After the shocking dismissal of Thomas Tuchel as manager of Chelsea on Thursday, Graham Potter was named the club’s new manager on a five-year contract.
The Englishman has moved from Brighton to Chelsea, where his “progressive football and imaginative coaching” have been praised.
The 47-year-old man was well praised for his contributions to Brighton.
He brought the Seagulls from a ninth-place finish to fourth this season by demanding exciting and tactically adept displays from his players.
Potter’s first game as Chelsea boss will be a derby at west London neighbours Fulham on Saturday.
This is a magnificent football club, and I am honored to represent Chelsea FC, he remarked.
I’m looking forward to meeting Chelsea’s talented set of players and working with them to build a team and culture that the club’s devoted fan base can be proud of, and I’m thrilled to be working with the new ownership group.
After firing Tuchel on Wednesday, only seven games into the new season, Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly is certain that Potter will be a good match for the club’s long-term plans at Stamford Bridge.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Graham join the Chelsea team. He is a Premier League veteran and a game-changer as a coach, both of which are essential to the success of our club “To quote Boehly:
To further paraphrase, “not only is he highly gifted on the pitch, but he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch that will make Chelsea a more successful club,”
After leading Brighton to its best-ever league finish the previous season on a shoestring budget, Potter was mentioned as a possible candidate for the Manchester United job ultimately occupied by Erik ten Hag.
The Englishman’s contract had a buy-out provision, so when Chelsea came calling, Brighton had to let him go.
After three successful years at the helm of the Brighton ship, Potter was recognized as a future managerial powerhouse. Prior to his time at Brighton, Potter served as manager for Swansea and the Swedish club Ostersunds FK.
“Outstanding trainer”
Following a short playing career that saw him make eight games in the Premier League for Southampton but otherwise be spent in the lower leagues, he has found success as a coach.
“I can’t express how sad I am about Graham leaving. Over the past three and a half years, he has been a tremendous success as both a head coach and a person “Tony Bloom, chairman of Brighton, remarked.
Despite all the praise, Potter’s first job as Chelsea manager will be to deal with the egos of superstar players while also satisfying the demands of the club’s ultra-demanding new owners.
As he evaluates the combustible situation at Stamford Bridge, Potter, who has been touted as a future England manager, will face the toughest test of his career.
It was said that Tuchel’s relationships with the players had worsened, and that he had also been at odds with the owners at Stamford Bridge.
The “collaborative, forward-thinking approach” that Chelsea praised so highly in her statement about Potter is indicative of his character.
Chelsea’s Champions League debut against Dinamo Zagreb ended in a humiliating 1-0 loss, and Tuchel was fired hours after the game.
With only three wins in their first six matches, the club’s Premier League standing was dismal when the German, who was in charge for less than 20 months, left.
To acquire Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in late May, Boehly’s consortium paid a then-record £4.25 billion ($4.9 billion).
They spent big in the offseason, bringing in several talented players like Raheem Sterling (forward) from Manchester City and Kalidou Koulibaly (defender) from Napoli (both stars).
Their investment has yet to pay off, however, as they lost badly to Leeds and Southampton before getting off to a terrible start in the Champions League in Croatia.