Graham Potter has offered an explanation as to why Moises Caicedo had a pretty slow start to his Chelsea career.
Blues midfielder Moises Caicedo, 22, hardly set the world alight during his first season at Stamford Bridge last year.
There’s certainly big expectation on the Ecuador international following his move from Brighton to Chelsea in the summer of 2023, which was a £100m fee that could rise to a British club record of £115m (BBC).
It’s fair to point out that the defensive midfielder has started to find much more rhythm in his game in 2024. In fact, during a recent interview with ESPN, Caicedo claimed he’s “happy” with his own start to this season.
So far, Caicedo has started every Premier League game this campaign, emerging as a pivotal figure in Enzo Maresca’s side.
Moises Caicedo of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Stamford Bridge on October 06, 2024 in Lon...
Graham Potter defends Moises Caicedo
Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter has explained that Caicedo’s slow start in London may have been partly down to the fact he was walking into a dysfunctional side. In fairness, it was a turbulent season last year under Mauricio Pochettino until they found some consistency right at the very end.
Potter told BBC Sport: “It is just over a year since Chelsea beat Liverpool to the race to buy Moises from Brighton…
“There is sometimes an expectation that you sign players and they are going to hit the ground running, and be some kind of instant solution to whatever problem you have got.
“What people often misunderstand is that you have been watching a player who is playing a certain way, and functioning well in a well-functioning team.
“When you put him in a different situation, and in a team that is not functioning in the same way, you don’t get the same player – temporarily, anyway. They just need some help and support to get back to that point.
“You have to understand the context of the club he went to, because it is fair to say Chelsea were in a period of transition for a couple of years, including the time I was there as manager.”
The Chelsea midfield
Caicedo is proving himself to be the very heartbeat of the Chelsea midfield right now and one of the first names on the team sheet. His partnership alongside teammate Enzo Fernandez is growing every week, too.
However, we’ll be intrigued to see if talented Blues midfielder Romeo Lavia can disrupt the pair if he keeps himself fit for selection.
It’s no coincidence that several individuals, Caicedo included, have started the season so impressively at a time when the side looks settled under Maresca.
But we’re going to learn a lot more about this Blues group during their upcoming fixtures. They face Liverpool (away), Newcastle United (home), Manchester United (away) and Arsenal (home) in their next four league matches. These are the types of games where Chelsea need their premium midfielder to seize control and dominate.
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