Graham Potter had Chelsea players ‘sit on the floor’

The former Brighton manager was sacked after less than seven months in charge at Stamford Bridge

Graham Potter had some Chelsea players sit on the floor in team meetings as the manager struggled to manage an oversized squad before his sacking, according to a report.

Potter was sacked on Sunday night less than seven months after signing a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge after leaving Brighton.

A 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in his 31st game in charge led to Chelsea’s owners deciding to move on from the manager after a tough spell that left Chelsea languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

The Athletic has now reported that Potter had lost the faith of senior players at the club, who felt he was out of his depth.

The Englishman took over from Thomas Tuchel in September after a rumoured falling out between the German and the club’s owners.

A consortium led by American billionaire Todd Boehly completed their takeover of Chelsea last summer, and has since spent more than £600 million on new players.

The lack of an apparent transfer strategy has been criticised, however, with Potter unable to get the best out of a number of new arrivals and marquee signings left on the fringes in a bloated squad.

The report also suggests that a shortage of space left some players changing in corridors before training.

Potter’s former assistant Bruno Saltor has been placed in interim charge of the club, with Chelsea sharing a goalless draw with Liverpool on Tuesday night.

The club are considering a number of candidates to replace Potter permanently, with former Spain boss Luis Enrique travelling to London to hold talks.

Potter, meanwhile, has been connected with the vacancy at Leicester after the club parted ways with Brendan Rodgers at the weekend.

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