Chelsea manager Graham Potter has been heavily scrutinised for his tactical decisions regarding one particular Chelsea player this weekend following his side's humbling 4-1 defeat to his former club Brighton on Saturday.
Marc Cucurella, who joined the club from the Seagulls in the summer, has struggled to recapture the same form that saw him crowned as Brighton's player of the year last season, with the Spaniard not lasting more than 65 minutes in any of his last five Premier League appearances, despite starting in all of them.
Potter is clearly trying to replicate the same success he had with wingers at wingback, with Cucurella on the left of the back three, despite his blistering pace and precise final delivery, but the players he has at his disposal are very different to the ones he had on the south coast.
READ MORE: Conor Gallagher issues damning Chelsea verdict after Graham Potter's first defeat to Brighton
Many Chelsea players, along with Cucurella, such as Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also received criticism for their role in the defeat, but former Chelsea defender Scott Minto believes the treatment of Cucurella is harsh.
Speaking on talkSPORT's Sunday Session, Minto said: “He can’t keep on taking off [Marc] Cucurella, I feel sorry for him as well. He’s not a left-sided centre back and playing in the three there.
"I’m a big Graham Potter fan and while I didn’t want [Thomas] Tuchel to get sacked, I’m really pleased he’s got an opportunity to come in.
“But there’s only so many times he can start off with bad formations, then change it, so fair play to him for seeing things. Although, he clearly didn’t yesterday."
Gary Lineker also offered his thoughts on Twitter, referencing Potter's in-game management but pinpointing exactly where the problems lie.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Potter offered his verdict on the clash. He said: "The scoreline and the defeat is a painful one.
"We didn't really recover. Once the crowd were so engaged, it was a difficult one for us. The scoreline was painful. Brighton played a good game, especially in the first half.
"You can always look at goals and think you can do better. We have to take responsibility a bit in the first half. We have had a lot of football, but that's no excuse. We couldn't quite get to that level. We didn't take our opportunities in attack, and they did.
"We had some opportunities to attack them too, but unfortunately, we missed the pass or didn't execute, then the scoreline was a painful one. When you lose, you can always do better."
Chelsea return to action on Wednesday as they welcome Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League before facing Arsenal in the Premier League next weekend.
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