Former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie isn’t sure whether Graham Potter can be a success at Chelsea.
The Blues acted quickly to fill the vacant managerial position following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, as owner Todd Boehly headhunted Potter from Brighton.
The chairman described the 47-year-old coach as an ‘innovator’ as the two parties agreed on a five-year deal.
Potter led the Seagulls to 15th and 16th-place finishes in his first two seasons on the south coast before a club-best ninth position last term, and after a superb start to this campaign, which sees Brighton sit two points off top spot and three above Chelsea in fourth, he has made the step-up to managing a Champions League level side.
However, not everyone is convinced by Potter’s appointment, including McAvennie.
Speaking to Football Insider, when asked if the English coach was ready to manage a club the size of Chelsea, he said: “I don’t know.
“By all accounts, he’ll go in and he’ll do a job. There’s no doubting he’s a good coach but he’s walking into superstars.
“No disrespect to Brighton, but if you get beat they don’t mind. You can’t get beat at Chelsea, that’s a cardinal sin. The pressure is on.
“The everyday running of the club is different to Brighton. Is he ready? I’m not sure. Whether he’s up for it I’m not sure because it’s a big club.
“If they just sacked Tuchel for nothing then you think ‘wow’ what are they going to do with him if they lose a couple of games.“
There is no denying doing what Potter has done at Albion but it is another thing trying to do it at a big-six club.
However, Boehly appears to have a genuine belief in Potter and led a glowing reference to the Solihull-born manager saying “not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful club.”
Those comments would seem to suggest that the Blues hierarchy have no doubt in Potter’s ability and perhaps even though the pawns, as such, have changed, it’s the methods of Potter that can help get the side pulling in the right direction once again.
