Graham Potter Thread

[Gundalf 804]

28 minutes ago, didi007 said:

Klopp has won trophies, the CL and Premier league. This is a phase that will pass. What has Potter won????

Unfair comparison. What has Klopp won when he was in Mainz?

[Vesper 28,853]

Graham Potter sack would be a disaster for Graham Potter not ‘English managers’

https://www.football365.com/news/graham-potter-sack-disaster-english-football-mediawatch

‘For the sake of English managers Potter has to succeed.’ Sorry but that is absolute nonsense. He has more in common with Thomas Frank than Sean Dyche.

England for the English
The bombastic Daily Telegraph headline caught Mediawatch’s attention:

‘Graham Potter and Frank Lampard failing would be an English disaster’

It would certainly be an inconvenience for Chelsea and Everton, and bordering on disastrous for Potter and Lampard themselves, but why would it be an ‘English disaster’? Mediawatch is English and frankly would not give a f*** if those two managers failed based purely on their nationality.

‘It is a pivotal time for English managers,’ begins the piece from Jason Burt. No, it’s a pivotal time for Potter and Lampard, who are the two Premier League managers currently under the most pressure. Why are we defining them by their nationality? What purpose does it serve?

‘If Potter and Lampard eventually fail it would reduce the number of English managers in the top-flight to two: Eddie Howe, who is excelling at Newcastle United, and Gary O’Neil who has only just been appointed on a permanent basis and is now finding life tough at Bournemouth.’

Yes. And? The Premier League is a global brand and attracts some of the best football managers in the world. Why does it matter if zero, three, seven or eight Premier League managers are English?

‘Two out of 20 is a paltry return for a country with such a powerful football heritage, such vast resources and with little prospect of other English coaches getting jobs if someone else is replaced. There are Welshmen, in Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest and Nathan Jones at Southampton and the Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City as well as Scot David Moyes at West Ham but narrowing it down to England the pool is as shallow as it has ever been.’

First, we’re not yet at two out of 20; Graham Potter is in no danger of being sacked by Chelsea and should Frank Lampard be evicted by Everton, the two favourites to replace him are both also English. This seems important.

But secondly, and we keep coming back to this point, why does it even matter? The elite Premier League clubs are rarely owned by Englishmen and Englishmen are the minority on the pitch, so why should we care how many are in the dug-out?

The answer, increasingly, is that the only people who really care are old-school journalists.

‘Sean Dyche is out-of-work and waiting, Scott Parker has bravely taken over at Club Brugge in Belgium – and has a Champions League last-16 tie against Benfica to look forward to – because he did not believe he would get a Premier League post after leaving Bournemouth. But, after that, it is delving into the Championship where, for example, Paul Heckingbottom has impressed at Sheffield United and Michael Carrick is showing early promise at Middlesbrough.’

Sean Dyche is the current favourite for the Everton job if Lampard is sacked, while Scott Parker was absolutely right to believe he would not get another Premier League post after failing at Fulham and Bournemouth. And both Heckingbottom and Carrick could be English managers in the Premier League next season. So even if you believe that a lack of English managers is a crisis, where exactly is this crisis?

‘For the sake of English managers Potter has to succeed. If he does not his successor will not be English.’

This makes almost zero sense. If Potter does not succeed, Chelsea might decide not to appoint another manager from the middle reaches of the Premier League, but that’s about experience, not nationality.

It’s absolutely true that his successor will not be English but only because there are no English candidates. Potter could turn things around, win the Champions League and walk out next summer and his successor would still not be English because there are no English candidates. The Blues’ US owners would probably look to replicate his success by bringing in Thomas Frank, not Sean Dyche.

‘Howe has taken Newcastle into the top six but Potter was the first Englishman to be appointed by a more established ‘elite’ club since Lampard at Chelsea, under special circumstances in 2019.’

A whole two Chelsea managers ago.

‘Before that it was Roy Hodgson at Liverpool in 2010, where he lasted just six months, and Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 when they were still trying to break into that bracket. Tim Sherwood lasted five months at Tottenham before he was sacked in May 2014.’

It’s almost like club owners appoint largely proven managers they think might be a good fit for their teams of multi-ethic, multi-national players.

