Chelsea Sack Graham Potter

[martin1905]

2 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

Bit unfair. What other option does he have? The answer is none. Not if you want a player to sit more and have the technical ability to play there. 

You've answered your own question but the question should be why does he want Enzo to sit there?

The answer to that is that Potter hasn't a clue what he is doing and has endless options change it. He hasn't even tried anything else and we've lost 3 out of 5 games since Enzo has played there, drawn the other two and scored one goal.

[Phoenix Blue]

I tend to read and listen to sensible and in my opinion intelligent podcasts and a couple of guys who make their living on You tube.

Just to let  you know who they are so people can make up their own as to whether you may think the same.

On reading and listening combined, one is The Athletic and It's Straight out of Cobham podcast. Another is The Chelsea Fancast Podcast along with The London is Blue Podcast. The 2 You Tubers I subscribe to and have done for several years are "Yan's Therapy" also "The George Benson Football Channel". Of course I am an avid reader but less contributor of our own forum and proud to be part of it.

With the Athletic and it's podcast, it's more opinion on the news and summing up of results and upcoming etc; With them they tend not give opinions on whether Potter should be fired or not, they certainly haven't yet entered the realm of picking someone who could fill in for the next 14 PL games.

All the others make it quite clear where they stand on our current situation and their feelings on sacking Potter, and like this forum right now Potter is likely out the door if the Leeds and Dortmund results are not good, especially the Leeds match.

I have yet to hear from any of the Chelsea based podcast's who could be brought in and do a 14 game rescue plan that would give us at a minimum of nine points,but 12 just in case. Then, thank said interim and say goodbye.

Reason being this club is going to follow the plan laid by the new owners, no matter what. So if Potter's position is deemed untenable, they will either risk keeping him and bet he will get the necessary points and the season ends up being a right off with Potter leaving and this newly picked person whoever that will be, will be hired after the season has ended.

The reason I am posting this ramble is because the choice in front of Boehly and Clearlake right now is a big risk, because unless they can pull in someone who fits the long term vision of what they want, which for me right now is very unlikely. So they are left once again a 14 maybe 13 games after the Leeds result where they get a replacement to get us to the safety zone and I cannot believe I have just wrote that, but it's absolutely where we are right.

"I do not know which way this is going to go"

[Bert19]

One thing that has really worried me of late is the issue of Trust between the Players and Potter.  

Some of his team selections completely baffle me and it really looks like a lot of them find it hard to trust him.

As an example, Badiashile has largely looked very solid since he came in, not made any big mistakes and clearly does what Thiago tell him to.  But over the weekend he went from being one of the first names on the team sheet to our 4th choice CB for no reason at all. How as a young player playing well are you supposed to react to that? "Oh ok Boss, i'm fine with being dropped for a player that's been poor since he came here and for another just back from 4 months out injured" ??

 

Similar thing with someone like Madueke or Fofana - how bad are both Ziyech and Havertz, yet both have had incredibly limited minutes, looked ok (especially in direct comparison) and then they either get hooked before anyone else or just don't play at all. 

How does one of those lads trust they'll get a fair crack of the whip when their direct competition play every week despite one not wanting to be here, the other barely trying?

 

Then the Mudryk thing really baffles me.  Looked great in his cameo at Liverpool, so he starts him when he's ill the next week, has nothing set up to give him the ball and then subs him at half-time. Hard to make him look any worse.  If he was ill, don't start him - It's about what he can achieve at Chelsea over the next five years, not in the first month! 

The guy is an £85m signing and he's immediately put him behind the curve in terms of having an impact or building confidence in this League.  Same thing on Sunday - what was he really supposed to do with 10 mins left? And then we conceded. So his task was to cause more goals in 10 mins than we've scored in a month. At least give him a chance - so far he's just been set up to fail.  It's such poor management. 

If I was one of the players at the moment, i'd feel like I was being set up to fail - he seems to be picking teams at random (play well in Dortmund, then 5 changes at home to Southampton only to lose and then make another 5 away to Spurs).  No real policy of going with experience or blooding youth - just this odd middle ground where everyone looks a bit lost and unmotivated. 

[ChelseaJambo]

Things are bad went people are seriously suggesting 'Big Ange'. No thanks.

[Mark Kelly]

10 minutes ago, Bert19 said:

One thing that has really worried me of late is the issue of Trust between the Players and Potter.  

