Crouch names the Chelsea players Potter must address after Salzburg draw

Graham Potter has got to build confidence in his Chelsea players, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech clearly lacking in that department, believes Peter Crouch.

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Potter took charge of the Blues for the first time on Wednesday night, but had to settle for a disappointing 1-1 draw with RB Salzburg at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea dominated the game but could not kill it off, despite Raheem Sterling putting them ahead in the second half. Noah Okafor equalised with 15 minutes to play and the Blues spurned a handful of chances to go ahead before the final whistle.

Aubameyang started the game and didn’t contribute a huge amount, while Ziyech came on in the second half and looked dangerous but could not make the difference.

Crouch thinks these two, and other players, are struggling for confidence and that is what Potter must address.

‘Some positives,’ Crouch told BT Sport. ‘But Champions League against Salzburg at home you’d be expected to win that game. They had chances to do that.

‘There’s a bit of a lack of confidence in certain players. Ziyech when he come on, you could see his shoulders are down. Aubameyang as well over the last two games.

‘I think there’s a few players suffering with a lack of confidence and that’s something he really needs to address.’

Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole also picked out Ziyech, while also suggesting two other substitutes, Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja are struggling with confidence.

‘There’s a collection of players in this squad who are not in their best confidence. Confidence is something you’ve got to build up. Work hard in training, do the right things, it will come back,’ said Cole.

‘Ziyech is one of them, Pulisic another one not at their very best form. Broja is a young lad who’s going to be nervous, it’s a big step up from Southampton.’

Kai Havertz could easily have been tarred with the same brush here after another anonymous performance from the German.

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