Graham Potter has been named the new Chelsea manager as the English coach will take charge of the Premier League giants.
24 hours after firing Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea have acted fast to snap up one of the best young managers in the game.
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Chelsea confirmed that Potter has signed a five-year contract, as the west London club hailed Potter’s ‘progressive football’ and his ‘innovative coaching’ style.
Potter was seen arriving at Brighton’s training ground on Thursday before leaving with his assistant coach Billy Reid two hours later and it is believed he said goodbye to the players and staff at Brighton.
Is Potter a good fit for Chelsea?
Graham Potter, 47, has done a sensational job at Brighton over the last three and a bit seasons and Chelsea are adamant he is the right man to take them forward.
Potter seems pretty adamant he is the right man to take Chelsea forward too.
“I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club. I am very excited to partner with Chelsea’s new ownership group and look forward to meeting and working with the exciting group of players and to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of. I would also like to place my sincere thanks to Brighton & Hove Albion for allowing me this opportunity and in particular Tony Bloom and all the players, staff and supporters for their continued support during my time at the club.”
Chelsea’s new ownership group have acted swiftly to make a managerial change just over 100 days into their time in charge but the timing of this change is surprising after they have just spent $300 million on new players and Tuchel played a big part in getting those players to the club.
From a tactical and playing philosophy point of view, Potter has excelled wherever he’s gone. From Ostersunds in Sweden to Swansea City in the Championship and then Brighton in the Premier League, he’s worked wonders on a shoestring budget and, perhaps most importantly, his teams are wonderful to watch.
His Brighton side regularly created a huge numbers of chances and if Potter can help Chelsea do that, he has world-class forwards who should be able to put a higher percentage of those chances away. In theory, this should work.
Right club at right time for impressive coach?
However, in practice this is a big step up for Potter who will be coaching in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time and the pressure to have an instant impact will be huge.
He is capable of managing in the Premier League and was destined for a top six team. But can he stamp his philosophy on Chelsea as a club with a playing squad full of huge characters and international superstars who may not be willing to change their style of play and positions? Will he focus purely on coaching the first team? Or is he expected to implement a new playing philosophy and identity throughout the entire club?
We will find out all of those answers soon but Potter is an impressive coach and man manager and he was always going to land at a top Premier League team.
Good luck to Graham and his staff. Thank you for some wonderful memories. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/1Phmdsk5Y6
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 8, 2022
Boehly hailed Potter as an ‘innovator’ who ‘fits our vision for the club’ and believes his man-management style will be just as valuable.
“Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful club. He has had a major impact at his previous clubs and we look forward to his positive impact at Chelsea. We look forward to supporting him, his coaching team and the squad in realising their full potential in the coming months and years,” Boehly added.
Chelsea’s volatility in hiring and firing managers is well known and Potter knows this is a results business but if he’s given team to develop this team, his track record shows they will not only be good to watch but that they will also overachieve.