Flashback to September of last year.
Thomas Tuchel has just been sacked as Chelsea's head coach. The reason for his sacking is still somewhat unknown, but most likely, and the reason I believe it is, was the newly appointed ownership at the club opting for a 'fresh start' and also additionally not centring with Tuchel's ideas fully. Chelsea weren't necessarily a disaster at that point in time but the results weren't amazing and there were fears after a disappointing start to our Champions League group games.
Something to keep in mind - the ownership and Todd Boehly clearly were drawn to Graham Potter, who was at the time manager of Brighton and Hove Albion. Potter was in his third season at the club and had taken the team from strength to strength, bringing the best out of their personnel and putting the club into the European spots in the league. This is Brighton, who were battling relegation when Potter first came to the club. Graham Potter is one of the most exciting managers in English football. Prior to his arrival at Chelsea, he was a favourite for the England gig following some uncertainty around Southgate's position. Most notable is his man-management and close relationships with each player. His teams are 'tactically flexible, attack-minded and possession based'. Sounds all positive.
When we started to become linked with Potter as the new Chelsea boss fans got excited, very excited. To be fair, I don't think we've had a manager appointed in the last decade where the majority have opposed the appointment. Either way, wherever I looked I saw people speak about how this was the 'perfect fit', we'd struck 'gold', yadda yadda. I was on the same side as well. I really liked Potter as a manager. I watched a bit of his time at Swansea where he began to gain attention and thought he was a smart signing for Brighton after Chris Hughton was sacked. In the space of 3 years, you could see the improvements he made to that Brighton team, every player was comfortable in their positions, and the likes of Mac Allister and Trossard are now standout names in the league. De Zerbi has only made them stronger since he replaced Potter and I wouldn't rule out Brighton securing some kind of European football this season.
Chelsea and Boehly saw Potter and saw him the right enough pick to pull him out of his contract at Brighton, bringing him to the biggest gig of his career so far - Chelsea. On his appointment, he said it was 'too good of an offer to turn down'. Similar to what Lampard said, actually, and I still stand by my belief he took the job far too early. I don't see that with Potter. I see Potter as a fine enough appointment, but there are always going to be issues from fans.
Number 1, he needs time. Lots of time. I've seen people compare Potter with other league managers regarding building a team that can challenge in the league and in Europe. Some people would give Ten Hag as an argument, saying that he's turned their form around in a matter of months. Others say Arteta, who had a period of poor form before emerging with a young, fresh team who are on course for a league title, Arsenal's first in over 20 years. I don't want to compare Potter to anyone right now. Brighton took 3 years. He had 7 years in Ostersunds and by the time he left, he was seen as a legend there. At Chelsea, we have a culture of pushing the panic button the second a manager falls into bad form. Every reporter reporting on Chelsea at the moment has most likely said something along the lines of "under the Abramovich era, Potter will have been gone right now" and they'd be right. But the Abramovich era is done. Abramovich probably wouldn't have picked Potter in the first place, because again, clearly Boehly saw something in Potter for the long term, and agreed with his ideas. If we're really undergoing a 'new era' or a 'rebuild' at Chelsea at the moment, then we stick with Potter, ideally for the whole long-term contract.
Sacking Potter right now means we lose at least 4 months of progress between Potter, his staff and recruitment team, and the players. The signings we've made in January with Potter at the helm, supposedly tailor-made for his vision and tactics, will be thrown up in the air and whoever we replace him with will have a clean slate. Those new signings might be useless to a new system, so they will have been worthless. There is no better option out there at the moment, in my opinion than Potter. Take any free agent in the management area; Pochettino, Enrique, whoever, I wouldn't want any of them at Chelsea.
Number 2, is player management. Ingoings as well as outgoings. Last year's summer transfer window was largely a disaster. Spent too much, and whilst there were a few gems (I really like Chukwuemeka, Fofana if he stays fit, and Casadei in the youth setup), mostly we spent too much on the short term. Aubameyang was a mistake. Signed with the intention of playing under Tuchel, and then Tuchel was given marching orders, maybe a day or two days later. Cucurella is a player I really like, but he just hasn't shown enough quality so far and has not lived up to his 60 million price tag.
From now, we sign players that we know for certain will fit into the team and the system and improve us. People say we need strikers because we need goals. We do need goals, but we're trying to run before we can walk. We need creative midfielders and backup defensive midfielders. We need chance creation. Chance creation has been non-existent in this Chelsea side and it has been for months. Datro Fofana can score. Broja can score. Havertz can score. (if the Nkunku deal goes through) Nkunku can score. We don't need strikers, we need chance creation. We also need to sort out our outgoings. Players like Azpilicueta and Jorginho, both club legends (captain and vice-captain) but past their best by now and will continue to decline in the upcoming years.
A few more smart signings, a good backup to right back, and perhaps a winger as well. With a sporting director and technical director now in place, we can now start to make more smart signings in the market, and come the start of next season we'll at least see a bit of improvement.
I don't care that Potter has no European experience, trophies, or experience at big clubs. There is no better replacement. We have the rest of this season to focus on the best possible finishing position in the league, and the Fulham game on Thursday now becomes crucial; a win keeps us in contention with the other top-half teams, a loss drops morale and puts us at risk of sinking further.
Tuchel is gone and he's most likely not coming back. The chants of his name and of Roman's name during games are childlike and pathetic, and it's disrespectful to Potter at this time. It fuels questioning by journalists and it puts Potter under unneeded pressure. Teams go through periods of bad form, and every once in a blue moon (pun non intended) you'll go through a thrashing that's going to leave the club and everyone working for it, demoralized. At this point, we can just take the little victories and move slowly. In the 4-0 loss against City, while we were pathetic for the majority, by the second half we were starting to show improvement. I haven't even mentioned the fact we have a growing injury list, and while I don't want to just use that as a get-out-of-jail-free card for our poor form, there's no denying it weakens us as a team.
Not the same situation, but we were thrashed 6-0 by City under Sarri and finished the season 3rd, league cup finalists and Europa League winners. Some of our fans are so unbelievably negative and reactionary on social media it's made me quit it.
I like Potter, and to repeat, we were over the moon when we got him. We signed him surely knowing he's not going to completely and totally revolutionise Chelsea Football Club overnight. No manager in the world is going to do that. But, in 2 or 3 years time, is Potter going to have us at a level that was worth the long wait?
We're gonna have to wait and see.