Graham Potter claims Chelsea haven't been able to complete for major trophies "for three or four years" despite Thomas Tuchel's recent success.
The Blues hired the former Brighton boss as the German's replacement back in September when his 20-month tenure came to an end. Chelsea were in the midst of transition on and off the pitch with over £200m being spent on new signings, but they still experienced a slow start to the campaign.
Tuchel did enjoy notable success at Stamford Bridge prior to his departure, delivering the Champions League within months of his arrival as he overcame Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the final in May 2021. He also went on to the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup off the back of that victory.
Potter's comments appear to belittle those achievements, however, as he talked down Chelsea's current ability to challenge. He said: "One of the reasons to come here, one of many, was that it's a fantastic football club, potentially one of the best in the world, and that can compete for any major trophy.
''But I think we all know that we're not at that point now, and we haven't been for two or three or four years. That is the reality when you look at the league table and the points difference between the top two and Chelsea."
Tuchel also guided the Blues to the finals of both domestic cup competitions last term, losing out to Liverpool on each occasion on penalties at Wembley. They have since lost key players in Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, but have bolstered their ranks by adding the likes of Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Will Chelsea finish in the top four under Graham Potter? Tell us what you think here.
Potter has only been in charge for 12 games, but successive defeats to Brighton and Arsenal have shone a light on the work needing to be done in west London. Tuchel was able to finish in the top four in each of his seasons in charge and repeating that will be the remit for Potter.
Chelsea remain in contention for all four competitions, but do face City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. In Europe they have been drawn against Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the Champions League having won their group, but are someway off the pace domestically.
Already the Blues find themselves 13 points behind London rivals Arsenal, who beat them on Sunday and set the pace in the Premier League. Chelsea have not been champions since Antonio Conte led them to the title in 2017 - their fifth Premier League success - with a third place finish their best effort.
