Graham Potter hasn’t waved a magic wand. He hasn’t revived Chelsea with revolutionary training sessions or era-defining tactics. Instead, Potter has done something simple and sensible: he has been himself.
This is a man who understands people, knows how to communicate and values emotional intelligence. Potter had never managed in the Champions League before replacing Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea’s head coach last month, but he was not fazed by the challenge of inheriting a dressing room packed with stars such as Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Nor did he think about the pressure that comes with working for Chelsea. In Potter’s world there is nothing to be gained from needless drama. The 47-year-old does not like to make a lot of noise and, for all the attention on his Glow Up (translation: expensive hair cut, cool beard, fashionable jackets), it is his level-headed approach that has helped him settle in quickly at Stamford Bridge.
