John Obi Mikel, former Chelsea star, found the firing of Graham Potter from the Chelsea manager position amusing. Potter was sacked after only six months in the job, despite being handed a five-year contract by Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly. Mikel, who played for Chelsea for 11 years during the Abramovich era, suggested that Potter would have lasted even less time under previous owner Roman Abramovich. Fourteen managers worked at Chelsea during Abramovich’s 19-year reign, with the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho being axed. Mikel believes that Potter was given enough time and that the club made the right decision to let him go.
Mikel went on to suggest that the job had been “too big” for Potter, and that he didn’t communicate well with players. Mikel offered some advice to his former teammate Frank Lampard, who was handed the caretaker job until the end of the season. He said that players sometimes need a kick up the backside to wake up, and he hopes that Lampard will be more like Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola, who are always emotional and want to be on the pitch.
Potter won just 12 of his 31 matches in charge of Chelsea, drawing eight and losing 11. Lampard’s return as boss got off to a nightmare start on Saturday when his side was beaten 1-0 by Wolves at Molineux.