Some of his team selections completely baffle me and it really looks like a lot of them find it hard to trust him.

As an example, Badiashile has largely looked very solid since he came in, not made any big mistakes and clearly does what Thiago tell him to.  But over the weekend he went from being one of the first names on the team sheet to our 4th choice CB for no reason at all. How as a young player playing well are you supposed to react to that? "Oh ok Boss, i'm fine with being dropped for a player that's been poor since he came here and for another just back from 4 months out injured" ??

 

Similar thing with someone like Madueke or Fofana - how bad are both Ziyech and Havertz, yet both have had incredibly limited minutes, looked ok (especially in direct comparison) and then they either get hooked before anyone else or just don't play at all. 

How does one of those lads trust they'll get a fair crack of the whip when their direct competition play every week despite one not wanting to be here, the other barely trying?

 

Then the Mudryk thing really baffles me.  Looked great in his cameo at Liverpool, so he starts him when he's ill the next week, has nothing set up to give him the ball and then subs him at half-time. Hard to make him look any worse.  If he was ill, don't start him - It's about what he can achieve at Chelsea over the next five years, not in the first month! 

The guy is an £85m signing and he's immediately put him behind the curve in terms of having an impact or building confidence in this League.  Same thing on Sunday - what was he really supposed to do with 10 mins left? And then we conceded. So his task was to cause more goals in 10 mins than we've scored in a month. At least give him a chance - so far he's just been set up to fail.  It's such poor management. 

If I was one of the players at the moment, i'd feel like I was being set up to fail - he seems to be picking teams at random (play well in Dortmund, then 5 changes at home to Southampton only to lose and then make another 5 away to Spurs).  No real policy of going with experience or blooding youth - just this odd middle ground where everyone looks a bit lost and unmotivated. 

A few of us have touched on this recently but you put it very succinctly , my issue remains , I have no idea what he is trying to achieve here , if the idea is " screw the season , lets sort something for the next one" why on earth are we playing Ziyech who's out out ?

What are we a possession side who keep the ball until the opposition die?

Why months into his tenure , regardless of who he has to pick from can we not take a corner or defend one or look like we have any idea what to do at free kicks ? These are basic things that can turn a loss into a draw and a draw into a win.

Why if the first point is not right and we haven't written this season off is he forging ahead with his favoured formation whilst actually negating our exceptional wing back play ?

What the bloody hell is he doing ? I can see no evidence of anything that even resembles coaching , Enzo and Felix are being made to look mugs whilst he attends to the pastoral care of his players and ignores the coaching .

We will have zen like calm as we plummet into the Championship without laying a glove on the opposition .

[Bob Singleton]

This is sort of in response to both @Phoenix Blue and @Bert19, but also just a general observation.

Potter is clueless. @Bert19 is right regarding the way Potter chops and changes for seemingly no good reason. It could be argued that Badiashile has been 'dropped' in order to give Koulibaly game time ahead of the Dortmund game (will be interesting to see who Potter picks for Leeds), but that's partly a problem of Potter's own making by not including Badiashile in the CL squad in the first place!

Given how little game time he had prior to joining (last game before his transfer was 23rd Nov), Mudryk was never meant to be an instant squad member, but rather someone to be eased in as the season progressed. Injuries to others didn't allow for that, but he's still been appallingly badly used. His minutes haven't been "managed" in any meaningful way. The list goes on.... Enzo, James, Chilwell, Mount, Havertz, Sterling, Aubameyang, D Fofana... all poorly used, misused or under used.

As for what @Phoenix Blue said... no matter what any of us think ought to happen, no matter what any commentators (podcasters, YouTubers, former players, etc) think ought to happen, I genuinely believe Potter is here until at least the end of the season. Even if we lose to Leeds and Dortmund. And Leicester. And Everton. And...

I'm hoping that the new owners are currently looking at alternative long-term solutions (for me I think it should be Enrique, as his style suits the players we have recruited of late), but I can't imagine any coach worth his salt accepting to be in charge on an interim basis for only a dozen games knowing that no matter how well they do, they too will be replaced at season's end. That's one reason I think Potter will survive until the summer; the lack of a short-term alternative. I also think the summer is when any 'break clause' may kick in, saving us a lot of money.


EDIT:  Also agree 100% with what @Mark Kelly has just posted.

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Bob Singleton

[Trini_Blue]

Potter's situation is really toxic. Not seen this much venom for a Chelsea manager since Benitez. 

