Chelsea seek new manager as Premier League breaks record for most sackings in a single season

CNN
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Just six months ago, Graham Potter was seen as the man who would usher in an exciting new era at Chelsea.

The club’s new ownership group, led by American businessman Todd Boehly, had lured Potter away from Brighton with the promise of managing one of the most lucrative teams in world football.

Over $600 million was spent to attract top players to the club and Potter, one of the Premier League’s most promising young managers, would turn them into a winning machine.

But on Sunday the club announced it had sacked its manager after a disappointing spell in charge.

Potter has managed to win just 10 of 28 league games this season and leaves the team 11th in the Premier League table.

In recent weeks the players have been a shadow of their former selves and many fans have lost faith that Potter’s plan for the club can work.

Eventually, after backing his manager, the Blues’ management agreed.

“On behalf of everyone at the club, we would like to sincerely thank Graham for his contribution to Chelsea,” club co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said in a statement.

“We have the utmost respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed with this outcome.”

In his previous role as Brighton manager, Potter had time to stamp his identity on the team.

The club were punching above their financial weight and, as a result, carefully selected new recruits who would complement Potter’s style of play.

That approach has paid off as the team have become an established Premier League outfit who have enjoyed greater things this season – the Seagulls currently sit sixth in the Championship and are in contention for UEFA Conference League qualification.

At Chelsea it seemed quite the opposite.

As was the case under previous owner Roman Abramovich, the club expected immediate results and used their financial clout to sign a number of high-profile names, including Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Despite his impressive resume, Potter had never managed superstars and suddenly found himself in a locker room with several.

The scattergun approach to recruiting also left the squad lacking balance and organisation, with Potter failing to get the most out of a squad brimming with talent.

In truth, many had raised eyebrows when Potter, inexperienced at the highest level, was chosen to replace Thomas Tuchel as manager.

Despite falling out of favour with fans towards the end of his tenure, Tuchel guided Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021 and is still regarded by many as one of the best managers in the world.

The German has signed with Bavarian giants Bayern Munich until the 2024/25 season and recently told reporters he needed “a lot of time to distance himself from Chelsea” as leaving the club had hurt him.

“Todd (Boehly) said he would be different to Roman (Abramovich),” wrote former Liverpool player and current pundit Jamie Carragher on Twitter.

“I feel sorry for Graham Potter, but it was inevitable. You don’t replace Tuchel with Potter. It’s a ridiculous decision to start with.”

With 10 league games remaining and a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on the horizon, Chelsea still have plenty to play for.

Assistant coach Bruno Saltor will take over on an interim basis, but Boehly and his team must now search for a long-term replacement capable – and willing – to bring order to Chelsea’s chaos.

Potter’s sacking is another sign of how fleeting managers can be in English football’s top flight, especially when results are not instantaneous.

There have now been a record 12 dismissals in the Premier League so far this season, with Potter leaving his post on the same day Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers was sacked.

The previous record was 10 manager changes in a single season, set in four other campaigns, the most recent in 2017/18.