Graham Potter has been told to alter his team selection in order to get the best out of his Chelsea side. Having previously been criticised for over tinkering and changing with players it was a similar story against Southampton.
Despite the evident need for some much needed confidence, Potter chose to rest a group of first team stars including Thiago Silva and Reece James. With a high intensity match against Borussia Dortmund in midweek and both players' fitness of vital importance, it was an understandable choice but one that backfired.
The Blues were all over the place in the first half without their two most important players and weren't able to overturn the 1-0 scoreline despite waves of attacks in the second period. The record without James in particular is extremely poor and raised questions over the decision.
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Having played two full matches against West Ham and in Germany, Potter left him out entirely whilst Kalidou Koulibaly partnered Benoit Badiashile in an entirely new centre-back pairing in Silva's absence. The rotation has been viewed by some as disrespectful to their opponents and the result only soured an already toxic mood at Stamford Bridge.
With a full week to prepare for their next outing, against Tottenham on Sunday, Chelsea have now been told who to play and who to drop. Writing in the BBC Team of the Week, Garth Crooks unsurprisingly didn't have any Chelsea players in there but did offer some advice to Potter, regardless.
"So Chelsea have spent over £600m in the transfer window and had to turn to a 20-year-old unknown in David Datro Fofana to provide them with the goals they desperately need. Is this a joke?" he said.
"I said last week I wasn't sure if owner Todd Boehly knew what he was doing. I'm now asking the same question of manager Graham Potter. The apprehension in the air at Stamford Bridge against Southampton was penetrating. We all know it can't go on like this."
Fofana, to his credit, was lively when offered the chance in the first half but struggled to get too involved with play and was hooked at half time with Raheem Sterling replacing him. Kai Havertz also came on and added some impetus but it was too little, too late and the Blues fell short.
Without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang there was a lack of firepower from the bench too. This all raises more questions and they're ones that Potter will have to answer sooner rather than later.
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