The idea that the success or failure of Potter at Chelsea will change this situation is absurd. Potter in particular – as the most un-English of English managers – is a test case for the over-achieving manager of a middling Premier League club, not a test case for Englishmen.

And the failure of Lampard should put an end to the over-promotion of excellent footballers, not the promotion of Englishmen. He has far more in common with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer than Chris Wilder.

So again, why should we care? Well, partly it seems because, well, ‘what would have happened had Gareth Southgate gone through with what he was considering and quit as England manager after the World Cup?’

Well, one thing that would not have happened is either Potter or Howe quitting their Premier League jobs for England. So quite what benefit comes to England from having English coaches among the Premier League elite is unclear. The irony is that England would have a far greater chance of appointing Potter if he failed at Chelsea or never took the job at all.

What might have happened is the appointment of Steve Holland, an English coach who was an assistant at Chelsea as they won two Premier League titles and was Southgate’s right-hand man as England reached the latter stages of three major tournaments. He does not even merit a mention in this latest prediction of ‘English disaster’ which is actually no disaster at all.

Whisper it, but Southgate was also a failed English Premier League manager. His Middlesbrough side was relegated back in the glory days of English managers in 2008/09 when seven of the bottom eight were managed by Englishmen. Funny how nobody called that an ‘English disaster’.

[KEVINAA 98]

I saw this tweet post reply on Twitter.

 

 

Potter curse infects PEP G.

[different level 1,056]

Heard about the Poch link. So we're about to replace a hopeless mid-table coach with a perennial loser. Really exciting times to be a Chelsea fan!

[Vesper 28,853]

57 minutes ago, different level said:

Heard about the Poch link. So we're about to replace a hopeless mid-table coach with a perennial loser. Really exciting times to be a Chelsea fan!

who do you want as a manager?

 

[Vesper 28,853]

finally

damn that was a struggle

[Vesper 28,853]

wrong forum

Edited January 15, 2023 by Vesper

[different level 1,056]

12 minutes ago, Vesper said:

who do you want as a manager?

 

Honestly? I'd have the entire board go to Tuchel on their hands and knees begging him to come back without caring how bad all of this makes us look. But that's not happening and if I have to choose between Potter and Poch I'd give the latter a try, at least he has some experience at top level.

[Vesper 28,853]

wrong forum

Edited January 15, 2023 by Vesper

[calculatingInfinity 1,443]

1 hour ago, different level said:

Heard about the Poch link. So we're about to replace a hopeless mid-table coach with a perennial loser. Really exciting times to be a Chelsea fan!

Yeah no, that's not happening. Thank God, Potter will get the time and make this a proper team.

[Vegetable 830]

So… People will probably chill a little, as we luckily got 3 points, but seriously looks like doctor starting to learn his craft in ER room. Palace's subs after goal made them different team, that was agressively pushing us until FT, Potter's subs made us locked up in our own half. Still no sign of any individual improvement, actually, most improvement came from TB's threats + our players literally have the body language of Bojack Horseman. Gotta love this stuff. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by Vegetable

[Vesper 28,853]

Graham Potter confirms Denis Zakaria injury blow and rates Benoit Badiashile’s Chelsea debut against Crystal Palace

https://metro.co.uk/2023/01/15/graham-potter-confirms-denis-zakaria-injury-blow-and-rates-benoit-badiashiles-Chelsea-debut-18104242/?ito=newsnow-feed

ChelseaGraham Potter confirms Denis Zakaria injury blow and rates Benoit Badiashile’s Chelsea debut against Crystal Palace manager Graham Potter has confirmed Denis Zakaria will be sidelined for at least four weeks with an injury.

The midfielder, who joined the Blues on loan from Juventus in the summer, has turned in a series of impressive performances since the return of club football but was forced off injured during Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham.

Potter is already without Edouard Mendy, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja with an injury crisis engulfing the club.

Zakaria joins that injury list with his manager confirming he is set for a spell on the sidelines.

Speaking after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, Potter told a post-match press conference: ‘Denis will probably be four weeks, so that is a blow for us.’

Chelsea have been busy in January with the club unveiling their latest signing Mykhailo Mudryk at Stamford Bridge ahead of kick-off.

Benoit Badiashile, who joined the club in a £35m deal from Monaco earlier this month, made his debut against Patrick Vieira’s side and provided a solid showing at the heart of defence.

