Graham Potter faces Man Utd dilemma as familiar Chelsea problems pose huge risk
Here's why Graham Potter would be the wrong choice for Manchester United.
Not because he isn’t a good manager; he's clearly a very talented coach. Not because he would fit into the United mould of developing young players, building a team spirit and giving youth a chance. Not because he remains one of the best young English coaches around with a bright future.
No, it’s because it’s all about perception and how United fans would take to him. And to replace Erik ten Hag with a manager who ultimately failed at Chelsea would go down so badly.
They’re enduring a difficult spell under Ten Hag who arrived from Ajax with a good reputation but still a gamble because he was coming from the Dutch league rather than as an established stellar name.
Last season, the signs were good as they won a trophy, the Carabao Cup, finished in the top four and got consistent. But this season has not seen them continue that progression.
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United demand more. It is a club used to success. The fan base demand trophies and style. They want glamour, glory and big nights at Old Trafford. Instead, they have doubts behind the scenes, a fractured ownership, an unbalanced squad with some bad recruitment costing them dear.
Sound familiar? Yes, Chelsea from Potter’s reign. Maybe Sir Jim Ratcliffe will make a difference when he comes in. But he doesn’t have a magic wand.
Join the debate! Would Potter be a good fit for Man Utd? Let us know here.
Erik ten Hag is under pressure at Manchester United following their early exit from the Champions League (James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images)One of the reasons why Potter was so successful at Brighton was because of the settled, brilliant structure behind the scenes with an established recruitment policy, a hierarchy in tune with the manager and a superb football structure.
That is not the case at United. And furthermore, Potter would start from a negative, having to convince the fans as his first task. So his job would be doubly difficult. That’s not a good starting point.
Potter has bided his time for the next job. There was interest at Crystal Palace at one point. Maybe he wanted a bigger opportunity as Chelsea shouldn’t be the job that defines his career.
But two high profile disasters would reflect badly. Potter was on a hiding to nothing at Chelsea. The basket case of a club. No-one can succeed there. Mauricio Pochettino is finding it tough. The proof is in the pudding. However, if it goes badly at United then people will say he can’t handle big jobs. That’s the way it works.
Let’s be honest… rightly or wrongly, United fans also want a big name. Whether that’s the right choice or not is another debate. But they’d prefer Zinedine Zidane to Graham Potter.
Potter can come again and be a success. It might even be as England manager. He would seem a great fit and successor as Gareth Southgate Mk2. But the fact that United would be a bad fit for Potter would be more of a reflection on the club than the man himself.
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