Chelsea sacking Graham Potter felt inevitable for a few months now – and on Sunday night, the news broke that the Blues had parted ways with the Englishman after less than seven months.
And reports from The Evening Standard, The Independent, and The Telegraph have detailed some of the reasons why Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali pulled the plug on him.
Potter was handed a five-year contract back in September following Thomas Tuchel’s firing, but the former Brighton man failed to live up to expectations.
Despite £600 million being spent on new players this season, the Blues find themselves 11th in the league and in the bottom half of the table.
The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge became toxic in recent weeks, and Chelsea fans made their displeasure known following the 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday.
It was Potter’s 11th defeat in 31 games in charge of Chelsea, alongside heavy defeats to Manchester City in the FA Cup and his former club Brighton back in October.
Villa ultimately proved to be Potter’s final game. But new reports reveal that the reasons for sacking him go beyond results on the pitch.
Inside reports reveal why Chelsea sacked Potter
Owners demanded progress, but it didn’t come
The tide began to turn against Potter after a disappointing performance and 1-0 loss against Southampton in February.
The Telegraph report that while Chelsea’s owners remained behind Potter at the time, they wanted to see progress after that game.
That became more difficult to see and some of Potter’s decisions reportedly made his position, “practically untenable.”
The decision to start Hakim Ziyech against Tottenham was highlighted, particularly because the Moroccan had nearly joined Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window.
Lack of respect
Various reports also detail discontent within the dressing room, with Potter disrespected by his squad.
The Evening Standard write that although Potter was liked, the squad made references to Harry Potter and showed a lack of respect at times.
References to the series of films are also reported by The Independent, with comments about Quidditch often thrown around, and they add that the comments had more “bite” when things were not going so well.
Players had to look him up
That lack of respect arguably stemmed from a lack of reputation, with reports also suggesting that some players did not know who he was.
Chelsea was Potter’s first big break, following stints at Brighton, Swansea City, and Ostersunds.
They were hardly positions that players would recognise him from and respect him for, with The Independent writing that some players had to look up his career and that transfer targets were unfamiliar with who Potter was.
Leaders struggle to get behind him
Inevitably, a lack of an elite reputation and managerial background made it harder for Potter to control his players, which was hampered further by a lack of belief from dressing room leaders.
Analysis meetings were said to be especially quiet according to The Evening Standard, who say that leaders within the dressing room were not as vocal as one might expect.
Senior players failed to rally those around them, with one source describing that, “everything felt wrong.”
Frustration on selection
And while the addition of £600 million worth of new players and Chelsea’s bloated squad was both a blessing and a curse for Potter, he did not help himself with his selections.
As well as Chelsea’s owners being baffled by a lack of progress, The Evening Standard report that Potter continuing to choose new signings over experienced and homegrown players left parties frustrated.
That frustration only grew as new players continued to perform poorly.
Players shocked by news
Despite the various reasons for Potter being fired, Chelsea players were reportedly shocked by the news.
According to The Telegraph, some players heard the news first from the club’s public statement on Sunday night, before contacting their representatives for further clarification.
Hardly what you might expect.
The Blues will now begin their hunt for a third manager in less than a year, with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann reported to be in the running.
