FOOTBALL
Is Graham Potter the wrong person to manage Chelsea?
Chelsea FC’s current manager, Graham Potter, has made the worst start of any manager at the club in the last 30 years.
Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of a Champions League last-16 tie has raised important questions about Potter’s ability to manage Chelsea.
And understandably so.
Potter has been in charge for 24 matches, and his winning percentage of just 38% is the lowest for any Chelsea manager since Glenn Hoddle’s early tenure in the 1990s.
Under Potter’s management, Chelsea has scored only 25 goals, and the team’s goal difference of plus-two is also the worst for any manager since Hoddle’s returns of 17 and minus-11.
Moreover, there has been little evidence of a cohesive game plan coming together under Potter. The team’s attacking play is still too slow and relies heavily on a moment of brilliance or a fortunate break to go their way.
Many other coaches would love their respective owners to spend more than £500million in the market to get them the kind of players Potter has got. Despite having a squad of internationals with a wealth of experience, Potter has been unable to inspire the team to perform consistently.
In fact, observers have questioned whether he even knows his best starting XI, as he has made 61 changes to the lineup across 16 Premier League games.
Taking over with a season already underway has not been a negative for other Chelsea managers in the past.
Managers like Gianluca Vialli, Avram Grant, Guus Hiddink, Roberto Di Matteo, and Thomas Tuchel all succeeded despite similar circumstances.
Vialli won the League Cup and FA Cup in 1997-98 after replacing Gullit in the February.
Potter’s fellow September appointment Avram Grant took Chelsea to their first-ever Champions League final a decade later.
Guus Hiddink won the FA Cup in 2009 having been in charge for three months.
Roberto Di Matteo didn’t get the job until March 2012 but within weeks lifted both the FA Cup and the European Cup.
Tuchel took Chelsea to their second Champions League triumph in May 2021 having succeeded Frank Lampard in the January.
However, Potter’s decision-making has been called into question, particularly his decision to omit Aubameyang from the squad for the Champions League’s knockout phase. This has left Chelsea without a recognised striker, making their progress uncertain.
That’s not all. Potter’s decision making is being seen as suspect.
Having decided to omit Aubameyang from the squad for the Champions League’s knockout phase, there is no recognised striker available to help them progress.
Even if Auba is not considered good enough to lead the line from the outset, you would think he would be a useful asset to have on the bench. There are several midfielders Potter could have discarded instead to make room for Aubameyang,
Furthermore, the Chelsea dressing room has always been a difficult one to control. What adds to the problem is that Potter has won nothing.
Some supporters believe that Potter’s lack of trophies since his days with Ostersunds in Sweden six years ago, doesn’t give the authority to manage a team of superstars.
Clearly, he lacks the aura of a Mourinho or Tuchel that can inspire the current group of players and imbue them with a winning mentality.
No doubt, he is a nice guy but as the popular adage says, nice guys finish last.
And that is not good enough for Chelsea FC.