Former head coach Graham Potter suggests that Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital unnecessarily raised expectations during his reign at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter has suggested that how he fared during his short-lived Chelsea reign should be put into context.
In September 2022, the Englishman was the surprising choice of co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital to replace Thomas Tuchel in the Stamford Bridge dugout.
Potter was leaving a developing Brighton & Hove Albion side for a club who had ambitions in the Premier League and Champions League, yet his stint did not work out as planned.
Despite guiding Chelsea through to the Champions League quarter-finals where they were due to play Real Madrid, the Blues’ performances in the top flight led to his departure after just 31 games.
The 49-year-old has since spent time out of the spotlight, taking the decision to bide his time before making himself available for a new job.
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How did Potter feel about January spending spree?
Chelsea already boasted a vastly-populated squad before Boehly and Clearlake opted to undertake the biggest spending spree in a January transfer window in Premier League history.
Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk and David Datro Fofana were all added to the senior ranks for a combined total in the region of £240m.
Although talent was being brought into the club, Potter feels that expectations were unnecessarily raised, particularly when none of the players in question had any Premier League experience.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Potter said: “If you are spending £300m on players coming from outside the Premier League, from countries having a mid-season break, then the reality is you can’t just imagine they are going to hit the ground running and everything’s going to be fine.
“But, obviously, if you spend £300m, the pressure on the team goes up and the pressure on the coach goes up. And people go: “Come on then, you’ve spent all this money.” I think if I’d have spent it on Harry Kane and Declan Rice, fair enough, but at the time that was the decision.
“We tried to support it as best we could, but it left us with a challenge of a lot of players after January and then they can’t go anywhere.”
In response to a different question, he added: “I take responsibility for the results. I’ve never said I’ve ever been perfect and you live and you learn…but there’s probably a context that has appeared.
“The easy solution is Chelsea aren’t winning, so it must be the coach…he’s the problem. That might not be 100%, but it’s not 100% right.”
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Which positions could Potter be eyeing?
Even at this early stage of the season, several managers appear to be under pressure at their respective clubs, most notably Sean Dyche at Everton at a time when the Toffees could soon have new owners in place.
Gary O’Neil, Russell Martin and Steve Cooper of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton and Leicester City will also be fighting to keep their respective roles unless form improves over the coming weeks.