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Graham Potter became the latest Premier League manager to lose their job last weekend, with Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa proving to be the final straw.
The 47-year-old made a name for himself at Brighton & Hove Albion before landing the Chelsea job back in September. Six months later, however, the London club parted company with Potter following a run of below-par results.
Of course, Chelsea spent almost £600m across the previous two transfer windows, completely changing the squad. This gave Potter the seemingly impossible task of turning high-profile individuals into a team while under immense pressure.
That said, Potter had the resources to make Chelsea a force to be reckoned with. So, where did it all go wrong?
When Chelsea sacked Potter, Chelsea found themselves 11th in the Premier League table – 12 points shy of the Champions League places. The Blues also have a Champions League quarter-final showdown with Real Madrid on the horizon.
Potter managed to win just 12 of his 31 games in charge, recording eight draws and 11 losses along the way. As a result, he finished his time at Stamford Bridge with a win ratio of 38.7% across all competitions.
The ex-Brighton boss made an impressive start to life as Chelsea manager, going unbeaten in his first nine matches thanks to a run of six wins and three draws.
However, a run of four defeats in five games between October and November – which turned into seven losses in 10 outings by January – marked the beginning of the end for Potter at Chelsea.
The Blues managed to pick up a solitary victory in 11 matches between New Year’s Day and late February. Although they achieved three successive wins after that, the writing was already on the wall for the manager.
After throwing away a lead on two occasions to draw with Everton, Chelsea’s 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday proved to be Potter’s final game in charge.
There is no denying that Potter is a top-level coach, as the former Ostersunds and Swansea City manager earned his stripes before taking Brighton to new heights, attracting interest from one of European football’s elite clubs.
Few would argue that Potter does not deserve the chance to manage at the top level again. Of course, he struggled to adapt to the bright lights of Chelsea. But he could benefit from taking a step down before working his way back up.
