The FIVE Favourites To Replace Potter As Chelsea Manager

The humiliating loss to bottom-of-the-table Southampton at home last weekend has placed even more pressure on beleaguered Chelsea manager Graham Potter.

Many fans are already pressing for co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali to wield the axe but it appears, for the time being at least, Potter has been given a stay of execution.

Whether that stance will last if the Blues continue to lose football matches, though, it is debatable, so today we are looking at some of the managers who could replace Potter.

Press the next page as we profile five candidates to become the next Chelsea head coach.

1) Mauricio Pochettino

The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain is the current bookies’ favourite to take over from Potter in the event that there is a change of manager.

Pochettino is known to have a preference for managing in the Premier League but it remains to be seen whether his past association with Spurs would have any bearing on his interest in the job.

The Argentinian had a decent win percentage (54.6%) with the Lilywhites but he never won a major trophy during his five and a half years at the club.

2) Zinedine Zidane

The Frenchman’s pedigree is indisputable, having won three consecutive Champions League crowns at Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018.

Zidane is very much used to working with quality players but he would be taken on a much bigger rebuild than what he was tasked with during his two spells in charge at Real.

There are also some question marks regarding his interest in taking on a job in England. He is not a fluent English speaker and he is believed to have turned down offers in the past for that reason.

3) Luis Enrique

The Spaniard is currently out of work after leaving the Spanish national team following their shock exit from the World Cup at the last 16 stage.

Enrique does have a very good track record at club level, having won nine major trophies during a three-year spell in charge of Barcelona.

It should be pointed out, though, that he possessed a formidable front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, who all played a huge part in his success.

4) Diego Simeone

Atletico’s legendary manager has been at the La Liga club for eleven and a half years and there is a feeling in Spain that he may leave in the not-too-distant future.

Whether Simeone would be the right fit for Chelsea is another matter. He is a pragmatic, defensive coach, and his methods could be at odds with the style of play that the Blues’ owners are looking for.

It’s unlikely that he would leave Atletico midway through the season, so an interim appointment would be required if Potter is sacked before the summer.

5) Thomas Tuchel

A number of bookmakers have made the German fourth or fifth favourite to be reappointed despite only being sacked in September.

Tuchel was said to have been shocked when he was given his marching orders by Boehly and Eghbali, and there is a feeling he has some unfinished business at Stamford Bridge.

However, it would be a big surprise if he was brought back to the club in the short to medium term.