Just 15 months after winning the Champions League with Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel was sacked from his role as head coach. The Blues have been at the centre of controversy for some time now, particularly since Roman Abramovich sold the club to Todd Boehly, and results on the pitch have done little for supporters to back the new regime.
Former Brighton manager Graham Potter was announced as the new Chelsea head coach last September but has just a 45% win rate with the club, leading to questions like whether he is the man to lead Chelsea to silverware?
Below, we explore if Potter is the man to take Chelsea forward and get them back to winning ways. You can find the latest spread betting odds on the Premier League here.
Potter ball
Potter’s footballing pedigree is largely based on his success at Brighton after he became manager in 2019. After initially finishing in 15th and 16th with the Seagulls in 2020 and 2021 respectively, Potter took a huge step forward when he led Brighton to a ninth place finish last term.
A fantastic start to this year’s campaign helped establish Potter further. With just one defeat from his opening six Premier League fixtures, including wins over Manchester United and Leicester City, Chelsea’s interest had peaked, especially due to their poor form to start the season under Tuchel.
His success at Brighton certainly didn’t go unnoticed and there was even talk of him becoming a future England manager at some point in his career. The 47-year-old has also been credited with trying to implement a more adventurous system with the Seagulls, opting for a more fluid attacking style, likened to that of Pep Guardiola.
A possession-based system is also favoured and Potter’s unwavering belief in his own philosophy is key if he is to be successful at Stamford Bridge, particularly due to the large scrutiny he is now starting to come under.
A poor start
With just three wins from seven games to start the year, Tuchel was relieved from his duties. The football on the pitch was poor and the relationship between Tuchel and Boehly had soured, leading to the inevitable sacking of the German coach.
Potter oversaw a positive change at Stamford Bridge when he first took over, going his first nine matches unbeaten in all competitions and picking up six victories in the process. However, starting with a 4-1 defeat away to his old club Brighton, results started to plummet for Potter.
Chelsea have just three wins in ten matches since the defeat at the Amex Stadium at the end of October, picking up just two league wins. This has seen the Blues drop down to tenth in the Premier League table. Quite often, a short improvement in results occurs when a new manager comes in but if the fundamental issues are still in place, this won’t last long. That seems to be the case at Chelsea.
The Blues have scored just three goals in their last five matches, conceding eight in the process. Their performances have been lacklustre, to say the least, and they are crying out for an out and out striker at the club to spark an influx of goals. The signing of former Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ultimately been a disaster and the Gabonese international has scored just one league goal in ten appearances so far this term.
Potter’s ability to coach a team doesn’t seem to be the issue for Chelsea here, despite their poor run of results. The Chelsea squad as a whole lacks balance and is lacking depth and quality in key areas of the pitch, not only up top, but also in central midfield.
Deeper issues
It seems to increasingly be coming to light that the relationship between staff higher up at Premier League clubs and the head coach is becoming of paramount importance. Without a secure hierarchy and structure above the head coach, the football on the pitch in turn suffers.
Fierce London rivals Arsenal have turned things around significantly and a lot of credit has got to be given to Mikel Arteta for doing so, coupled with some shrewd business in the market and an excellent youth system. However, the relationship between Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar has been crucial in providing a steady foundation for success. Furthermore, Edu also has strong relationships with director of football operations Richard Garlick, as well as director Josh Kroenke.
If these relationships aren’t running smoothly, then the performances on the pitch seem to suffer and that is what is happening at Chelsea. Tuchel’s relationship broke down with the club after the dismissals of club director Marina Granovskaia and technical advisor Petr Cech and similar problems seem to be continuing under Potter now as well under Boehly’s regime.
Can Potter get Chelsea back to winning ways?
Potter has certainly proved in the past he has the ability to succeed in the Premier League. Perhaps the job at Chelsea is too much for him, however, and the problems lie deeper than the head coach.
Nevertheless, Potter has to start turning things around and get the Blues back to winning ways and fast. The club have made three big signings during the January market, bringing in Joao Felix on a sixth-month loan from Atletico Madrid, signing Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in a staggering deal that could reach up to €100 million – a lot for a player whose experiences are limited to the Ukrainian Premier League – and Benoit Badiashile from Monaco.
These signings could help spark an improvement in results but Chelsea need their new additions to hit the ground running. However, the thought is that Mudryk will need time to settle in before showcasing his true potential and Felix got off to a poor start after being sent off in his debut – a 2-1 loss away to Fulham earlier this month.
Boehly has opened the cheque book to try and breathe life into his wounded animal but Potter has a lot of work to do to improve Chelsea’s fortunes.