‘I thought Benoit did well, really well. It was a good game for him,’ Potter said.

‘Koulibaly has had a lot of football and the turnaround from Thursday was a consideration. He passes the ball well, when he needed to head the ball out he did.

‘He has to adapt to the Premier League, it will take him some time, but it was very positive.’ 

After defeat to local rivals Fulham midweek, Chelsea recorded their first win of 2023 against Palace.

‘You have to deal with the bad times, the tough situations, accept the criticism that comes your way and accept the responsibility.

‘The players have suffered, that’s not nice, but it’s important to enjoy the win today and it gives a shot in the arm for next week.’

[YorkshireBlue 3,122]

2 hours ago, Vegetable said:

So… People will probably chill a little, as we luckily got 3 points, but seriously looks like doctor starting to learn his craft in ER room. Palace's subs after goal made them different team, that was agressively pushing us until FT, Potter's subs made us locked up in our own half. Still no sign of any individual improvement, actually, most improvement came from TB's threats + our players literally have the body language of Bojack Horseman. Gotta love this stuff. 

Another post that could be worded as "god I hate potter"

[Superblue 6,370]

1 hour ago, Vegetable said:

So… People will probably chill a little, as we luckily got 3 points, but seriously looks like doctor starting to learn his craft in ER room. Palace's subs after goal made them different team, that was agressively pushing us until FT, Potter's subs made us locked up in our own half. Still no sign of any individual improvement, actually, most improvement came from TB's threats + our players literally have the body language of Bojack Horseman. Gotta love this stuff. 

Given the recent run of form, I think the subs were only natural to try and hold on to what we had. I'd have done the same in his position and whilst we'd all like to be 3 up and coasting, it was natural for the team to get nervous and drop deeper as the game wore on. Confidence is clearly on the floor at the moment, across the players, staff and fans and that's only going to be improved by stringing a better run of results together. 

I thought today was a starting point, not necessarily performance wise, but the players putting a shift in and grafting a win. It was needed and hopefully a shot in the arm for everyone associated with the club.

[Vegetable 830]

36 minutes ago, Vesper said:

The players have suffered

Incredible how often this word is used in Chelsea context, including GP himself. Soon it will be first Google suggestion for Chelsea instead of "transfers" and "money". Fun times.

20 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

Another post that could be worded as "god I hate potter"

Absolutely zero harsh feelings for him personally, just deeply unflattered with what he is (not) doing as manager of club that I support and his appointment as such. Nothing wrong with that.

15 minutes ago, Superblue said:

I think the subs were only natural to try and hold on to what we had.

Probably, yet given our recent years history with 1 goal leads even with decent morale and more first-choice squad and recent Kepa's form and defense spottiness and Palace pushing, this seems like turbo risky strategy  paradoxically. Yeah, we could rely on counter, but all we did were some individual pushes all over the place, it didn't look like thought-out and trained tactical movement. 

18 minutes ago, Superblue said:

I thought today was a starting point, not necessarily performance wise, but the players putting a shift in and grafting a win

Hope so, still I'd give a lot of credit for this to players feeling endangered by recent transfer policy and it's not a bad thing after all. 

[Billy. 2,742]

Do i think potter is the one to lead us back to the top NO.

 

But right now we have a player power issue and sacking him just lets them win again. If we get a new guy in it just paves over the cracks until they appear again in 6 months.

For me the season is dead its all about pride now. Potter needs to grow a pair and drop the deadwood/players who dont care, I know we have a massive list of injuries right now but we still have players willing to give it 100% but are always getting dropped for players that week in week out play shit.

Say we was to sack him who is out there to really kick this team into shape? plus it will be the same story 6 months down the line, the manager never chose these players he inherited them etc etc. 

so as much as i think potter is out of his depth lets give him to the end of the season, next month we will have alot of players back se what he can do with a full fit squad 

 

Todd is clearly backing Potter by giving him money to spend.

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

If we get Enzo over the line alongside the other signings we’ve made this window, we HAVE to see some sort of improvement from the team under him now.

Not saying we will make top 4 but top 6 surely has to be a guarantee this season now for the financial outlay and players that have come in.

Would be the same for any other manager so can’t be any different for Graham Potter. 

[Milan 17,854]

There has to be a visible improvement in the actual play now, with the two week preparations between matches.