Graham Potter | turns down Ajax job

I think people underestimate how bad Chelsea were under Tuchel since mid-December 2021 - they were only 6th in the form table. Very much akin to Solskjaer getting second with us, their top four position last season was heavily dependant on us, Tottenham and Arsenal being being poor - with Manutd being beyond just poor.

This season, they were leaking goals and scoring very few. Potter has improved them massively on both fronts - it is far from perfect, but Chelsea have a lot of issues stemming from poor recruitment, particularly this past summer.

Just to show the improvement:

- Goals conceded per game - 1.42 (Tuchel) ; 0.37 (Potter)

- Goals scored per game - 0.8 (Tuchel) ; 1.75 (Potter)

It wasn't even like Tuchel had a tougher run - he only had to play Tottenham from the teams currently in the top half of the table (a few of the teams he faced have struggled badly this season - Leicester and Leeds etc.). Potter has faced two top half sides (Brentford and Manutd) and he has had to play AC Milan twice; Tuchel faced the easiest team in their CL group.

Personally I'm not convinced he's done much more than cheer up the dressing room at the moment. They seem to have the same strengths and weaknesses as they did under Tuchel - they prioritise control and possession over chance creation, leading to some pretty sterile football. They're much better than they were under Tuchel this season, but I'm not sure they're better than under Tuchel last season.

Indeed the first indications are that they're getting even more cautious, since they were scoring at a rate of 2 goals per game and conceding at 0.8 goals per game last year. So they're both scoring and conceding fewer so far under Potter, albeit its so few games that I'd consider it not much more than the first hints, as opposed to anything too concrete.

Potter was always a cautious coach at Brighton. Their goalscoring record was poor under him. Even when they finished 9th, they only scored 42 goals, which is relegation fodder territory. They thrived in the league because they dominated possession against most teams but were risk averse with the final pass. At Chelsea it looks like he's got better players but he has the same approach.

Obviously he'll need another 20+ fixtures before we get a real sense of him as a coach at a big team, but he's not someone I'm too worried about yet. Indeed of the top 6 teams he's the coach I'd want least.
 
It's another game where Chelsea have lost the first half and are chasing the game. Same thing last week just United didn't score any goals.
 
Sacked in the morning.

I like him but he’s not doing himself any favours chopping and changing tactics and positions.

I guess to be fair to him he’s been brought in after the season started so he’s having to learn on the job.

Boehly is to blame
 
I like him but he’s not doing himself any favours chopping and changing tactics and positions.

I guess to be fair to him he’s been brought in after the season started so he’s having to learn on the job.

Boehly is to blame
About time Potter switches to the 4-4-3 formation. This won't be tolerated for much longer.
 
About time Potter switches to the 4-4-3 formation. This won't be tolerated for much longer.

Yeah I think this is the issue. They went crazy on picking up wing backs and defenders for Tuchel so now he’ll have to strip back and change it.

Such a clueless operation Chelsea at the moment.
 
I don’t blame Potter. He should have been brought in sooner, it’s like Ten Hag coming here without Eriksen, Martinez and Antony.
 
I don’t blame Potter. He should have been brought in sooner, it’s like Ten Hag coming here without Eriksen, Martinez and Antony.
I would never have gotten rid of Tuchel who is a proven world class manager
 
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Mission successful. Requesting pick-up.
 
I didn’t even notice at first but @The Firestarter was mentioning it due to the highly credible insider information that Boehly and his mob instructed Tuchel to play that formation (even though it would mean that they had 12 players)
Guy's a disruptor and rules are there to be broken/ignored.
 
Yeah I think this is the issue. They went crazy on picking up wing backs and defenders for Tuchel so now he’ll have to strip back and change it.

Such a clueless operation Chelsea at the moment.
We have 2 lbs, 2 rbs and 4 cbs. Whatever your opinion of the transfer window is, this is standard for most teams so I’m not sure what your getting at. With injuries we are down to 1 rb, 2 cbs and 2 lbs.
 
So turns out, the structure at Brighton runs far deeper than him and the staff he took with to Chelsea.
 
We have 2 lbs, 2 rbs and 4 cbs. Whatever your opinion of the transfer window is, this is standard for most teams so I’m not sure what your getting at. With injuries we are down to 1 rb, 2 cbs and 2 lbs.

I said I felt your window was all over the place and I stand by it. I don’t think anyone you’ve signed has looked particularly good yet. You spent a fortune buying players for Tuchel, even down to his request to get Auba on deadline day, only to sack him when the window closed and get Potter.

Surely you see how this looks?
 
Bohely has assembled an incredibly unblanced side. There is not a single player in that team bar Thiago Silva that has a fixed posaition. Constant rotation, formation changes and position changes aren't doing them any favours. Sure they had some decent performances this season but they look uninspired and disjointed most of the time.
 
Some of the defending from Thiago Silva today absolutely sensational. Could have been more.
 
Some of the defending from Thiago Silva today absolutely sensational. Could have been more.

Some of it was undoing his own mistake. Brighton’s first goal was definitely down to him I think.
 
They need Ronaldo.
:lol:

Potter has inherited Tuchel's team. If Chelsea were going to sack Tuchel, they should have done it in the summer and brought Potter in then. He is doing some weird things, though. His wingbacks today made no sense.
 
From who? Your own fans? Probably. The media, after 2 draws and a loss? Doubt it.
:lol: they absolutely would! 4-1 from Brighton alone would. Failing to score against Brentford alone would. Even squandering a lead in the last minute against a rival would on its own.
 
:lol: they absolutely would! 4-1 from Brighton alone would. Failing to score against Brentford alone would. Even squandering a lead in the last minute against a rival would on its own.

Okay yeah maybe a 4-1 scoreline would but wasn’t the that Brentford game on the back of defeat to another team? I’m sure that was a the context?
 
From who? Your own fans? Probably. The media, after 2 draws and a loss? Doubt it.
5 live we’re calling it a special game between 2 great teams, it’s 3-1 but it’s only the 66th minute, when Chelsea attack like this they’re unstoppable.
End result 4-1
 
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Winless in 3 games now?
A draw vs us isnt bad. And he had what 7 clean sheets or some thing like that up to that game. Thrashed Milan and good points tally since he joined, that too while suffering two big injuries on the way (one lengthy one to his best player).

Would be so silly for anyone to jump on him let alone the English media.
 
A draw vs us isnt bad. And he had what 7 clean sheets or some thing like that up to that game. Thrashed Milan and good points tally since he joined, that too while suffering two big injuries on the way (one lengthy one to his best player).

Would be so silly for anyone to jump on him let alone the English media.
It’s the performances, terrible v Palace and Villa as well. Never mind getting away with it time and time again with VAR and woeful decisions going their way.
Tuchel was still winning while playing just as bad and he was fired for it. Not saying Potter should be fired but there needs to be recognition about how flat their performances have been time and time again and Potter is struggling to correct it
 
It’s the performances, terrible v Palace and Villa as well. Never mind getting away with it time and time again with VAR and woeful decisions going their way.
Tuchel was still winning while playing just as bad and he was fired for it. Not saying Potter should be fired but there needs to be recognition about how flat their performances have been time and time again and Potter is struggling to correct it
It's like you're forcing others to be critical of Potter. He had no preseason with this team, came in just 50 days ago or so, has had some good results in CL so far. It's perfectly fine that media aren't turning their attention on Potter and Chelsea just yet. They will with time if Chelsea struggle.

Tuchel was fired but Tuchel had been at the club for year and a half, had preseason etc.