The recent dismissal of Chelsea Football Club manager Graham Potter after just 31 games has sent shockwaves throughout the footballing community. The club has been under the ownership of American businessman Todd Boehly since the summer of 2020, and Potter’s dismissal only adds to the sense of instability.
In September, Potter was enticed away from the stable environment of Brighton and Hove Albion, where he was permitted to build a team with patience, time, and stability. His arrival at Chelsea was greeted with enthusiasm, as he was in the running to replace Gareth Southgate as England’s next manager. However, the 47-year-old did not receive the support he was promised, despite receiving a five-year contract and assurances of support and patience from the club’s hierarchy.
Boehly had spent £600 million on transfers since his takeover, but Potter, who was accustomed to working with a close-knit group, struggled to accommodate all the new arrivals and formulate a strategy. The 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa on Saturday marked Potter’s 11th loss in 31 games and signalled the end, with Chelsea languishing in 11th place in the Premier League, 12 points behind the top four.
The high point of Potter’s short reign was advancing Chelsea to a Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid, but who will actually be in the dugout for the game is still up in the air, with Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino being potential candidates. For the time being, Bruno Saltor will serve as interim head coach for Tuesday’s game against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
At the conclusion of the Villa loss, Potter’s tenure was met with fan ire, as many Chelsea supporters never fully embraced the idea of a former Brighton manager in charge, despite his excellent work on the south coast. There must have been times when he longed for the calmer waters of Brighton instead of the storm that eventually engulfed him at Stamford Bridge.
Now, Boehly will be under increased pressure to prove that he truly understands what it takes to run a successful Premier League club. As evidenced by his dismissal of Potter, he is not afraid to make bold decisions, but he must now start getting them right.
The footballing community has been rocked by Chelsea Football Club’s dismissal of manager Graham Potter after just 31 games. After being lured away from Brighton and Hove Albion in September, Potter was unable to make significant progress at Chelsea and was met with fan ire after Saturday’s 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa marked his 11th defeat in those 31 games, leaving the club languishing in 11th place in the Premier League, 12 points behind the top-four.
Potter had been mentioned as a potential successor to Gareth Southgate in any discussion of an England succession plan, and his arrival at Chelsea was greeted with enthusiasm. However, many fans never fully embraced the idea of a former Brighton manager in charge, despite his excellent work in the south. He was given a five-year contract, but the club’s hierarchy could not keep their promises of support and patience.
The high point of Potter’s short reign was advancing Chelsea to a Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid, but who will actually be in the dugout for the game is still up in the air, with Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino being potential candidates. For the time being, Bruno Saltor will serve as interim head coach for Tuesday’s game against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
The decision to fire Potter increases the pressure on club owner Todd Boehly to prove that he understands what it takes to run a successful Premier League club. He has a pattern of attacking markets with ostensibly bottomless pockets, acquiring players at sky-high prices, but so far none of this appears to have worked out as intended. Boehly is not afraid to make bold decisions, as evidenced by the dismissal of Potter, but he must now start getting them right if he hopes to bring success to Chelsea Football Club.