Can't see a way back for him. Even if he wins games in a row at this point the fans seem as though they've made their minds up. 

I do understand, though, his situation with keeping everyone happy. The club really need to get some sales done. No manager is able to keep that many players happy.

[martin1905]

4 minutes ago, Trini_Blue said:

Potter's situation is really toxic. Not seen this much venom for a Chelsea manager since Benitez. 

Can't see a way back for him. Even if he wins games in a row at this point the fans seem as though they've made their minds up. 

I do understand, though, his situation with keeping everyone happy. The club really need to get some sales done. No manager is able to keep that many players happy.

I don't think it's anything like as venomous as Benitez, well it's just not.

Maybe from some keyboard warriors but certainly not on places like here and around the ground.

Yes there has been booing and yes it will get worse but it's not been  aimed directly at him, it's as much the owners.

I've not met a single Chelsea fan who dislikes him, they all want him gone but there is no hard feelings towards him.

If it gets nasty it will be aimed at the board for not acting.

 

[Mark Kelly]

1 minute ago, martin1905 said:

I don't think it's anything like as venomous as Benitez, well it's just not.

Maybe from some keyboard warriors but certainly not on places like here and around the ground.

Yes there has been booing and yes it will get worse but it's not been  aimed directly at him, it's as much the owners.

I've not met a single Chelsea fan who dislikes him, they all want him gone but there is no hard feelings towards him.

If it gets nasty it will be aimed at the board for not acting.

 

Absolutely agree , he's a nice man with a hard job , making a pigs ear out of it and that is all it is. 

[Ham]

1 hour ago, ChelseaJambo said:

Things are bad went people are seriously suggesting 'Big Ange'. No thanks.

All SPL rivalries aside, how is he seen as a coach up there? Always comes across well in pressers. 

[kev61]

Seems Potter has been found out by the very astute members here.Absolutely spot on analysis by so many.

I  don't like to single out anyone but I think Bert hit the nail on the head.Potter makes no sense to me (and so it seems for many others here and on the pitch).

I can't imagine we will get relegated seems too far fetched,but Leicester did really win the premiership.

 

[My Blood Is Blue]

Another great stat to add to the Potter files, goals scored by Man United and Chelsea since Nov 6th 2022.

 

[Mark Kelly]

Just now, My Blood Is Blue said:

Another great stat to add to the Potter files, goals scored by Man United and Chelsea since Nov 6th 2022.

 

Yeah but look how serene we are in comparison , they're all hot and bothered , running around , kicking people , claiming every throw in and corner , shooting at the goal whilst we cleverly conserve our energy for later on , calm in the knowledge that our pastoral health is fully charged  and content to prepare for the next stage of our plan in the Championship  with a firm grasp of the higher ground that comes from  superiority of character. 

[Max Fowler]

58 minutes ago, Trini_Blue said:

I do understand, though, his situation with keeping everyone happy. The club really need to get some sales done. No manager is able to keep that many players happy.

A few weeks ago he didn't have enough players. Now he's got too many players?

Pick your best team. Don't make too many changes each week. Sideline players who won't be here next season. We may have too many players but Potter is doing a poor job of managing them. 

[ChelseaJambo]

32 minutes ago, Ham said:

All SPL rivalries aside, how is he seen as a coach up there? Always comes across well in pressers. 

Anyone could (or should be able to) win the league at a canter with the financial disparity Celtic currently have, so it's hard to know how good or bad a manager he is really. He's quite stand-offish with the press in my view. I like his style of play and he's obviously done well elsewhere before, but I'd actually say what Gerrard achieved with lesser resources was far more impressive (and I doubt anyone would be advocating for him to take over). 

Personally, I think he'd get found out pretty quickly when competing against other teams with equal or greater resources at EPL level.

There is of course as you alluded though a hint of SPL rivalry to my view.

Edited February 28, 2023 by ChelseaJambo

[chara]

6 hours ago, ROTG said:

Doubt it - They would have to promote Anthony Barry to head coach :0(

Always been a puzzle for me...seems teflon....survived radical changes.

 

[ROTG]

4 hours ago, Ham said:

The most depressing sentence ever written on this or the old forum 😑

The truth hurts. 

 

4 hours ago, martin1905 said:

Why 44 points?

 Certain safety and no last couple of matches panic. 

