Chelsea are just a few months into Graham Potter’s tenure as manager and moans and groans are already growing. Despite Chelsea’s new owner, Todd Boehly, always wanting Potter according to Fabrizio Romano, results ultimately dictate his stance on Potter’s future now he’s at the helm. In a results-based, ruthless game, and at a club that has been known to pull the trigger somewhat harshly in the past, Potter’s long-term stay at Chelsea is far from guaranteed, especially after a number of dire performances in recent times.
Todd Boehly certainly has big ideas and seems to be motivated by success, but should that potentially not be on the cards, then Graham Potter could be another manager to face an early exit from Stamford Bridge. While most Blues fans will tell you that the former Brighton boss needs time to truly stamp his authority on the club and to fully instill his methods into the players, Todd Boehly might not have the same amount of patience. In fact, given his desire to get Chelsea back to the very top and the trigger-happy approach that former owner Roman Abramovich utilised so successfully, Todd Boehly could look to shake things up should notable improvements not be made in the next few weeks and months ahead.
Make no mistake about it, despite a rather encouraging start to life under the former Swansea City manager, Chelsea appear to have stagnated. There is a distinct lack of quality within the ranks, the attacking football that was on show at Brighton hasn’t quite transferred over to Potter’s Blues, and there are a number of fans questioning whether or not Potter has the experience and the know-how needed to take Chelsea up a level or two. Right now, when assessing Premier League betting predictions, the fact that Chelsea are 450/1 to win the league and 9/2 to finish in the top 4 highlights just how far the club has fallen. Rebuilding a team takes time but Todd Boehly simply might not understand that. As such, a Potter sacking isn’t a completely wild prediction to make.
Should Todd Boehly push the panic button, let’s assess some potential managerial candidates that could be on his radar.
Diego Simeone
A target for Chelsea in the past, things aren’t going too well for Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid right now. With the Argentine taking the blame for Atletico’s poor start to the season, it appears as if patience is slowly but surely running out for him at the club. The likes of Luis Enrique have already been mooted as a potential successor to Simeone at the club should he leave in the near future, with the lure of Premier League football surely appealing to the long-serving coach. Should Graham Potter depart the club, then Diego Simeone would make a lot of sense.
Luis Enrique
Although Luis Enrique is on Atletico Madrid’s shortlist to replace Diego Simeone, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be under consideration by Boehly should Potter get the chop. Although Spain’s World Cup campaign didn’t go to plan, Enrique has proven his managerial credentials on the whole and would make for an interesting appointment at Stamford Bridge. The former Barcelona boss is reportedly on the hunt for his next post, with club management appealing to him more than the international side of management. Should Chelsea come calling, Enrique would surely be interested.
Mauricio Pochettino
Reportedly in the running for the job alongside Potter before Todd Boehly settled on the then-Brighton manager, former Southampton and Tottenham boss, Mauricio Pochettino, is a likely candidate to replace Potter if and when he leaves Chelsea. Pochettino knows the Premier League, his sides play open and expansive football, and he has experience of successfully rebuilding clubs. Chelsea could certainly do a hell of a lot worse.
