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The English manager is currently under pressure at Stamford Bridge following a poor run of results, but The Blues authorities are not ready to act yet.
When Chelsea decided to sack Thomas Tuchel as their coach earlier this season, the decision shocked many, even though the team’s level had dropped off in recent games.
While Chelsea were truly struggling for consistency then, Tuchel was still seen as the best man for the job. After all, he led Chelsea to their second Champions League title in 2021.
From Tuchel to Potter
Nonetheless, Chelsea’s chiefs, under the new leadership of Todd Boehly, felt their ideas did not align with Tuchel’s own and decided to hand the p45.
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Following Tuchel’s dismissal, many were eager to see who Chelsea would bring in to replace the German, as there were just a few managers better than Tuchel then.
Chelsea eventually went for Graham Potter, nonetheless, bringing him on a five-year deal from Brighton Hove and Albion.
While Potter may not have the CV of Tuchel, his appointment was seen as a smart move from Chelsea.
Potter was one of the brightest English managers around after doing a great job with Brighton in the Premier League.
The 47-year-old worked his way from the bottom to the Premier League. As a result, when the Chelsea job came, it was seen as a recognition of his work and a chance to finally manage a big side.
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However, five months into his role at Stamford Bridge, Potter is already feeling the heat and realising that managing a big talented side is probably the most difficult job in football.
Since he took over as Chelsea’s manager, he has lost nine, drawn seven and won just nine of his 25 games in charge.
Potter is currently averaging 1.36 points per game, which is a really bad return for a club like Chelsea.
As a result, there have been suggestions that Potter is not cut out for a big job and is suited for a mid-table team, but Chelsea have decided to stick with him.
Chelsea’s recent form is poor under Potter, with the team winless in their last five games in all competition.
The Blues' last win under Potter was on January 15, but before then, they had just two wins in ten matches in all competitions.
The worst happened on Saturday, though, as bottom-placed Southampton came to Stamford Bridge and picked the three points following a 1-0 win.
The result piled more pressure on the ex-Swansea manager, which has now posed a dilemma for Chelsea.
The dilemma for Chelsea
Chelsea’s board, led by Boehly, are fully behind Potter, and it is clear to see why they are yet to take action.
The Blues handed Potter a five-year contract when they signed him, which shows their full confidence in the English man.
It will be unwise to sack him after just five months in charge because that will show they did not know what they were doing when they handed him a long-term contract.
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Not to mention the compensation fee they will have to pay out if Potter is sacked. It is also important to note that Chelsea fully backed Potter in the transfer market in January.
Chelsea signed six new players in January, including a British record fee for Enzo Fernandez and the big-money arrival of Mykhailo Mudryk.
Aside from the January signings, Chelsea were also busy in the summer window, although Potter was not in charge then.
The Blues spent over £600m on transfers this summer, which explains why the board are willing to give Potter time to turn things around.
But is it worth it?
If it was under the Roman Abramovich era, Potter would have been gone by now because the results have really been poor.
However, if there is anyone that has the quality to turn the club’s fortunes around, it is still Potter, considering his previous works.
The former Oesterunds manager had a similar start at Brighton, although not as bad as his Chelsea start.
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Potter won just six of his first 20 league games as Brighton's manager. However, he was able to turn it around, making Brighton one of the most impressive teams to watch in the Premier League.
Although one could argue that the expectations are higher at Chelsea because of the size of the club, it should take nothing away from the job Potter did at Brighton, which is why he deserves time to turn things around.
It is now left to Chelsea to determine how much trust and time they want to give to him.
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