Chelsea give Graham Potter assurance regardless of Champions League fate

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By Martin Graham | 10th Sep 2022

Chelsea have given new manager Graham Potter their long-term backing. The Englishman has a minimum expectation of qualifying Chelsea for the Champions League, but it will not determine his future.

Following the Champions League loss of Chelsea to Dinamo Zagreb, Thomas Tuchel paid the ultimate price in football. The German tactician saw his contract with the Blues terminated. With Todd Boehly pulling the plug on the German, Chelsea is gearing up for the future and looking to get the team back on track.

The loss to Dinamo Zagreb was the final straw that led to the sacking of Tuchel. In a move that smacks of an operation that has long been in the pipeline, Chelsea has signed Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter. The death of the Queen of England has seen to the postponement of weekend matches and given Potter ample time to be integrated with the team.

Chelsea to support Graham Potter

Chelsea started the season on a grim note and has turned a page with the signing of Graham Potter. The Englishman does not have a big team pedigree raising doubts over his chances of success at Stamford Bridge. The Blues expect a top-four finish as minimum achievement and a long run in the Champions League.

Despite the doubts surrounding his chances of success, Chelsea intends to stick with Graham Potter even if he misses Champions League qualification. The Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium that now owns Chelsea plan to stick with Potter for the long-term. To the owners, failure to make the Champions League is not enough reason to put off their long-term desires.

It is a massive vote of confidence for Potter, a rookie in terms of big-game experience. The owners have assessed the first 100 days at the club from top to bottom and are confident that they made the right decision in signing Graham Potter. As their first managerial appointment, they have implicit faith in their plans for the club.

The future with Potter

Graham Potter has a five-year contract. Reports suggest that the Englishman has been assured of ample time to get things working at the club. When Potter left Brighton, they were fourth on the table, three points ahead of Chelsea, who is in sixth.

With Tuchel in charge, the west London side lost three of their seven games this season. The three losses include the shock defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, which eventually turned out to be the German’s last game for Chelsea.

According to senior sources, Chelsea has accepted they missed a great window to gel as a team. Chelsea did the bulk of transfer business towards the end of the window. The owners believe there is time for improvement, and a much-improved Chelsea will eventually emerge.

The new hierarchy has taken a position on Potter that represents a shift in outlook from the previous Chelsea.

Potter will reunite with one of his players at Chelsea. Marc Cucurella just joined the Blues this summer. The Spaniard spent a year at Brighton and moved to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth up to £62million.

Potter trained with the squad for the first time on Thursday. There is more time for him to imprint his ideology on his new side following the cancellation of their game against Fulham. Chelsea hosts RB Salzburg at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Wednesday.