What a magical first few months of the Premier League season it has been for Graham Potter. After leading Brighton to a fantastic start which sees them in the top four, Potter then earned a massive move to Chelsea, where he will replace Thomas Tuchel.
The fact that the Blues would sack a Champions League-winning coach in Tuchel and replace him with Potter – who has no prior experience managing a club of Chelsea’s magnitude – is a testament to the tremendous work Potter did at Brighton.
But now that he has swapped the Seagulls for Stamford Bridge, what exactly will Potter bring to the Blues, who have gone off to a rough start in the Premier League?
Read on below as SBOTOP discusses what new Chelsea boss Graham Potter can bring to the Blues moving forward.
Potter to bring a more calming presence
Based on the Premier League 2022 updates after Tuchel’s sacking, there were clearly tensions within Stamford Bridge. Tuchel, ever the strong and aggressive personality, not only had his disagreements with the club’s new ownership, but he had also begun to fall out with some of the club’s top stars.
Well, Potter’s arrival could help calm things down at Chelsea. Potter’s a less explosive personality, one who is unlikely to butt heads with his bosses. At least, that’s what Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly hopes is the case.
And in terms of the team, the players may appreciate the change in management style that Potter will provide. Based on his time with Brighton, Potter comes across as a much cooler figure, especially when compared to the fiery Tuchel, who is not afraid to get stuck in with Antonio Conte or whoever else rubs him the wrong way.
Potter’s defensive possession game similar to Tuchel
In terms of tactics, Tuchel and Potter do have similarities, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. They both prefer back threes while utilising wing-backs – and of course, Potter is already quite familiar with Marc Cucurella, who came over from Brighton in the summer.
Like Tuchel, Potter used possession to maintain their defensive solidity, so there should not be much of an adjustment period to Potter’s system.
Although, Potter may need to adjust his tactics now that he is at Chelsea, since teams will now be more content to sit deep and have the Blues keep the ball more than he was used to at Brighton.
But with a significantly more talented squad now at his disposal – he can call upon the likes of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount in midfield – Potter has the potential to get Chelsea back to the heights they reached earlier in Tuchel’s tenure.
Potter shares Pep-esque attacking philosophy
Aside from sharing a similar defensive possession system with Tuchel, Potter has also incorporated some of the attacking philosophy of a certain Pep Guardiola into his system.
Potter’s Brighton side typically searched out the highly effective cutbacks that Pep’s City have used to great effect over the years. But now, Potter will have players of notably higher quality to execute his system, which could make it that much more effective.
Raheem Sterling, who became an expert at the art of the cutback during his time at City, could be a crucial player for Chelsea now that Potter is in charge. He can get in behind defences and help pick out the likes of Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, who have both had an underwhelming start to the season.
Meanwhile, Reece James could also have a vital role to play moving forward. Despite looking like the Premier League’s next dominant wing-back last year – he had five goals and nine assists in 26 Premier League games – James had been utilised more as a centre-back by Tuchel this season.
James could very well return to the right wing under Potter, who knows how to get the best out of his wing-backs. Cucurella had a fantastic season under him at Brighton, and former Chelsea youth product Tariq Lamptey also showed some promising signs under Potter.
Getting James back to the form he showed last season would significantly boost the Blues’ Premier League 2022 odds of cracking the top four.
Of course, Potter could also bring some new elements to the table at Chelsea. As he showed at Brighton, he’s a bright manager who is capable of adjusting to his situation. And Potter will surely be keen to mould this Chelsea side brimming with potential into a masterpiece.
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