"It's going to take time to implement his ideas" – Arsenal legend explains why Chelsea must not 'get carried away' with Graham Potter

Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson has claimed that new Chelsea manager Graham Potter has endured a slow start at Stamford Bridge. However, he has backed Potter to transform the Blues next season.

Earlier in September, the Blues parted ways with Thomas Tuchel after 20 months of association and appointed the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss as their new manager. Potter, who was the top choice for the job, penned a five-year deal with the west London outfit.

Potter opened his new coaching chapter with a 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League on 14 September. Since then, he has guided his new team to back-to-back wins against Crystal Palace (2-1) and AC Milan (3-0) in October.

In his column for Daily Star, Merson shared his thoughts about Potter's nascent reign at the five-time Premier League winners. He wrote:

"I watched Chelsea at Crystal Palace last weekend and I thought the Blues got away with one. The goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was the man of the match and it could have gone either way. If you came to watch the two sides for the first time, you wouldn’t have known who was Chelsea. There was that little between them."

He continued:

"AC Milan was a good result but they were fortunate to put a team out so we shouldn't get carried away just yet with Graham Potter. There's no doubt that he's had a decent enough start but they haven't played anyone of real note."

He added:

"If they get in the top four this season, I think they've had the biggest result ever. I don't mean that disrespectfully but it's going to take time to implement his ideas from Brighton. Next season, I think we will see a completely different Chelsea. They will be a massive threat."

After hosting a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend, the Blues are next scheduled to lock horns with AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (11 October).

Chelsea set to appoint new technical director

According to reputed journalist Matt Law, former RB Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell is set to join Chelsea in a similar role following a meeting with the club this past week.

Vivell had been the Bundesliga outfit's technical director since 2020 but left the Red Bull Arena following a meeting with the Blues. He previously worked at Red Bull Salzburg alongside Christoph Freund, with the pair unearthing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.