A Look at Why Graham Potter Should Have Never Joined Chelsea

A Look at Why Graham Potter Should Have Never Joined Chelsea

Rene Otinga
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:29 PM
In this article:
English Premier League logo
ENG Premier League
England
  • Graham Potter took a risk when he left a high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion to take on the Chelsea project
  • The Englishman’s reign only lasted seven months as the Blues struggled to seven league wins in 22 attempts
  • Sports Brief takes a look at why Potter was better off staying at Brighton instead of his Stamford Bridge move

Graham Potter’s reign as Chelsea manager came to a crushing end on April 2, with the 47-year-old shown the door after the club's defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.

The news was music to Chelsea fans’ ears, as they have been begging the club to do away with Potter for months, non-stop.

While it is never a good look to see a manager getting the boot, one can’t help but feel Potter was dealt a brutal slice of the reality that 'not all that glitters is gold'.

Graham Potter, Chelsea, Premier League, sacked, manager, news, fans, brighton
Graham Potter speaks with his players during the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Photo by GLYN KIRK.
Source: Getty Images

Under the ownership of American businessman, Todd Boehly, Chelsea spent heavily in the summer transfer window, bringing in the likes of Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and more to bolster their squad.

Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ click on "Recommended for you" and enjoy!

But despite the heavy spending, the Blues struggled in the league initially, prompting the sacking of Thomas Tuchel in September, with the club in sixth place on the log.

Graham Potter’s short-lived era

When Potter took the job, there was a wave of optimism surrounding his appointment, especially because of the work he did at Brighton & Hove Albion.

In addition, he was given a five-year deal as well as assurances and backing from Boehly, who had little to no experience of how things worked in the Premier League.

Notably, the American came in as Chelsea co-owner, vowing not to operate on the revolving door policy like his predecessor, Roman Abramovic, which is quite ironic considering how things have turned out at the moment.

One major red flag Potter should have taken note of was Boehly’s willingness to spend a staggering £600 million on transfers since his summer takeover.

It does not take much to realise that any club willing to invest that heavily on a squad will include immense pressure to perform, with that pressure falling ultimately to the manager.

No real pressure at Brighton

After his appointment as Brighton boss on May 20, 2019, Potter proved to be the real deal as he guided the Seagulls to their highest ever finish of ninth last season, with an impressive 51 points.

This was quite the display because the Englishman was slowly building up Brighton from a team that typically fights relegation each season to one that finishes in the mid table or higher.

When the Chelsea job came calling, it must have been for Potter to say no and for good reason - but one cannot help but think of how well he would have done if he stuck to the Brighton project.

Potter linked with Leicester job

In related news, Sports Brief also reported on Potter's link to Leicester City and the club's vacant managerial post.

The 47-year-old still has a number of suitors, with the Foxes having recently parted ways with Brendan Rodgers.

Leicester are said to be a huge admirer of Potter and he has been on the club’s radar from his time with Brighton.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.
Tags
Graham Potter