Jamie Carragher doesn’t understand the decision makers at Chelsea. The former international and Sky Sports analyst reacted to the dismissal of manager Graham Potter. Owner Todd Boehly has to pay a lot of money.
Carragher demolishes Chelsea leadership: “The most reckless club in the world”
“I’m not trying to be disrespectful,” Carragher began mildly. However, the way in which Chelsea fired two managers in three quarters of a season was high for him. “They had Thomas Tuchel. One of the best managers in top European football. You don’t get rid of them in the first place. There were problems behind the scenes, they are still there. He should have stayed. But after that you go to Potter. How is that possible?” he asks.
Carragher saw the relationship between Potter and Chelsea as unsuccessful in advance. He remarked, “Chelsea are the most reckless club in the world when it comes to dealing with managers. The club is ruthless. But then Boehly from the United States comes in and takes it up a notch. From Tuchel to Potter, at a club accustomed to winning prizes. A club that wants to win the Champions League every two or three years. Then when you get Potter, you don’t know what you’re doing.”
“The appointment was immediately wrong,” the furious Carragher continued his argument. Not because of Potter’s qualities, but because he’s not used to the pressure of winning prizes. “I’m not saying he can’t manage a big club, but you don’t have time to grow in your role. The manager’s CV creates time at Chelsea. Otherwise your credit will be lost very quickly,” the former defender continued.
Carragher: “It was the right decision to fire him”
Carragher used an example from his own career. “We got Rafa Benitez at Liverpool. At the end of that season we won the Champions League. But initially it went with a lot of difficulty that year. Only he had time, as he had won La Liga twice. Then you think faster: he knows what he’s doing,” he added.
“Potter immediately fell into a trap,” concluded the Englishman. The dismissal is justified, says Carrager, but the appointment was already wrong. “It was the right decision to fire him, but the mistake was to send Tuchel away. The uncertainty makes this dismissal justified, because if you let Potter sit, you start doubting and you give him opportunities. Before you know it you’ll be in the same boat next season,” he concluded.
