Exclusive: The five reasons Chelsea have not sacked Graham Potter yet
By Matt Law, FOOTBALL NEWS CORRESPONDENT - 20 February 2023 • 11:42am
It is a question a section of supporters and pundits who have covered the
club for years have been struggling to answer since the embarrassing
defeat to Southampton – why have Chelsea not sacked Graham Potter yet?
The Southampton loss meant that Chelsea have won just twice in their past
14 Premier League games, which would have been terminal for just about
every manager under the previous owner Roman Abramovich.
Potter faced boos and isolated calls for him to leave the club from
supporters at the final whistle of the Southampton game after which he
recognised that some people would think that he is the problem at Chelsea.
That is not yet a view shared by co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and
Behdad Eghbali who remain supportive of Potter and believe there are a
number of reasons why they should not sack him. Here, Telegraph Sport
exclusively outlines just why Potter is still in a job.
== Behind the scenes ==
Boehly and Eghbali are privy to what Potter has been working on and facing
behind the scenes. While Chelsea fans understandably bemoaned the team
selection for the Southampton game, for which Reece James and Thiago Silva
were rested, the owners know exactly why. It is understood that Potter was
told James, Silva, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk risked
significant injury if they were to start the game, which for James, Silva,
Havertz and Mudryk would have been a third in a week.
Rather than put his own position first and take a risk, Potter took the
advice of his medical team and ended up paying the price. The board
believe Chelsea should have still had enough to beat Southampton, but also
recognise that Potter put the club and his players ahead of himself and
value that.
Big decisions have been taken in collaboration with the board, such as the
decision to leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of the Champions League
squad for the knockout stages and not selecting him for the past three
league games. Sources at Cobham also claim that training, which has been
watched personally by Boehly and Eghbali on a number of occasions, and
analysis has been excellent under the former Brighton man and believe the
results of repetition and hard work will become apparent in games.
== Anger management ==
Potter has faced accusations, from this correspondent as well as former
players and pundits, that he has not shown enough emotion on the touchline
and in press conferences. But senior sources insist there have been a
number of instances of the 47-year-old becoming upset and having tough
conversations with players in the dressing room and during individual
meetings. Potter is described as being intense at Cobham and there are no
fears over his mentality or concerns that he is being swallowed up by the
job.
Chelsea’s owners are understood to be pleased that they do not have a head
coach who is prepared to point fingers and throw his players or club staff
under the bus when things do not go for him. The complaints of former head
coach Thomas Tuchel after the pre-season defeat by Arsenal did not go down
well and Potter’s style suits the approach of the owners far better,
according to those with inside knowledge.
== Bravery ==
While many would say that Chelsea took a bet on Potter, when they chose
him to succeed Tuchel, there is recognition from within the club that he
also took a risk on them. Club sources have noted that top managers and
coaches do not like to take new jobs mid-season, with Marcelo Bielsa the
latest example of that after turning down the Everton job.
Potter not only agreed to take over the Chelsea squad in mid-season, he
also left an incredibly stable environment at Brighton, risking his
reputation and immediate future in the process. Potter has accepted that
results have not been good enough, but there remains a feeling inside
Stamford Bridge that he at least deserves one pre-season to properly work
with a squad and start a season as Chelsea manager, rather than paying the
price for problems that he inherited. The club have not considered sacking
Potter or replacing him, but if they did, which top manager or coach would
be brave enough to take the current squad with three months of the season
to run? Not many, if any.
== Pain game ==
Chelsea’s owners knew very well that they had a rebuild on their hands
when they bought the club from Abramovich. They also calculated that the
rebuild would most likely be painful, given football does not allow for
five-year projects. Senior sources have told Telegraph Sport that Boehly
and Eghbali calculated that they could rebuild the squad and the football
staff in the space of one year and three transfer windows, but that would
also bring with it ups and downs. The last couple of months have largely
been a considerable down, but there is recognition that some of the work
done in last summer’s transfer window, predominantly for Tuchel, has
created as many problems as solutions.
Cobham insiders are well aware that Potter would never have constructed
the squad he inherited and it is felt the January business has been far
more in line with his own philosophy – albeit leaving him with far too
many players to rotate and keep happy. The current view at Chelsea is the
club, together with Potter, must fight and work their way through this
difficult period.
== City’s example ==
Manchester City provide the benchmark for Chelsea at the moment and the
club have studied how Txiki Begiristain worked closely with Pep Guardiola
to recruit the right types of players and then gave the Spaniard time to
integrate them and bring out the best in them. Not everything went to plan
for Guardiola in his first season in charge at City, when the club
finished trophyless, and it has been apparent that new signings are given
time to bed in under the coach.
Just as Begiristain had worked with Guardiola before at Barcelona,
Chelsea’s co-sporting director Paul Winstanley had worked well with Potter
at Brighton and that is seen as significant. In Winstanley and his
co-sporting director Laurence Stewart, Chelsea now believe they have the
right support around Potter and that the January signings are players who
can thrive under him and in his style, both on and off the pitch. But
Potter has not yet had even a full month to work with them and Boehly and
Eghbali do not believe sustainable success will come from changing the
manager or head coach every six months.
