04 April 2023 , 09:48
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Graham Potter's credentials - or lack of - were held against him throughout his Chelsea tenure and a foul-mouthed comment left his players in disbelief.
The Blues parted ways with the former Brighton boss on Sunday after a string of poor results brought his short-lived tenure to an end. Defeat against Aston Villa proved to be the final straw for a man who some of his players felt was a "yes" man who would act on the hierarchy's plans.
Potter, though, did appear to break out of character when he issued a battle cry to the fans following their European success over Borussia Dortmund. In a forum he said that they planned to try and "win the f****** Champions League!” His explicit words were not the norm and the Athletic claims some players felt he was trying to be something he wasn't.
Several had to double take as hearing the manager swear was a major surprise. Others felt Potter was perhaps a bit more chirpy given the team had won a few games on the bounce, which was rare during his reign. It also fuelled the idea that the Englishman was never comfortable in west London.
Potter was constantly trying to fight against the comparisons with Thomas Tuchel, who had won the Champions League, whilst he had no silverware to boast about. Chelsea maintained that appointing him was part of a long-term vision, which was underlined by his five-year deal.
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With results not going to plan Potter would constantly tell his players to trust the process, but he was managing individuals who'd won major honours and had trophy-laden careers. They had their doubts about the man in the dugout, and eventually Todd Boehly would share the same view.
Chelsea's players discussed the out of character comments made by Graham PotterCertain players referred to Potter as "Harry" or "Hogwarts" whilst some of the team selections raised eyebrows. That trend continued into his final game when, despite having several centre-halves available, he chose to include Reece James and Marc Cucurella in a back three.
The 47-year-old's job was certainly not made easier by the huge amount of players handed to him. Boehly has spent over £600m on new arrivals since taking over in the summer with the likes of Enzo Fernandes and Mykhaylo Mudryk bought in for huge fees.
At their Cobham base players sometimes had to change in the corridor, such was the amount of bodies, whilst some sat on the floor during team meetings. Those issues filtered out onto the pitch with Potter having to sometimes put on a 9v9 match alongside the traditional 11v11.