It’s been over four months since Graham Potter was appointed as Chelsea’s head coach. He is now under pressure due to Chelsea’s poor performance, particularly after losing two consecutive matches against Manchester City.
Chelsea lost 1-0 in the Premier League title race and 4-0 in the FA cup against Manchester City. This performance would have definitely seen him get fired at Stamford Bridge during the Roman Abramovich era.
The losing streak comes shortly after Todd Boehly spent more than £280 million to strengthen Chelsea’s squad. According to some fans, the consortium led by Todd Boehly has led to Chelsea flopping. During the match at the Etihad, some fans showed their disappointment by chanting Abramovich and Tomas Tuchel names.
Chelsea Job “is the toughest”
In a recent interview after losing 1-0 to Manchester City, Potter claimed that being a Chelsea manager is the toughest job in the sport. According to him, Chelsea has a completely different leadership, which is hard for people to wrap their heads around. Abramovich owned Chelsea for approximately 19 years.
Potter claimed that he went to a club that was in a massive transitional period to shape it. One aspect that is favouring Potter is the fact that Chelsea spent over £280 million in the summer before he arrived. This could be the reason he is yet to be sacked. However, according to The Sun, there is a very high chance the coach will be sacked after a 2-1 loss against Fulham on Thursday.
Searching for Solutions with the Injury List Growing
Anyone planning on betting on the latest Chelsea matches should know the team is not in shape due to an injury crisis. The coach expressed his frustrations since he didn’t think Chelsea would lose ten first-team players to injury. This has made many fans doubt that Chelsea will secure a spot in the next Champions League campaign.
Potter feels that Chelsea was run extremely well for almost two decades. But unfortunately, the previous leadership is long gone, which means the club has to build things up again. Although this is not a quick-fix problem, the manager can decide on his best players to get the Blues back on track and maybe secure his job.
Having been Chelsea’s coach for roughly four months, it seems he is not sure what his best team is at Stamford Bridge. In the previous matches, players in different positions have been in and out of the starting line-up. This shows that he lacks real identity and thought process in his team selection, which could have led to inconsistency, confusion, and frustrations. In that case, Potter must select a reliable first 11 and quality substitutes that he can rely upon to get the team back in shape.
Who Could Replace Potter at Stamford Bridge?
Like Abramovich, Boehly has shown that he can fire coaches if need be. Boehly sacked the former Chelsea coach, Thomas Tuchel, a month into the 2022/2023 premier league campaign despite Tuchel winning the UEFA Champions League trophy. And since Chelsea is still in the 10th position in the premier league table after losing again to Fulham, Potter must have the right strategy as soon as possible if he wants to keep his job.
Here is a list of coaches who could replace Potter at Stamford Bridge:
- Mauricio Pochettino: According to the Sun, Mauricio Pochettino is keen on replacing Graham Potter if he continues the miserable run. Pochettino lost his job at PSG at the end of the 2021/2022 season.
- Luis Enrique: Luis Enrique is among the most successful managers without a job right now. He recently resigned as Spain’s head coach. If Chelsea gives him the job, they could benefit from his ability to balance between wide attacking and resilient defence tactics.
- Zinedine Zidane: The former Real Madrid coach is without a club and is aspired to be the next manager of the French national team. However, considering his winning streak at Real Madrid, Todd Boehly might consider seeking his services to replace Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge.
Final Thoughts
Graham Potter made his name after a successive run with Brighton. But he lacks the CV to match his predecessors’ success at a club like Chelsea.
That said, Potter believes that times have changed at Chelsea. According to him, a more patient approach promised by new owners was among the things that made him leave Brighton to join Chelsea in September. However, as stated earlier, the Englishman just lost another match to Fulham, which could prompt Boehly to sack him.
