Ian Wright questions Graham Potter’s ‘confusing’ misuse of Raheem Sterling at Chelsea

Ian Wright has questioned Graham Potter‘s ‘confusing’ misuse of forward Raheem Sterling at Chelsea ahead of their Premier League clash with Arsenal.

The England star joined the Blues for £50million from Premier League rivals Manchester City over the summer, but has only scored five and assisted two in 16 appearances this season. 

Sterling, who became one of Europe’s top attackers under Pep Guardiola at City, has been utilised in a variety of positions since Potter’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, including at wing-back.

Ian Wright has questioned Graham Potter’s ‘confusing’ misuse of Raheem Sterling at Chelsea

The England star has only scored five goals and picked up two assists so far in 16 appearances

The 27-year-old has scored just one goal in his last 11 games and his form is a concern ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which starts in just a matter of weeks.

Potter has rotated the squad regularly since joining Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion, but his selection choice are beginning to face criticism, as he continued to play players including Sterling out of position.

‘It’s one of the confusing things what Graham Potter is doing at the moment,’ Wright said on The Kelly and Wrighty Show. ‘I can’t get my head around it.

Former Arsenal striker Wright insists there is no way Sterling can be happy playing that role

‘When I did the analysis on [Chelsea’s defeat to Brighton], the full-back area, Brighton just absolutely tore them to shreds because you’ve got [Christian] Pulisic and Sterling who are supposedly meant to come and try to help [Trevoh] Chalobah and [Marc] Cucurella. It wasn’t happening and I couldn’t understand it.

‘There’s no way he [Sterling] can be happy playing that role, especially when you look at what he’s done at City, and the team he was playing in, everything was really concentrated on offence for him. 

‘It must be really strange and tough for him to go to a new club and have to play in a position like that. I hope they can sort that out soon for him.’

Sterling has scored just one goal in his last 11 games and his form is a concern ahead of Qatar

Sterling, however, has no issues with his new wing-back role despite claiming that he is better when he plays ‘next to the box’.

‘It is like anything, you come to a new team, there is different things going to be asked of you,’ he told Kelly Cates and Ian Wright.

‘It is a completely different shape. I haven’t played in a back five for a while but it is something the manager has asked me to do and it is something I am more than happy to do.

‘When we have got the ball, I am high and wide but of course you have to defend. But the more I’m next to the box, the better I am for myself.

‘But the more time I have to figure it out in this position, I am more than happy to play it.’

The 27-year-old has no issues with his new position but insists he is better ‘next to the box’

Sterling then went on to say what his best position was, while insisting that new manager Graham Potter was ‘dropped in the middle of a storm’ after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.

‘I feel my best position is a winger, that’s for sure,’ the 27-year-old declared.

‘But the manager has his way of playing and he’s not had a full preseason with us, he was dropped in the middle of a storm, really. 

‘He has grabbed it with both hands and he is trying to figure out the best personnel for positions. I keep saying, with time it will all gel nicely. ‘

Chelsea will welcome London rivals Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Sunday (12pm) and Sterling will be hoping to be played in a more familiar position for the clash.