Chelsea’s recent sacking of manager Graham Potter has been met with shock and surprise, as it was only 31 games into his tenure. This decision serves as a reminder that the club’s new owner, Todd Boehly, is just as ruthless as his predecessor Roman Abramovich. Since taking over in the summer, Boehly has spent an astonishing £600m on transfers, creating an atmosphere of instability around the club. Potter was given a five-year contract and assurances of backing and patience, but these promises were not kept. The high point of his short reign was taking Chelsea into the Champions League quarter-finals, but who will be in the dugout for this game remains to be seen.
The decision to fire Potter was met with criticism from many Chelsea fans, who had grown accustomed to elite names at the helm. Potter had done fine work at Brighton, and was even being discussed as a potential successor to Gareth Southgate for the England job. Despite this, many supporters could not accept the replacement of Thomas Tuchel with the Brighton manager. Potter himself admitted that managing Chelsea had taken a toll on his mental health and family life.
The club’s January transfer window saw them spend a British record £107m on Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez and £89m on Ukraine forward Mykhailo Mudryk. Potter struggled to accommodate all the new arrivals and find a plan to make them work together. This increased expectation and demands for progress, which Potter was unable to meet. The 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa on Saturday was Potter’s 11th defeat in those 31 games, and signalled the end of his time at Chelsea.
Potter’s departure has raised questions about the club’s direction and structure. It appears that Boehly wanted success in a hurry, and was willing to spend vast sums of money on players without having a clear idea of where they would fit in. The failure of Mykhailo Mudryk to spark has been particularly damaging, as Arsenal were able to sign Leandro Trossard for a much lower fee and he has been outstanding since joining.
Potter’s reputation will remain largely intact, as many believe he faced an impossible job. However, he will be wounded by this high-profile failure. As for Boehly, he is now under even more pressure to demonstrate that he knows what it takes to make a successful Premier League club. He has shown he is not afraid to take big decisions, but now he must start getting them right.