to punch above their weight in the Premier League, seeing a manager with a
similar approach to his own.
'I rate Thomas very highly,' he said. 'I've followed his career since I
came back to the UK and I knew him when I was in Sweden as well, so I know
him well. I like him as a person, I think we have similar thoughts around
the game and life in general.
https://i.imgur.com/he9srIF.png
'I think a coach is judged on how much he gets out of the players, how
much he organises the team, how the results are in comparison to the
expectation of those results and he does a fantastic job.'
Potter went on the expand on those views and explain what it is about
Frank's Brentford side which impresses him so much, primarily the way they
play to their strengths, believing there is much more to the Bees than
just star striker Ivan Toney.
'I think Brentford are really good at what they do. Thomas has done a
fantastic job there, they use the quality of their players well. They have
limited resources if you compare everybody in the Premier League, but
they've made the most out of what they have and that's a credit to Thomas
and his staff and all the players there at Brentford.
https://i.imgur.com/t74Zyfx.jpg
Frank has been Brentford manager since 2018
'I'm always impressed with the job they do. They use Ivan Toney well but
it's not only that. They attack with clarity and they defend with
aggression and organisation, so they're a tough team to play against.
'The way they play fits the players they have, they're very organised
around that, they know clearly what they're doing in all the phases. Set
plays are very dangerous. Ivan Toney as a centre-forward is in his way as
dangerous as anybody in the league.
https://i.imgur.com/WSFpehw.jpg
Toney has scored eight goals in the Premier League for Brentford so far
this season
'They have a spirit and an understanding and they're really well
motivated, really well organised and that's credit to Thomas and his
staff.'
Looking at his own team, Potter admitted that his start to life as Chelsea
head coach has surpassed his own expectations, even if he admits to
keeping them low, with our manager undefeated since joining the club and
his Blues side now on a run of five consecutive victories in all
competitions.
'Naturally I'm not the most optimistic, but you never know, you can't
predict anything. It's gone fantastically well in terms of results, I
can't complain about that at all, but more than that just the way the
group have responded. The way that we feel in the team is really positive,
but it's only been six weeks.'
A big part of his early success has been our defensive record, being on a
run of four clean sheets in a row, and he was quick to praise the work and
mentality of the whole squad for that fact.
'It's a credit to the players, a credit to the group. You can't defend
with a settled four or a settled five these days because the games are so
relentless and the challenges are huge in that regard. So it's about the
team, it's about the group, it's about the togetherness of the squad.
https://i.imgur.com/mNtr5Ye.jpg
Sunday's 2-0 victory at Aston Villa was our fifth win and fourth clean
sheet in a row
'If you're prepared to suffer, if you're prepared to deal with the
discomfort in the games, then you give yourselves a chance to keep a clean
sheet and that obviously gives you a chance to win, certainly with the
quality that we have.'
Of course, like every team this season, it will be a challenge for Chelsea
to maintain momentum into the winter, due to the lengthy break for this
year's World Cup, during which many players will be away at the tournament
with their countries, and Potter confirmed planning is already under way
for that period in November and December.
'We're probably in the planning stage,' he added. 'Of course we'll have
some time off and then we'll look at a warm weather camp I think. So
probably a combination of the two I think.'
Until then, Potter will be hoping to navigate a run of eight games in
three-and-a-half weeks while continuing our good form, starting at
Brentford on Wednesday evening.