BREAKING NEWS: Graham Potter has been sacked as Chelsea manager after less than seven months in charge and winning just 12 of his 31 games – despite spending £323m in January – as Todd Boyley wields the ax as the Blues slip into first place ten
Graham Potter has been sacked as Chelsea manager after less than seven months in charge with the Blues in 11th place in the Premier League.
Potter, 47, moved from Brighton to the Blues on September 8 last year, following owner Todd Bohle’s controversial sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
The Blues seemed to finally be over a corner with three successive wins – against Leeds and Leicester in the Premier League, and Borussia Dortmund in Europe – but they fell behind again.
They were held 2-2 at home by relegation-threatened Everton before the March international break, before Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa proved the final straw for Bohli.
Potter’s side were jeered at both half-time and full-time at Stamford Bridge, with fans joining in a rant on social media to banish the manager from their wish.
Chelsea sacked Graham Potter in the wake of their home defeat by Aston Villa
Chelsea suffered another defeat that left them languishing in the bottom half of the table
Todd Bohle has acquired Potter from Brighton to replace the ousted Thomas Tuchel in September
This is the second change in manager since bringing the American ownership to Chelsea last summer, following the end of Roman Abramovich’s tenure with the club.
Potter won just 12 of his 31 matches for the club, drawing eight and losing 11 for a poor winning percentage of 38.7.
They spent £323m on transfers in January, with an eye on the future, including a British record £107m acquisition of Enzo Fernandes from Benfica, and swooping in to sign Mykhailo Modric ahead of league leaders Arsenal.
Despite their best endeavors in the transfer market, and in training, Chelsea have not been emotional in front of goal during matches.
Chelsea occupies eleventh place in the English Premier League table, and faces a bumpy road in trying to return itself to the competition for European places by the end of May.
It was drawn against reigning champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, a daunting prospect given the current turmoil.
Potter is on the touchline at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea slipped to defeat at Aston Villa
The Blues seem to have turned the corner before setbacks in their last two games
Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League and have to overcome a deficit to qualify for Europe
The biggest trophy in European football remains the only piece of silverware open to Chelsea’s men this season, with Potter’s League Cup and FA Cup being knocked out by Manchester City in recent months.
Chelsea’s next match will be at home to Liverpool in the middle of the week.
Mauricio Pochettino, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Enrique and former Chelsea coach Brendan Rodgers are among the names nominated to take over the hot seat at Stamford Bridge.
They may also opt for an internal option, with experienced boss Thiago Silva at centre-back to help run the team, while there is also a close relationship with current Chelsea Women’s boss Emma Hayes.
