Graham Potter’s dream of managing one of the Premier League’s big six has quickly turned into a nightmare. The former Brighton boss jumped at the opportunity to leave the AMEX Stadium for Stamford Bridge when Chelsea’s new owners sacked Thomas Tuchel back in September, but the Englishman now appears to be staring down Todd Boehly’s barrel.
The 47-year-old, who went 10 games unbeaten at the beginning of his tenure in west London, has since won just one of his last 10 games domestically. This run of results has seen Chelsea drop down to 10th in the Premier League table with both the fewest points and least goals scored in that time frame. Additionally, they were knocked out of both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup by Manchester City.
The same sources who claimed Potter still had the backing of the club’s owners not too long ago are now claiming he is under immense pressure, and as the odds of the Englishman being the next manager to leave their post continue to shorten for those looking for football bets, it seems inevitable that Potter is on course to suffer the same fate as Tuchel and many of his other predecessors.
With that in mind, read on as we take a look at three potential options for Boehly and the Chelsea chiefs should Potter be sacked.
Mauricio Pochettino
One of the names almost certain to be at the top of the list of replacements for the Blues’ current boss is former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino. And the Argentine would reportedly be willing to cross enemy lines should the opportunity to take the Stamford Bridge hotseat arise.
While Pochettino didn’t pick up any silverware in his five years in north London, he did manage to help Spurs reach their first ever Champions League final in 2019 and made them a consistent top four side — finishing as high as second for the first time since 1962-63 in 2016-17.
The 50-year-old most recently managed Paris Saint-Germain, replacing Thomas Tuchel late in 2021, and won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions during his time in the French capital. However, he was sacked at the end of last season having failed to deliver the club’s sought-after maiden Champions League.
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane obviously enjoyed huge success during two spells with Real Madrid, winning two La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues and two FIFA Club World Cups. However, he’s yet to test the managerial waters of anywhere else and it seems just a matter of time before he gives in and returns to manage a club other than Real Madrid — especially since Didier Deschamps signed a new contract to remain as France boss until 2026.
Zidane is linked with the vacant Brazil role, which could be of more interest to him as he has turned down opportunities to work in England in the past due to the language barrier, but he made it clear he wants to manage again back in the summer and ‘Zizou’ might change his mind if Chelsea come calling.
Luis Enrique
Another top-class manager who is on the hunt for his next role, Luis Enrique is one of several managerial casualties from the Qatar World Cup — leaving his post as Spain boss after La Roja were disappointingly knocked out of football’s pinnacle event in the round of 16 by neighbours Morocco.
Enrique won two La Liga titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup and three Copa del Reys during his time with Barcelona before two stints with the Spanish national team. Whether or not his tactics and philosophy will transfer to the English game remains to be seen.