Bayern Munich manager Julian Naglesmann once said that "30% of coaching is tactics, 70% social competence". That social competence can easily be applied to handling a dressing room of egos and different personalities who all want to play consistently.
That battle is very real and very defining for any coach at this level with the sheer numbers in some squads. And whilst Chelsea's new head coach Graham Potter will have to prove he is capable of handling a group of established superstars in an intensely scrutinised environment, how his social competence handles the culture at Stamford Bridge will be informative.
Potter is a massive switch for Chelsea's new ownership to appoint. In relation to the regime they have just replaced, appointing the Brighton head coach was certainly not something Roman Abramovich nor Marina Granvoskaia would have done without extenuating circumstances.
READ MORE: What Graham Potter offers Chelsea: Intelligent pressing, Thomas Tuchel repeat, shape switches
The appointment of Frank Lampard from Derby in 2019 was undeniably linked to his status as a club icon and the familiarity he has with Chelsea. You also factor in a transfer ban, the return of academy talent and the fear of a rocky season, it was a perfect storm for Lampard.
Potter's jump to Chelsea as the first choice, especially considering he is a homegrown coach, feels unique across the last 20 years of the Premier League. Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali clearly felt Potter was their man, the profile capable of aligning with their new vision for Chelsea, even if that may look pretty chaotic following the sudden dismissal of Thomas Tuchel.
Unlike Tuchel, Potter does not arrive boasting a CV of silverware, nor has he proved capable of navigating the internal politics of a top European club. Although Tuchel had humble beginnings with Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and PSG provided a good education for Chelsea. Well, Abramovich's Chelsea, at least.
For the last two decades, Chelsea have been about the instant. The next six months override the next six years in a relentless pursuit of success. You will find few supporters who will scoff at that approach when they recall the incredible memories associated with a clean sweep of silverware that ended with the FIFA Club World Cup in February.
But the 'win now, ask questions later' approach has naturally conditioned fans to view the head coach in a certain way, even subconsciously. As ludicrous as it may sound, some Chelsea fans view the stability in the head coach's position as an irrelevancy to success. Especially when you factor in the club's two Champions League wins coming after a mid-season sacking.
That short-termism and relentless pursuit of instant gratification is something that cannot be trained out of a demanding environment overnight. Even if Tuchel forged a bond with supporters, the justification for sacking Lampard related back to the club's 'standards' and need for results now. Something that you can argue, was always going to hurt Tuchel as well.
Another coach who could be related to Potter is Maurizio Sarri, the infamous name that if spoken on Twitter gains you a flurry of insults from two sides of a never-ending argument. Sarri succeeded on the pitch, winning the Europa League and securing the Champions League qualification. But it was culturally where the Italian fell down. He did not attempt to speak to the Chelsea faithful in the way Tuchel did, nor offer the quick success and aggression of Antonio Conte on the touchline.
His introverted personality projected disdain and distance between himself and the stands, and the periods of poor form with pretty dull performances did not help him. Culturally Sarri lost the battle at Chelsea, quickly returning to Italy.
Potter will hopefully have a pragmatism to appreciate the mood of disappointed supporters, still reeling from the sudden departure of Tuchel, a coach who not only delivered a Champions League title, but acted as a spokesman for the club during an anxious period of uncertainty this spring.
Listening to Potter speak and seeing the way he has connected with Brighton fans offers encouragement. The pragmatism he has shown in grasping the brutality of the sport projects a character who is not naive to the high-pressured environment he is about to enter.
In terms of style of play, supporters were able to get on board with Tuchel due to his early success and messaging in public. His football was not too dissimilar to Sarri's possession-based approach, as Potter will try to implement as well.
The big unknown is how a new regime approaches its first coaching appointment. And as much as we can prattle on about what is said in the stands, those decisions will inform the expectation that is created in the coming years.
Everything about Potter reflects an emotionally intelligent and socially competent persona, one who will not only have to break the mould of a majority of his predecessors but also carry the weight of winning a cultural battle that is probably the hardest to win.
READ MORE
- The one thing Graham Potter needs from Todd Boehly at Chelsea that Thomas Tuchel was not granted
- Five Chelsea loanees Graham Potter could turn into first-team stars after Thomas Tuchel sacking
- Pep Guardiola has already approved Chelsea Graham Potter appointment amid Thomas Tuchel sacking
- Ben Chilwell question, Aubameyang mess: Chelsea players who could lose in Graham Potter arrival
- Jamie Carragher makes brutal Roman Abramovich jibe as Chelsea sack Thomas Tuchel