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Graham Potter told 'don your tin hat and fight' calls for Chelsea sack
By Matt Law, FOOTBALL NEWS CORRESPONDENT - 20 February 2023 • 5:27pm
Graham Potter has been told that it is time for tin hats at Chelsea and
that he must fight through the boos and calls for him to be sacked.
Chelsea co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have no plans
to sack head coach Potter ahead of Sunday’s game against Tottenham
Hotspur, despite a run of just two wins in 14 Premier League games.
The defeat to Southampton was greeted by loud booing and calls for Potter
to be sacked, and there is a danger of the atmosphere turning toxic if
Chelsea lose again to London rivals Tottenham.
But Potter is understood to have received messages of support from the
board and a senior source told Telegraph Sport: “The message to Graham has
been to put on his tin hat and fight through it.”
It is understood that Boehly is due to be at the Tottenham game, with
Eghbali expected to watch the Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund matches
after the pair witnessed the Southampton defeat at Stamford Bridge
together.
Potter retains their faith, with insiders claiming the commitment of
Boehly and Eghbali to the 47-year-old remains long-term, and that the
preferred plan is to allow him to complete the season and then have a full
campaign in charge of Chelsea before making any further evaluations.
Whether that will be possible after the Tottenham game if results continue
to go badly and calls for Potter to leave grow louder remains to be seen,
but Boehly and Eghbali are understood to be hopeful that the opinions of
his critics can be changed by performances and victories.
Boehly and Eghbali have shelled out over £600 million on new players since
buying Chelsea from previous owner Roman Abramovich, but roughly half of
that was spent before Potter was appointed and there is recognition that
he has had less than a month to work with the January signings who were
bought specifically for him.
Other than the dreadful run of results, Potter has come under fire for his
team selections, having made a host of changes for the defeat to
Southampton and his manner on the touchline and in press conferences.
But Telegraph Sport can exclusively reveal that Potter was advised by
Chelsea’s medical team that Reece James, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz,
Mykhaylo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling would all risk serious injury by
starting against Southampton.
The decision to follow medical advice and rest James and Silva completely,
while starting with Havertz, Mudryk and Sterling on the bench, has
received the full backing of the Chelsea board who are impressed that
Potter put the team and his players ahead of his own reputation.
There is also backing from the board for Potter’s decision to drop
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from his Champions League and Premier League
squads, despite Chelsea’s goalscoring problems. Aubameyang has reacted
well to his demotion but is still expected to leave Stamford Bridge at the
end of the season.
Other than retaining the support of Boehly and Eghbali, it is seen as
significant that one of Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, Paul Winstanley,
worked with Potter at Brighton and has been a big advocate of his
qualities. Laurence Stewart, the club’s other sporting director, is also
viewed as a key figure.
A senior source added: “Graham has shown he is a team player and not just
looking out for himself. Of course, losing at home to Southampton was
unacceptable, but this is a painful rebuild and it’s bigger than one
result or a bad run.”
Chelsea’s board are not worried by Potter’s demeanour and are impressed
that he has not looked to blame others or throw his players and members of
staff under the bus following disappointing results.
The public image the former Brighton man displays is thought to be
different from his personality behind the scenes, which is described as
“intense” with Cobham sources claiming he has engaged in tough discussions
with his players inside the dressing-room and at the training ground.
Sources have also rejected any suggestion that Potter has not been sacked
because of the amount of compensation he would be due from Chelsea after
signing a five-year contract worth up to £12 million a year.
The source pointed out that it is common practice for clubs to include
termination clauses in contracts but also stressed that scenario has not
been considered or looked into at this stage.
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This remains my understanding. Fully expect Potter to be in charge for the Spurs game. https://t.co/WQsHmwE723
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) February 20, 2023
There's sympathy for Graham Potter's struggles from the players and the board despite the fury he faces from supporters. https://t.co/eq8R6EfBSc #CFC
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) February 20, 2023
Graham Potter would undoubtedly have been sacked by Roman Abramovich. Yet pertinently, he wouldn't have been hired in the first place.
— Adam Newson (@AdamNewson) February 20, 2023
It's a different Chelsea now and why – for now – Potter remains in charge despite the dismal form.
A big read below👇https://t.co/BnHvvPwrZF
🗣️ @NizaarKinsella: “I do think that Graham Potter is performing poorly at the moment, but I also think that sacking him is not going to immediately solve any problems.”
— London Is Blue Podcast ⭐️⭐️ (@LondonBluePod) February 20, 2023
More on Graham Potter’s future at Chelsea 👉 https://t.co/IH7nv8P1Xn pic.twitter.com/54LjhNvBQJ
"There is also no indication yet that senior [Chelsea] players don’t buy into [Graham Potter's] methods. From what I am told they enjoy working with him and appreciate his open-door policy and one-on-one management style."
— Si & Dan Talk Chelsea (@SiandDanTalkCFC) February 20, 2023
- @JacobsBen https://t.co/xmw6xNd8m1
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不論這賽季怎樣，完全支持波特，
計劃才剛開始，沒有在做半套的。
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