Potter: No Regrets About Coaching Chelsea, Regrets Not Signing Kane and Rice During Big Spending Spree

The Daily Telegraph published an exclusive interview with Graham Potter, the coach who was dismissed by Chelsea in April 2023 after leading the Blues through 31 games with 11 losses. This is his first interview since leaving Stamford Bridge 17 months ago. Potter indicated that he is ready to return to coaching and spoke about his experience during his time at Chelsea.

“I am ready to come back,” Potter said, “and I am excited about it. I am very excited to hear what opportunities there will be and then evaluate them. Not long ago, Eddie Howe took a break for 18 months after leaving Bournemouth and later achieved brilliant results at Newcastle. If you look at Emery, his situation when he left Arsenal and now… I believe coaching Chelsea was an incredible experience for me, even though it did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. I must take responsibility for that, but I believe I will become better and definitely a better coach.”

In 2022, Chelsea spent £21.5 million to bring Potter from Brighton, a figure that still stands as the world record for a “manager’s transfer fee.” However, just seven months later, Potter was dismissed. Speaking of this, Potter said, “It felt like a sad process. The months after being fired were indeed tough because I worked very, very hard to get such an opportunity. But I do not regret taking the job.”

So where did things go wrong under Potter’s management at Chelsea? Potter pointed out, “I take responsibility for the results. Simply put, Chelsea did not win, so the problem must have been the coach who had never managed a top club before… At the time, we lost many players due to injuries, and then the owner decided to invest heavily in the market, spending £300 million in the January transfer window. However, if you spend £300 million on players from outside the Premier League, especially those from leagues in their off-season, the reality is that you cannot expect these new signings to immediately perform well in games. Yet, if you spend £300 million, the pressure on the coach increases. People would say ‘Still not winning? You’ve spent so much money!’ I think if we had spent the money on Harry Kane or Rice, it might have been fairer, but that was the decision made at the time.”

The bloated squad and chaotic management at Chelsea began during that period. Potter added, “You can only pick 11 players, and if you always have 20 players unable to play…”

With the past behind him, how will Potter choose his future path? For example, coaching the England national team? Potter stated that he prefers coaching clubs: “I like the daily work and life at clubs. The rhythm of national teams is different. But I won’t rule out any possibilities; I do prefer working with players every day.”