Graham Potter has adopted some mannerisms coined by previous Chelsea managers already. They are most likely simple accidents, but listening to the 47-year-old call Edouard Mendy 'Edou' and N'Golo Kante 'NG' might have helped Chelsea fans get over Thomas Tuchel slightly quicker.
Not too much has changed about Chelsea in the meantime. They have become defensively sound - though Kepa Arrizabalaga was a big part of that against Aston Villa - and have found an attacking spark once more. The three man defence is playing well, whilst changes in formation have become a staple. It's Tuchel's takeover 2.0.
An outsider would be excused for not telling the differences by and large between Potter's Chelsea and Tuchel's. The differences are subtle and important, though. Whereby the German was outwardly aggressive and demanding of his players, Potter cuts a suave figure on the touchline. Closer to Carlo Ancelotti than Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte.
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His way of speaking has caught the attention as well. Although the press conferences have been uneventful, his demeanour remains relaxed. That could be down to the form of his side, but his leadership, communication and emotional intelligence are all big reasons why he was so sought after.
The slight Brummie twang offers a different perspective on football to Tuchel and Chelsea's previous coaches, but the recent memos coming from the squad offer vague memories. Speaking after a tough first half against Aston Villa, in-which Chelsea were outplayed and really should have gone into the break behind, let alone 1-0 up, Mason Mount said that Potter's advice was 'to suffer in games sometimes. We did that.'
Mount also said: "We know as players in the game we're not going to have the ball for the whole game. We are playing against top opposition who are going to have the ball and have chances. We have got to suffer through those times. I felt like we did that in the first half.
"The game didn't feel right, but the most important thing was we came through and got into half-time 1-0 up. Then we can take a breather, speak about it, and see where we could change. We came out for the second half, regrouped, and changed a few things to see how we could have more possession and create chances."
It was a backbone to the side that has so often been missing in recent times and threatened to derail a positive start under the manager with a return to previous ways at Villa Park. The 23-year-old's use of the word 'suffer' is intriguing, though. It's not exclusive to him, but Conte was a big advocate, especially in his second season, for watching his team suffer.
Conte's teams work like dogs and are rewarded with solidity. Potter's teams don't follow the same principles, but being resilient is non-negotiable, and the former Brighton manager reiterated the message of suffering multiple times when speaking ahead of the trip to Brentford, a match Tuchel had to suffer through last season to get a 1-0 win.
Speaking about Kepa, Potter said: It's a nice example for everybody that it doesn't always go your way and you have to suffer in life sometimes. It's not always ideal and perfect." When analysing Brentford and the nature of the competitive Premier League, he added, "If you're not quite there, you can suffer, and that is ok. It can happen." Finally, he went another step into Conte-ism, saying, "If you're prepared to suffer and deal with discomfort in the games, then you give yourself a chance to keep a clean sheet, and that gives you a chance to win, certainly with the quality we have."
Working hard and being on the back foot in football is no new method. Manchester City's elite ball players work just as hard as Sean Dyche's dogged Burnley teams did. Conte's title winners had to suffer at Stamford Bridge like his poor second-season team. It's not revolutionary, but hearing an English manager say it has a different feel. One that Chelsea's players can't neglect.
It's part of the wider use of language in football that can be used to explain complex situations simply. Potter's choice to say that Reece James "got himself into a really good moment of form" instead of 'period' or 'patch' was also noteworthy. Although only one word of difference, the language now used by managers has perhaps never been more important.
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