It came as a surprise when Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel for Graham Potter. They sacked a coach who had delivered a considerable amount of success in the space of 20 months for a promising coach who had never managed at the top level. Admittedly, Potter did an amazing job with Brighton; his style of football was as entertaining as it could get. He made Brighton, a team with unknown players and limited resources, a competitive team. According to Todd Boehly, Chelsea was going to give Potter time to build a team out of this Chelsea squad, which they did.
The decision to sack Graham Potter has not come as a shock to the football world. For many, it has come late with a string of bad performances and results. Out of the 31 football games Potter managed, he won 12, lost 11, and drew 8. For a club like Chelsea Football Club, this is unacceptable. Two years ago, they were the winners of the Champions League, and a year ago, they won the Club World Cup. During the 2022–2023 preseason, there were signs of complacency from the players, which former coach Tuchel called out.
The biggest criticism of Potter's time as Chelsea coach was his inability to implement a playing style or a fixed starting 11. His constant tweaking of formation made it impossible for anyone, including the players, to know the style of football he wanted to play. Chelsea has spent the most money in Europe but is nowhere near the level of the best teams. Players are not performing at the required level. Losing is becoming more of an identity than winning, as they currently sit in 11th place in the bottom half of the table. For the first time since the 2014–15 season, Chelsea is on course to miss out on a Champions League spot.
Coaching a team like Chelsea was always going to be a tough test for Graham Potter. One that has proved to be too hard a task. The board of Chelsea was considerably patient with Potter, as they wanted him to succeed, but he wasn't the right fit. This separation looks like the best solution for both parties.
Edited by
Aminat Akintobi
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