Matchweek Moments: Potter and Chelsea – Where Did It Go Wrong?
By Ian Katan
After only seven months in charge, Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday and are now on the hunt for their third (yes, third) manager of the season. Already under immense scrutiny when he came into the role, the pressure only increased with every dropped point and additional scattered signing. Where did Potter’s time at Chelsea go wrong?
Potter’s sacking came off the back of a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa the day before. Those three points saw Villa leap over Chelsea, who now sit in 11th with a 10-8-10 record this season. Potter has not brought the improvements asked of him, boasting only a 39% win rate from his 31 total games in charge. He has led them to the Champions League quarterfinals, but it looks like their road will end there as they face defending champions Real Madrid in just over a week. Miracles do happen, but I see Antonio Conte rejoining Spurs as more likely than Chelsea advancing past Madrid.
Even with the success of making it to the quarterfinals, Potter’s sacking has been a long time coming. Chelsea saw a brief resurgence in early March, beating Leeds, Leicester, and overcoming a one-goal deficit to advance past Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16, but overall they’ve been a shell of the powerhouse they should be. And there is one clear factor that has changed since their glorious Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup victories of two years ago, to sitting dejectedly in the bottom half of the table now: Todd Boehly’s arrival.
Chelsea’s new ownership is the true issue that has brought them to such lows. As ESPN FC’s Mark Ogden points out, Boehly’s first venture into top-level soccer has seen him make a number of decisions that may have seemed like good business at the moment, but left Chelsea more of a mess than before. For example, 27-year-old Raheem Sterling looked like a smart addition with tons of Premier League experience and years left in his legs, but provides no value when he’s on the bench and competing with nine other attacking players for minutes.
There is no shortage of criticism for Boehly’s strange decisions. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was brought in to solve their striker problems, but Aubameyang’s signing at Tuchel’s request was mere days before the manager was fired. And, with over $600 million spent since Boehly’s arrival, fans are astonished they still don’t have a consistent striker or clear defensive unit, among many other complaints. On top of their existing struggles, eight more signings in January 2023 gave the new Chelsea boss an astonishing 30+ player roster to keep happy. Good luck Graham.
Inexperience from Boehly is what caused Potter to be brought in, thinking that a manager could adapt to whatever signings the owner wanted. Tuchel’s dislike of this approach came from his vast experience and knowledge that players cannot simply be forced together with starry-eyed hopefulness. Tuchel’s experience, potentially seen by Boehly as resistance, is what led to this calamity for Chelsea. Boehly would not be able to implement his own vision when competing with Tuchel, so he brought in Potter who would be eager to prove himself at a top club and wouldn’t put up the same fight.
With comparatively little managerial experience, Potter’s previous success came from prolonged time with his team, building results over seasons at Brighton. Finishes in 15th, 16th, ninth and sitting in fourth at the time of his departure showed his ability to produce growth over time. However, even though the Blues may have theoretically been able to support his vision for success down the line, the amount of spending Boehly threw at him demanded quicker results, and Potter simply couldn’t provide that.
Chelsea’s formation and style changed by the week, and at times his player choices also raised questions. After Hakim Ziyech’s failed move to PSG in January, Potter played Ziyech for a few games to make him happy before being phased out again. Against Villa, Potter deployed two left backs in Cucurella and Chilwell. The lack of unity and direction from game to game made it difficult for players to understand their role, and it showed on the field.
To replace Potter, names like Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino have quickly been thrown into discussion. Boehly may be attracted to Thomas Frank’s adaptable and attacking style at Brentford, though this is an unlikely option. Chelsea must also consider that Tottenham and Leicester sacked their coaches within days of Potter’s departure. The three clubs may see some manager swapping, as Antonio Conte (who won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2016/17) and Brendan Rogers are both now available to hire. However, their former clubs are also looking for managers, and since Chelsea’s predicament is not the most attractive position to take, it may present a challenge for recruiting.
Chelsea has a ton of potential, admittedly thanks to Boehly’s wild spending on new talent. Joao Felix looks capable of being a highly effective winger if they can keep him after his loan expires, record signing Enzo Fernandez will continue to settle into the Blues midfield, and a number of young players like Benoit Badiashile, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke all have time to improve. Chelsea has the potential to become a devastatingly successful team again, but it will take the right manager, an overdue roster overhaul, some time, and most importantly, Boehly learning from his initial failures to get there.