It took minutes before people started speculating who would replace Thomas Tuchel after his sacking. In some cases, there were people throwing names out there on Tuesday evening before the announcement was made.
You had the odd "Zinedine Zidane", "Mauricio Pochettino", and even a "John Terry" thrown into the mix sometimes. One man whose name was mentioned more than others, however, was Graham Potter.
The 47-year-old has done an outstanding job at Brighton & Hove Albion. When Chris Hughton departed the Amex Stadium in 2019, many thought it was a harsh decision from the Seagulls to let the Irish manager go. With the benefit of hindsight, it was absolutely the right decision because his successor has worked miracles down on the south coast.
READ MORE: Todd Boehly given permission to speak to Graham Potter to be next Chelsea manager
Potter had a style very different to Hughton, who had more of a pragmatic approach to playing. Potter, in his mind, wanted Brighton to play free-flowing, high tempo and attractive football. It was a big ask because at the time, Brighton were a club fighting relegation.
In his first season with the club, Potter guided Brighton to a 15th place finish with his style of play perhaps being implemented on the players quicker than some were expecting. Brighton's task was clear, they needed to make themselves an established Premier League club, so their goal – first and foremost – was to stay in the top-flight.
The next season saw Potter's men finish in 16th, with the exact same points total than the previous campaign. It was last season, though, that we really got a taste of what a Graham Potter side looks like.
The Seagulls finished in an incredible ninth place in the Premier League – securing the club's highest-ever top-flight position in their history. They did so while being one of the league's most attractive teams to watch. It feels like many football fans had a soft spot for Brighton and that has plenty to do with Potter.
On the ball, the passing was fluid, quick and decisive. Perhaps more impressive was what they did when they were out of possession.
As per FBRef, only seven teams (last season) in the Premier League pressed more than Brighton. The Seagulls also had the second-highest success rate of winning the ball back, only behind champions Manchester City.
Potter knows the significance of having a clear style, and as outlined in an interview with Sky Sports, having clarity over how his team plays can properly benefit a club. This is what we've seen with Brighton.
"Identity and style does not get you three points," Potter said. "It does not guarantee you anything. You should never lose sight of that. We have always said here that we are not better or worse than anybody else.
"If you lose football matches, people want something else and pretty quickly things can unravel. You have seen it many times before. People change playing styles and want to go down a different direction. But that does not always work in a positive way.
"I witnessed in Ostersund [former club] how an identity, how a clarity, can give you alignment with everything and that can give you a significant advantage over a period of time. I think that can be the case with Brighton."
Brighton gave Potter time. Looking at the league finishes in his first two seasons, there was an argument to be made that the side hadn't really improved at all, despite playing a more attractive brand of football.
Granted, Brighton are a completely different club to Chelsea and the demands in west London are much higher. The model they have at Brighton, though, is one other – and much bigger – football clubs should look to replicate. If it's the right man, then he needs the right amount of time.
Whether it's Potter, or Mauricio Pochettino, whoever it is, one thing is for certain: they need time at Chelsea. This isn't an overnight job. This isn't going to be a quick turnaround.
Tuchel is a unique manager, the way he likes to play football is very different from anyone else. Players are humans, not machines that can just function for any given person.
The sacking culture at Chelsea needs to change. The new owners can be somewhat 'let off', if you like, because Tuchel was the man in charge when they came in. Their next appointment should be the man who will lead the club to success in the next five, six, seven years.
See Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. Everyone uses them as the two examples and rightly so. What they have done with their clubs is extraordinary. Klopp needed time, Guardiola less so. This next appointment might genuinely be tenure-defining for Todd Boehly and co.
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