Just over three months into Todd Boehly's reign as Chelsea co-owner, an enormous decision was made at the club that did not sit well with many supporters. Following a Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, Thomas Tuchel was sacked as manager, just seven months on from the Blues being crowned champions of the world.
It was a statement of intent from the new ownership and then some. A Champions League winning manager gone after a relatively poor run of results just weeks after completing significant transfers in the summer lined up with his own methods.
The decision to sack Tuchel was certainly unpopular, especially given how the first few months of Graham Potter's reign have developed. Nonetheless, Boehly will certainly feel justified in his decision as he explained at a SALT conference last year why Tuchel was dismissed.
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"When you take over any business you have to make sure you are aligned with the people in the business," he said. "And Tuchel is obviously extremely talented and obviously someone who had great success with Chelsea.
"Our vision for the club was to find a manager who really wanted to collaborate with us, a coach who really wanted to collaborate. Our goal is to bring a team together; all of that needs to be a well-oiled machine. The reality of our decision was that we weren't sure that Thomas saw it the same way we saw it.
"No one is right or wrong. We just didn't have a shared vision for the future. It wasn't about Zagreb. It was about the shared vision of what we wanted Chelsea to look like. It wasn't a decision that was made because of a single win or loss. It was a decision that we thought was the right vision for the club."
Just one win in 2023, with only four goals being scored, has seen the pressure ramp up on Potter, but former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson believes Boehly made the correct decision.
"Todd Boehly won't have made a mistake in sacking Thomas Tuchel if Graham Potter gets the Chelsea team firing," he told OLBG. "Everyone knows Tuchel is a great manager, but the Chelsea owners came in with a plan, they had a plan and they wanted Potter in.
"Even if Tuchel goes to PSG and does really well, Boehly won't think he made a mistake in sacking him because he did not want him for their next four or five-year project."
While Tuchel was not the right man in the eyes of Boehly for his Chelsea project, many supporters are of the belief that neither is Potter. However, Johnson defended the Chelsea boss, insisting that for the long-term he is the right man for the role.
He added: "Graham Potter is still the manager to bring this Chelsea side together, he was never going to be the kind of manager that came in like a wrecking ball. It's going to take time for players to get behind his philosophy and the owners knew that when they appointed him.
"As long as Chelsea stick with Potter's plan, then they will come good but if they wanted an instant reaction, they signed the wrong manager.
"Graham Potter is still learning and this is his first season with top-quality players and playing in the Champions League. Potter deserves time and I don't think it's a case of who is a better option right now. If Chelsea wanted a manager to walk through the door and be firing straight away, they signed the wrong manager."
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