Chelsea star Marc Cucurella has faced significant criticism for his performances so far this season following his £62million transfer from Brighton. Under Thomas Tuchel, Cucurella initially struggled. So when Graham Potter, who managed the Spaniard at Brighton, came in it looked as though his form picking up would be a given.
However, Cucurella's role on the left of a back three that he mastered on the south coast was not repeated at Chelsea. Much of his success in that position relies on the people around him, but the options available to Potter in west London were slightly different.
The injury to Ben Chilwell gave Cucurella the opportunity for a sustained run in the team, but inconsistency plagued many of his appearances in the team. For some games Cobham grad Lewis Hall, usually deployed as a midfielder, received a few starts at left-back, before Chilwell made his return against Fulham.
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The England international has been a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge since his move from Leicester and when he directly replaced Cucurella against West Ham, the reaction was telling. As Cucurella trotted off the pitch, Chelsea fans began booing and then let out a huge cheer when Chilwell stepped onto the field.
"They are humans with private lives and things going on. Marc is not the only one," Potter said prior to the West Ham clash in a press conference. "At the same time, you understand supporters pay their money and the most important thing is what happens on that pitch over 90 minutes. But nevertheless, players have to deal with stuff.
"Marc is fine, he's going about his work. He knows he is probably not in the best moment of form but he isn't the only player who has to come through a moment. He is a player the club invested money in during the summer and it is our job to help him, support him, and bring him to the place where he is showing everyone his qualities."
The 24-year-old has been omitted from the last two Chelsea matchday squads as Potter likely begins to realise, if he didn't know already, just how many first-team players he has. Nonetheless, Cucurella has continued his work off the pitch and had a clear message for Chelsea supporters on Instagram.
Cucurella is pictured at Chelsea's Cobham training ground where he has captioned a photo of himself that says, "trust the process" *saluting face emoji*. The three-word phrase is commonly used in times of struggle, and although it isn't stated, Cucurella could be referencing either his own performances that he is working to improve or that of the whole team.
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