“I’ve said from day one” – Pep Guardiola sends Graham Potter warning that vindicates Todd Boehly’s biggest Chelsea decision
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Pep Guardiola, the head coach of Manchester City, was speaking after his team defeated Chelsea 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to win the Carabao Cup.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, feels that Graham Potter will keep Chelsea as a “top, top team” and has backed him to succeed at Stamford Bridge.
After Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali’s controversial and perhaps seismic decision to fire Thomas Tuchel, who led the team to the 2021 Champions League, Potter was appointed Chelsea’s manager in September. The decision was not based only on the German’s unquestionable tactical prowess or made in a hurry.
It happened following the breakdown of the communication between Tuchel and the new ownership group during the summer transfer window. It was believed that Potter was a better fit for the more open and cooperative management style that Boehly and his business partners are implementing throughout the organisation.
Potter has struggled to adjust to life at Stamford Bridge. Key players like Reece James, Wesley Fofana, and N’Golo Kante suffering injuries undoubtedly haven’t helped the 47-year-old. There hasn’t been much time to work on the Cobham training fields due to the busy schedule of games leading up to the World Cup.
Deflating results have just been obtained. Only two of Chelsea’s previous seven games have ended in victories in all competitions, and the Blues’ 2-0 loss to Man City yesterday night at the Etihad Stadium caused them to lose the Carabao Cup in the third round.
However, Guardiola is certain that Potter will make improvements at Stamford Bridge over time. He emphasised this by comparing it to what he has continued to create at City seven years after taking over in Manchester.
I’ve always said that we play to win the game, regardless of the competition we play in, whether it be a friendly, the Carabao Cup, the Premier League, the Champions League, or the FA Cup. “Consistency in every competition and doing our jobs are the standards we’re going to set in this club.
We play to win the game and by being who we are, so we can lose, of course. Naturally, we have issues because the opposition is so strong. The entire international team, the European champion, and players with a wealth of experience in competition.
And in the final 30 minutes of last night’s game, Raheem Sterling, (Cesar) Azpilicueta, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Gallagher appeared—whoa! They accelerated the rhythm as we suffered and were put to the test.
“With the way they play, sooner or later it’s going to happen here at Chelsea, and they will be a tough, tough opponent, I smell and see what Graham Potter did at Brighton. I give us a lot of credit because of this. We triumphed over a top-tier team, not a team that nobody had ever heard of.
