UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
With results showing no signs of improving, the pressure continues to mount on Chelsea boss, Graham Potter. The Blues have now only won two of their last 16 games in all competitions and currently sit in tenth place in the Premier League table.
After significant sums of money spent in January, owner Todd Boehly is well within his rights to expect a team that contains Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, who cost north of £200m between them, to be performing better than they are.
Despite that, reports indicate that the Chelsea board still support Potter and are willing to give him time to turn things around. However, that hasn’t stopped other managers such as Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique from being heavily linked with the post.
The most recent manager to be linked with the post is sensationally Brighton boss, Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian was the man who replaced Potter at Brighton when the Englishman moved to Stamford Bridge earlier in the season and he is now being tipped to make the same move as his predecessor.
Admiration for his work
According to FootballInsider, De Zerbi will be on the shortlist for Potter’s replacement should they decide to part ways with the 47-year-old. The Italian is regarded as a top-level manager by the Chelsea hierarchy who are said to have been impressed with how he has made an instant impact at Brighton.
According to the publication, the Chelsea board are also impressed with how well the Italian has worked with young players at Brighton. De Zerbi has fitted like a glove at the Amex but it is difficult to imagine him turning down the prospect of managing Chelsea if the opportunity arises in the coming months.
Playing under pressure: choice or requirement? Attract the opponent's pressing to create spaces to fill and exploit the spaces created by the opponent's pressing; the choices of De Zerbi's #officialBHAFC pic.twitter.com/TUYO69StfE
— Matteo Battilana (@MatteoBattilan5) February 13, 2023
The 43-year-old also has admirers elsewhere in the Premier League. Daniel Levy is said to be keen on him should he fail to agree a new deal with Antonio Conte by the summer. Conte, who is currently recovering from a serious operation, is out of contract in the summer in North London and rumours suggest he may well part ways with the club.
It’s easy to see why De Zerbi has so many potential suitors. After taking over at Brighton, he has made them an even more formidable outfit than they were under Graham Potter.
While the Seagulls always played nice football under Potter they often struggled when it came to finding the back of the net. Under De Zerbi, however, they have scored more goals than anyone in the league outside of the top four and European football is a real possibility for next season.
Two weeks to save his job for Potter
Of course, the possibility of De Zerbi taking over at Stamford Bridge is a non-starter if Graham Potter keeps hold of his job. To do that, though, he is going to need to start picking up positive results and fast. With their chances of finishing in the top four now gone, his attention will now be on finishing in the top six and extending their season in the Champions League.
If Chelsea are knocked out of Europe by Borussia Dortmund in a couple of weeks then it’s difficult to see how he can stay on as manager with the club already out of the FA Cup and floundering in the league.
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!
