Gus Poyet, a former player for the Blues, said that Graham Potter’s dismissal from Chelsea was “harsh,” but ultimately it was the cost of falling short of expectations.
When new co-owner Todd Boehly started to make his presence known at Stamford Bridge last September, the former manager of Brighton was chosen to succeed Thomas Tuchel.
Potter was fired less than six months into his position, however, after the team’s weekend loss to Aston Villa saw them drop to 11th in the Premier League.
Poyet, a Chelsea cult hero and former Brighton boss himself, feels the decision to fire the 47-year-old was a tough one but ultimately unsurprising given their slide down the table.
He said: “I think it was a difficult period. They had a few good results, especially in the Champions League, and it looked [like] a new beginning.
“But football nowadays, it depends on so many things. We don’t analyse performances anymore, only a result. I think for Graham in particular, it’s harsh.
-7.4 – Chelsea underperformed their xG by 7.4 during Graham Potter's Premier League reign, the worst differential of any side since his first game in charge (21 goals from 28.4 xG).
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 2, 2023
-7.4 | Chelsea
-6.7 | West Ham
-6.1 | Everton
-5.8 | Southampton
-5.3 | Forest
Familiar. pic.twitter.com/3D0iZUAc7y
“Brighton to Chelsea is a big change. That is a learning process, but at the same time, it’s Chelsea. When you are in a team like Chelsea, with the money spent, you definitely cannot be 11th.”
Having dismissed Champions League-winning coach Tuchel in order to install Potter, Poyet feels Boehly will be cautious when it comes to his next pick.
He added: “He’s learned that at Chelsea, it’s important to win. If Chelsea don’t win, the fans are not going to be happy because the Chelsea fans are winners and they feel the need to win.
“I think personality is very important. I think it’s very important when a coach in the situation that Chelsea are now can start winning games, but at the same time they will develop young players.
“I don’t know how many managers will walk into a club in the quarter-final of the Champions League. It’s a dream job. But I think Chelsea first need to be clear what are the characteristics of the manager [they want].”