Hello my good football people…
Graham Potter is a goner and we’re 11th in the Premier League.
But yes, you can keep sending me k@k mails. Hands up man, nothing to shoot back at you with.
Ok there’s Champions League football to come, but it’s just unbearable watching my club in the league.
As ya’ll know, I wasn’t part of the #PotterOut brigade. That largely came from the Twitter brigade, but my patience was wearing thin.
✅ Man City, Arsenal, Newcastle
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) April 3, 2023
❌ Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United
Spurs are in action against Everton tonight and can go third with a win. pic.twitter.com/8IkbcLynFV
I believe a coach needs at the very least a full season to start judging long-term potential, but jeez, why did he keep screwing with us – those who backed him and hoped he’d succeed.
I’m talking basics now.
Here’s a prime example. Reece James, Chelsea fan or not, has to be regarded as one of the best in his position in the world. When Reece is bombing down the right, with Ben Chilwell doing the same on the left, both producing quality crosses, Chelsea are at their strongest.
Why? I say that again Why? After half a season in charge, would he stick him out of position (centreback) on Saturday to make way for (out of position) Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the wing-back role?
That sort of curious decision happened too often, tinkering with the line-up, playing players out of position, closing games off too early with defensive substitutions (against lower league opposition).
It put me in the horrible, contradictory space of saying: “Ok, let’s have a change at the end of the season”.
🇪![CDATA[]]>🇸 Real Madrid vs Chelsea 🏴![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 17, 2023
🇵![CDATA[]]>🇹 Benfica vs Inter 🇮![CDATA[]]>🇹
🏴![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]>![CDATA[]]> Man City vs Bayern 🇩![CDATA[]]>🇪
🇮![CDATA[]]>🇹 Milan vs Napoli 🇮![CDATA[]]>🇹
*FC Internazionale Milano's match has been reversed in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/m1gMqFs1fV
Look, knowing Chelsea, it’s possible that we beat Real Madrid over two legs and go on to win the Champions League.
But either way, after 26 games in charge you’d at least have wanted to see some improvement.
Unfortunately, despite a lot more possession and chances in recent weeks, it’s no better than it was when he took over.
The news of his sacking didn’t come as a surprise and it looks like sacked Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann (3/10 at the bookies to take over) will be the top target.
However, there is a string of accomplished candidates on the radar - Mauricio Pochettino (7/2), Zinedine Zidane (6/1), Pep Guardiola (17/2), Oliver Glasner (10/1), Ruben Amorim (10/1) and Luis Enrique (11/1).
Personally, I’m a big fan of Pochettino, but if Todd Boehly and company have done their homework properly this time, they’ll know that a lot of Chelsea fans would hate the idea of the ex-Spurs coach taking the reins.
Who will replace Graham Potter as Chelsea manager? 🧐![CDATA[]]>🔵 pic.twitter.com/EOUeYkC3Pz
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 3, 2023
Anyway, as I’ve repeatedly said since Chelsea were sanctioned, we’ll be back next season!
Now that I’ve got that off my chest, looking at some of the headlines this weekend, it’s not clear that I see football as most do?
Following a decent performance and a goal from Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, suddenly he’s worth the £100m Pep spent on him and is the best thing since Ryan Giggs?
Yeah, it was one of his better outings, but was it That good? And was his work on the left enhanced by a mentally-absent Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in a completely dislocated Liverpool?
On that note, what happened to Andy Robertson? Two-steps behind the flow of the game and is Virgil Van Dijk the most over-hyped donkey in England? Not sure if I’d take him ahead of Harry Maguire!
Meanwhile, City and Arsenal cruised over the weekend and it might turn out that the race to the title might only take a real turn on the 26th of April when the Gunners go to the Etihad.
On Paper, City have an easier run in but they can only rely on that head-to-head clash and an Arsenal slip-up to retain the title.
It’s in Mikel Arteta’s hands… I’m still backing Pep!
ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL! 😍![CDATA[]]>😍![CDATA[]]>😍 pic.twitter.com/IaDldZMy0v
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 2, 2023
Before I close off, what a great performance by Newcastle on Sunday.
It really illustrated the power of the 12th man, the connection between players and fans and what can be achieved when a club is in sync.
United were never in it. Marcus Rashford might as well not have been on the pitch. No service and did nothing when he got the ball.
As for Antony. Do any of you Man U fans rate him? He’s no better than many U13 ‘fancy’ players I see on pitches around Cape Town!
What is he all about? Can someone please enlighten me? And why so angry? Why is he always trying to look tough?
From great momentum, Eric Ten Hag suddenly finds himself under huge pressure, with a Champions League spot far from secure…
And stop with the “we haven’t got Casemiro” bollox, no top-end side should have to rely on a single player.
They’ll have the opportunity to pick it up again on Wednesday night when they host Brentford.
Old Trafford up next
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 3, 2023
🔜 #MUNBRE pic.twitter.com/BtNn8taIEL
Before that, an interesting mid-table clash on Tuesday night at the Bridge…
With the dismissal of Potter it’s gonna be a cracking atmosphere!