For now, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly isn’t prepared to sack Graham Potter. Having only appointed the 47-year-old earlier in the season, the Blues are reluctant to embark on yet another managerial search.
But Potter isn’t good enough for the role – and there’s a sense he’s effectively their own David Moyes, who toiled upon landing a big job at Manchester United back in 2013.
Chelsea had won trophies under Thomas Tuchel but, back in September, opted to relieve the German of his duties.
And while the Blues were then linked with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane, they ultimately opted to place their faith in Potter instead.
The 47-year-old had worked wonders at Brighton, making the Amex Stadium a fortress and helping them punch above their weight in the Premier League.
Chelsea had been impressed by Potter’s work and Boehly, new to the club having purchased it earlier in the year, then decided to give the green light.
At the time, the Blues had been plodding along. They weren’t too good, nor too bad, and the results reflected that.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is resisting the urge to sack Graham Potter (Image: GETTY)
In the period since Potter’s appointment, however, Chelsea have only got worse. To the point that their flops of the 2015/2016 season, who finished 10th in the league that season, look almost iconic.
The stats make for grim reading for Chelsea. They’ve won just one of their last nine games, with Thursday night’s 2-1 loss to Fulham another dire night at the office.
They’re struggling to score goals, too, with Erling Haaland matching their number of 21 by himself over at Manchester City.
And ahead of another exciting weekend of Premier League football, Chelsea are 10th in the table – 10 points behind the Champions League qualifying positions.
Yet despite the fact Chelsea are now regressing by the game, Boehly is reluctant to pull the trigger on Potter right now.
He invested in the Englishman because he believed in his project. In the long run, he foresaw Potter being a better option than Tuchel to lead the team.
Yet there’s a sense that, in the 47-year-old, Chelsea have hired their very own Moyes.
Moyes landed the Manchester United job in 2013, having done well enough at Everton to earn a recommendation from compatriot and close friend Sir Alex Ferguson.
His reign started positively, with the Red Devils beating Wigan 2-0 in the Community Shield courtesy of a brace from Robin van Persie.
Except Moyes was never good enough.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter remains the backing of Blues owner Todd Boehly (Image: GETTY)
For all the work he’d done at Everton, United are a different beast. A club of their size and stature demands perfection, and results were never good enough.
This was all clear within just a couple of months of Moyes being appointed. In the end they finished seventh, with Ryan Giggs overseeing the final few matches from the dugout.
Potter is a similar case, without a doubt. Like Moyes, he’s a novice at the level. Also like the Scot, he’s out of his depth.
Boehly would look even more foolish for sacking Potter but, with Chelsea in freefall, now isn’t a time for personal pride.
Chelsea under Graham Potter is like when Man Utd were managed by David Moyes (Image: GETTY)
Pochettino is available and waiting. Likewise Zidane, while Luis Enrique would surely attract interest despite Spain’s underwhelming World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Chelsea would be wrong to stick with Potter. The axe needs to fall – and Boehly needs to be the man holding the handle.
Next up for the Blues is a tough test against Crystal Palace on Sunday (2pm).
They won 2-1 in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Conor Gallagher both on target.
source: https://www.express.co.uk/
