Chelsea new manager LIVE: Graham Potter appointed as new head coach
Todd Boehly and the new owners at Stamford Bridge are set to appoint their own head coach as the Blues’ upheaval continues
Graham Potter has been announced as the new head coach of Chelsea, following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday.
New owner Todd Boehly acted swiftly to dismiss the German following a Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night, with the aim being to quickly put a new man in place before the weekend Premier League encounter with Fulham. Potter has now been confirmed as that man with a five-year contract having been signed, the Stamford Bridge club confirmed. The compensation paid to Brighton is expected to be around £16m, with three staff members also moving with Potter.
Chelsea’s move was all the more surprising at this stage of the season given Tuchel played a prominent role in choosing transfer targets this summer, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signed only a week ago and other big-money arrivals including Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Raheem Sterling. Find the latest updates and reaction to Chelsea’s new manager below:
Graham Potter’s record
A couple of other stats to note from Potter:
The English club he’s faced most often is Aston Villa (two wins from 10 games).
The English club he has beaten most frequently is Brentford (five wins from five), with Arsenal second (four from eight).
For opposition managers, he has two wins from nine against Dean Smith and two from eight against Brendan Rodgers - his most-faced bosses while managing on these shores - while Thomas Frank (five) is the only boss he’s beaten more than twice. David Moyes, Sean Dyche and Marcelo Bielsa are among those he has celebrated against on two occasions.
Graham Potter’s record vs Premier League top six
Obviously this isn’t going to be entirely telling given it will encapsulate time coaching two smaller sides and Brighton, who while improving are not a Premier League superpower.
But here’s a quick rundown of Potter’s managerial record in games against the usual big six from the top flight, per Transfermarkt:
vs Chelsea - 0W 4D 2L
vs Liverpool - 1W 2D 3L
vs Man City - 1W 0D 6L
vs Spurs - 3W 0D 4L
vs Arsenal - 4W 1D 3L
vs Man United - 2W 0D 6L
Chelsea manager search latest
How will Brighton move on from Graham Potter? Their player recruitment has been truly excellent from all over Europe and beyond, so the suspicion must be that they have similar files on potential coaches too.
An interesting job for any prospective candidates to take over
Graham Potter to Chelsea latest news
Not exactly sure what “communicated internally” is going to entail, but we can all imagine a few people who aren’t on Twitter getting the heads up over the office kettle can’t we?
In any case, this process is well underway now and Potter will be the Blues’ boss soon enough.
Latest Chelsea updates and football news
Here’s all the latest on Chelsea’s manager search:
- Graham Potter verbally agrees to become next Chelsea head coach
- And here’s a detailed breakdown on what the Blues will get by landing him from Brighton
And the latest from the rest of the footballing world after the return of Champions League action:
- Liverpool’s defeat to Napoli was a watershed moment, writes Rich Jolly, as the team looks like it has reached the end of an era
- And Karl Matchett says the first half at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was a stark reminder of exactly what the Reds have lost this year
- Manchester United are meanwhile preparing to start their Europa League campaign - an alternative route back to the top of Europe, says Mark Critchley
- Spurs forward Richarlison has been praised after his two-goal showing last night, while five arrests were made due to crowd trouble
- Elsewhere on the continent, RB Leipzig have appointed Marco Rose as their new boss
Graham Potter ready for a challenge at Chelsea he couldn’t turn down
By the time that Graham Potter got to sit down with the Chelsea hierarchy, the talks were strikingly straightforward. Both sides had a clear vision of what they wanted. Chelsea have been considering Potter for weeks. They think he is precisely the personality profile they want, as well as a hugely promising manager. He has meanwhile outlined in detail what he can do with this squad.
The situation has been proceeding with such a speed, in fact, that it’s fair to wonder whether anyone involved has actually stopped to consider whether this is actually the right time.
Could Potter not just wait to try and give Brighton the brilliant season this promises to be? Could Chelsea not wait until he’s offered the proof of an achievement like that? Do the big six really have to go and snatch up anything interesting that comes from the depths below them? Should Potter not wait for a surer thing, and not a situation so unknown?
The reality is that there is almost never a perfect time or situation in football. One of Potter’s rivals for the job, in Mauricio Pochettino, could tell him that. So could Brendan Rodgers. Six months ago, the Leicester City manager would have been the obvious candidate. There is now talk of whether Brighton might suit him, as Chelsea are not even looking.
Miguel Delaney breaks down the impending move of Graham Potter to Chelsea:
Graham Potter ready for a challenge at Chelsea he couldn’t turn down
The question of whether a move from Brighton to Chelsea is right for Potter’s own career is simple to answer. What it says about the game as a whole is a lot more complex
Chelsea a ‘natural’ next step for Graham Potter
Paul Robinson says the move is a “natural progression” for Graham Potter but that there are plenty of issues to sort out - starting in attack, which has been a problem position for the Seagulls, too.
“Brighton haven’t scored a lot of goals and Chelsea have had the same problem so it’s interesting how he addresses that,” he said.
Brighton star nominated for POTM after shining under Potter
A reminder of just how good Brighton have been individually and collectively at the start of this season: Pascal Gross, playing a key role this term under Graham Potter, has been nominated alongside Erling Haaland and co for player of the month.
No, Chelsea don’t have any players nominated.
Psychology, pressing and shapeshifting: What Graham Potter will bring to Chelsea
“Most football coaches only talk about formations, but Graham was talking about the learning process and how to build a human being. He was totally different as a football coach. For me, as a former teacher, it was amazing. He understands that the players and the staff are humans, and knows how to get as much as possible from every individual without taking the group feeling away.”
Lawrence Ostlere has delved into Potter’s past to find out exactly what makes the Brighton boss tick, and what Chelsea will be getting by appointing him as the new man in the Stamford Bridge dugout.
A very worthwhile read this lunchtime:
Psychology, pressing and shapeshifting: What Graham Potter will bring to Chelsea
What Graham Potter will bring to Chelsea as manager
Billy Gilmour: The one who got away?
While Cucurella traded Brighton for Chelsea, spare a thought for Billy Gilmour.
He headed in the opposite direction to work with Potter and get his chance at first-team level.
“Billy’s an exciting signing for us, he’s an able footballer and a great character, he has a great personality,” Potter said after signing him.
“He’ll fit into the group and add competition in midfield. We’re really pleased to have him here. As a footballer, Billy’s very technically able. He benefits from structure and the team functioning well, which is our job. If we do that, I think he will have a really good time here.”
We’ll see in the months ahead how well the midfielder settles in with a new coach, but it won’t be Potter who improves him now. Will he harbour regrets over moving?
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