[Phoenix Blue]

The other feeling I and I am sure many of you have is the sense of resignation and a shrugging of shoulders after a match result, something I do not remember since the seventies. It is very worrying.

[Bert19]

5 minutes ago, Trini_Blue said:

Potter's situation is really toxic. Not seen this much venom for a Chelsea manager since Benitez. 

Can't see a way back for him. Even if he wins games in a row at this point the fans seem as though they've made their minds up. 

I do understand, though, his situation with keeping everyone happy. The club really need to get some sales done. No manager is able to keep that many players happy.

He shouldn't be trying to keep everyone happy though.  There are some (like Ziyech and Pulisic) that clearly think they are above Chelsea and want out.  So separate them and anyone else that doesn't want to be here next year and focus on those that do have a future here. And drop those that aren't performing - to show that sub-standard isn't going to be accepted. 

It's not like that they have outstanding transfer value anyway, everyone has watched them play over the last few years has seen we overpaid. 

[Bert19]

55 minutes ago, kev61 said:

Seems Potter has been found out by the very astute members here.Absolutely spot on analysis by so many.

I  don't like to single out anyone but I think Bert hit the nail on the head.Potter makes no sense to me (and so it seems for many others here and on the pitch).

I can't imagine we will get relegated seems too far fetched,but Leicester did really win the premiership.

 

I'll take being singled out in this case! Thanks 😀

6 minutes ago, Phoenix Blue said:

The other feeling I and I am sure many of you have is the sense of resignation and a shrugging of shoulders after a match result, something I do not remember since the seventies. It is very worrying.

Yeh, it's pretty worrying. Feels like there are a few like Thiago, Enzo and Reece that are really annoyed by losing, a lot of the squad are just a bit perplexed by it all and then there are others that think themselves above it all and aren't bothered in the slightest. 

Which game was it the other week where the camera showed Thiago giving Azpi a roasting at full-time? Azpi is the captain by the way.  That's a concern that he's not dishing those out tbh.

[chara]

After the transfer ban was ended, in came ?.... no matter how you state all three were/have not been a success at Chelsea or contributed towards any progress..add Pulisic and SFL really didn't get the resources he might have expected.

Silva of course but 4 v 1..?

Not making excuses for Frank in any way but of the four players in question three are still here and still no further on than when they first arrived.

Blame the coach?..Frank,TT,GP...? That's three at fault?

Frank made a good fist of what he had on hand for the ban season..TT squeezed out results but GP has done basically nothing on "the grass" (hate that expression but!)

Never ever have I got less pleasure out of apparently being right early on even though I doubted myself..and I still wish GP would come good.

I do still believe in Tinkerbell ...so....

[boratsbrother]

Maybe I'm losing the plot? but I still want Potter to be given a summer to work with the players in a much smaller squad and with the addition of a new CF and creative midfielder. Give him 10 games next season to show some real signs of improvement.

[Phoenix Blue]

35 minutes ago, boratsbrother said:

Maybe I'm losing the plot? but I still want Potter to be given a summer to work with the players in a much smaller squad and with the addition of a new CF and creative midfielder. Give him 10 games next season to show some real signs of improvement.

Mate I really admire your confidence and spirit, it's how I felt for quite sometime, but the thing that really bothers me now is not only are we losing, but cannot score any goals. That is relegation form and I don't who we are, but it is very possible we could get dragged into that scenario because this team when they concede do not know how to fight back.

[Trini_Blue]

3 hours ago, martin1905 said:

I don't think it's anything like as venomous as Benitez, well it's just not.

Maybe from some keyboard warriors but certainly not on places like here and around the ground.

Yes there has been booing and yes it will get worse but it's not been  aimed directly at him, it's as much the owners.

I've not met a single Chelsea fan who dislikes him, they all want him gone but there is no hard feelings towards him.

If it gets nasty it will be aimed at the board for not acting.

 

You must be living in a bubble and excluding all the social media stuff.

Death threats against him and his family. Calling for him to be fired. Labeling him the worst manager in the club's history. Par for the course, right?

We'll agree to disagree. 

[thevelourfog]

57 minutes ago, boratsbrother said:

Maybe I'm losing the plot? but I still want Potter to be given a summer to work with the players in a much smaller squad and with the addition of a new CF and creative midfielder. Give him 10 games next season to show some real signs of improvement.

Meant honestly rather than in a sarky way ... Do you care which division these games are in?