Chelsea FC In Danger Of Becoming A Poisoned Chalice

Former Chelsea FC manager Thomas Tuchel had every reason for a wry smile when asked about the fortunes of his successor Graham Potter.

After just six months at the helm, the man who followed Tuchel in the Stamford Bridge hot seat was fired by owner Todd Boehly.

It came mere days after the German coach returned to work at the illustrious Bayern Munich.

But, when asked about Potter being disposed of, Tuchel was restrained, respectful of the managerial fraternity whilst also making a slight jibe towards his former employer.

“I saw the news very late last night. The timing coincided with my appointment here,” he told reporters.

“I really enjoyed working there and formed friendships for life. But the club has changed a lot, so it didn’t really trigger big emotions in me.”

It was telling that Tuchel cited the ‘change’ at Chelsea in the context of the club firing a manager.

When he was ditched for Potter much of the talk around his being replaced by a man with a far less impressive CV was to do with a new long-term vision for the club.

However, the brutal reality is that Potter—a so-called ‘project manager’ whose best work was only likely to emerge after a least a year in charge—now has the ignominy of offering his services to facilitate a peaceful transition of power, according to the club’s official statement.

“Graham has agreed to collaborate with the Club to facilitate a smooth transition,” Chelsea explained, “We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.”

Talk of Potter’s departure has been in the air for several weeks now, with rumors circulating about other managers being sounded out for the position.

The surprise is Potter’s departure has not heralded the arrival of one of the big-name managers linked with the role.

Instead, the man handed the reigns is one of his assistants, Bruno Saltor, a former Brighton and Hove Albion captain with scarce experience, no previous knowledge of Chelsea and a vanishingly small pedigree at the highest level.

Chelsea fans can be forgiven for wondering why if the club believed removing Potter was a matter of urgency, his staff would provide the change required to kick-start the season.

Bruno’s ‘Difficult 24 Hours’

If Bruno was a man relishing the prospect of being handed one of the Premier
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League’s most prestigious roles he was doing a good job hiding it.

“It’s been really difficult, at every single level, especially emotionally,” said he told the media with hunched shoulders and a furrowed brow at the first media appearance.

“You have to do the press conference, you have to deal with the players – it’s hard. My relationship with Graham and [assistant coach] Billy [Reid], and how it affects families – it’s difficult to deal with that.

“It’s a sad day for the staff because Graham and Billy are two top coaches and top human beings. I have to be as professional as I can and try to help and guide the players. I’m just focusing on what I can control and going day by day.”

It’s possible the former Valencia player does not want to upset a former colleague and is striking a different tone behind closed doors, but it was hard not to believe his words. The question is how helpful are any amount of such emotions ahead of a run of important games?

“The responsibility is all of ours,” he added, “We have to keep it positive and focus on tomorrow’s game [versus Liverpool]. That’s the energy we’re working with. I see it as an opportunity for the players. We’re representing Chelsea, a club with an amazing history, and it’s about winning, about dominating.”

Soccer is a strange sport when it comes to managerial changes, Chelsea fans know all too well that throwing a rookie in sometimes yields glory. A decade ago, the untested Roberto Di Matteo delivered the Champions League a mere six months after becoming the club’s interim boss.

The chances are Bruno might be given a similar length of time, reports so far are suggesting Chelsea’s owners will not be rushed into appointing a coach and will be taking time to do their due diligence.

A challenge they now face is in convincing whoever it targets they will be trusted for the long haul.

It’s escaped no one that Potter was handed a five-year contract and disposed of after a tenth of its passing.

Convincing Mauricio Pochettino or Julien Nagelsmann they would be extended a longer period of grace will be something the ownership will likely contend with.

Shortly after Potter’s appointment, I wrote how even in the event of his being fired there was an opportunity to build his reputation because Chelsea managers had a historically short shelf life.

This has proved to be wrong, barely half a year at Stamford Bridge has shredded the former Brighton boss’s burgeoning status.

It’s not just that results have been poor, the scrutiny of his decisions and demeanor have been unflattering, to say the least.

The question is whether anyone could have succeeded with the hand he was dealt.

Potter inherited a squad that his predecessor Tuchel was far from happy with. The team was bolstered substantially in January, but strangely not in the areas most requiring improvement.

It was with this bloated unbalanced playing staff the coach had to try and craft a coherent vision, a task made harder by a condensed post-World Cup schedule.

But Chelsea’s lowly position in the table can not be explained away by these challenges alone, the talent at Potter’s disposal, could and should have been performing better.

Perhaps the next manager will back themselves to succeed in doing so, if they don’t the questions about the changes Tuchel cited will become even louder.