Former French international and member of the Chelsea 2012 UEFA Champions League winning team Florent Malouda has given his reaction to Chelsea's progression to the last eight of this year's competition and weighed up their chances of signing a big name striker this summer.
Abramovich would have sacked Potter
Malouda claims that if the previous Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had still been at the helm at Stamford Bridge that manager Graham Potter would not still be in his job, and that despite the win against Borussia Dortmund, Potter is still not safe, saying:
"I would be very surprised if Roman Abramovich gave Graham Potter this much time. Successful managers like Jose Mourinho - who won the Premier League the season before - was sacked early in his third season.
"I don’t think Abramovich would have accepted this bad run of results, but this is a new ownership with a new vision, and that’s great news for Potter. He’s a good manager, but at this level, with these kind of clubs, you often don’t have time.
With all these investments on players, it is expected there will be a return on investment."
Although Malouda hopes that Potter will be given the same amount of time that was awarded to Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp in his first couple of seasons, Malouda knows just how much expectation there is at Chelsea, and the pressure to perform. Speaking on the amount of time he thinks that Potter will be given to turn things around, he said:
"The managerial position at Chelsea has always been a hotseat. I don’t think you can talk about Graham Potter being given time, because Chelsea managers are not given time. It’s all about results.
"I think there is a lot of expectation because he’s coming in after a brilliant spell under Thomas Tuchel and the results aren’t there yet. He has support, which is good for a manager. But I don’t know that he will feel confident that he’ll be Chelsea manager too far into the future."
Highlighting that results are the most important aspect of the role for any manager at Chelsea, Malouda elaborated on the areas where he feels that Potter is struggling, saying:
"It’s always about the next result so even if the Dortmund game gives him some breathing space, there is still the threat that you can lose the job at any time, particularly if someone becomes available.
For the moment, it’s good that he has the support because it sends a signal to the rest of the squad. But no one believes he will be given time if he has a bad run of results."
On that note, Malouda also believes that Chelsea will come crashing back down to earth this weekend when they play Leicester City, predicting a return to their recent frustrating form. Saying that he thinks his former side will only manage a draw against Brendan Roger's own struggling side, saying:
"I think Chelsea will draw against Leicester on Saturday, especially after the Dortmund game. I hope they win, but I feel they are still fragile in terms of confidence. The opposition are still getting lots of opportunities to score, and we are not consistently scoring goals. When you look at the goalscoring record this season, it’s not good at all.
"Leicester will be a difficult game and I am predicting a draw."
Not impressed by Havertz or Sterling
Malouda singled out Chelsea forward's Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling, both of whom got on the scoresheet in their win against Borussia Dortmund for criticism, saying he wasn't "impressed" with their performances, as this should be the standard at which they always play.
However, Malouda hopes that the change in momentum for Chelsea, brought about by the controversial penalty retake can provide the boost they need to achieve more for the remainder of the season, he said:
"I wasn’t impressed with Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz’ performances because I think that’s how they should be delivering every game, that’s what everybody expects from them. But of course I’m happy to see them score, and I hope it helps their confidence.
"They have the quality to be the ones who gave Chelsea the win. It’s a positive sign and I hope we get many more after that.
"The most important thing was that Chelsea got through to the quarter-final. The team pushed for the win from the start, but you can still feel moments where the confidence is not there yet. If Kai Havertz had not been given the opportunity to retake his penalty, we wouldn’t have the same perspective on this game."
Kane or Kylian
Despite Christopher Nkunku joining the club at the end of this season, Malouda believes that his former club should be looking to make a flagship summer signing in the form of a striker, mentioning Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe as potential targets, though recognising there will be vast competition to secure their services. Malouda said:
"Chelsea should definitely join the race for Harry Kane. Kane is a world-class player who knows the Premier League, and it is an era where Chelsea need a striker with his goalscoring record and the ambition to win trophies. If Kane ever leaves Tottenham, it will be because of the lack of trophies.
"Kane would be a great signing, but I’d be surprised if he left Tottenham for Chelsea because of the rivalry. It’s not like leaving Tottenham for Arsenal, but to leave Tottenham for Chelsea, I’d be surprised but anything is possible.
"He’s a great option for any club in the Premier League, and for Chelsea he’d be a great pick."
On Mbappe, Malouda claimed that his compatriot could be tempted by a move to Chelsea as he seeks to add to his trophy cabinet and with a move away from Paris Saint Germain looking likely. Discussing the possibility, Malouda said:
"I’d like to see Chelsea sign Kylian Mbappe, I think we should go for top players like Mbappe. Especially when I see the amount we spend on others. It depends on his will to come to the club, but we should go for top players like him and build a team around him. That would be my dream, to build a team around him with young players around him.
"He’s won a lot of trophies and he’s hungry for more, so this is the type of player Chelsea should look for.
"Would Mbappe be tempted by Chelsea? Anything is possible! To tempt a player like Mbappe, it’s about building a relationship. It’s about more than just preparing a big-money offer. Players are sensitive and they know a lot about football, so clubs need to develop relationships with football and if you do that, I think you can get players like Mbappe."
Chelsea supporters may not have the same confidence as Malouda when it comes to tempting the best names to Stamford Bridge this summer, with qualification for next season's Champions League campaign looking out of their reach currently, unless they manage to win this year's campaign, which they have managed to do twice in the last eleven years.
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