On Sunday, Chelsea finally opted to part ways with Graham Potter after another dismal showing. The Blues were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa, sending them back down into the bottom half of the table and effectively being the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.
Fans had been baying for Potter's dismissal for quite some time, but Chelsea owner Todd Boehly continued to publicly back the former Brighton boss. However, Chelsea's defeat on Saturday proved to be simply something the American businessman couldn't ignore, and finally, decided to sack the man he had hired to replace Thomas Tuchel last season.
Potter's reign at Stamford Bridge saw him preside over 31 matches across all competitions, and his record isn't exactly one to brag about. Of the 31 ties, Chelsea won just 12, while losing 11 and drawing eight. Along the way, they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup and now sit in 11th spot in the Premier League. While they're still involved in the Champions League, they are unfortunately paired (once again) against Real Madrid, who dumped them out last season en route to ultimately winning the title.
As such, it looks like this season will end as a disappointing one for Chelsea, who are now desperate to find a new manager. Multiple names have been bandied about, including Julian Naglesmann, who was recently sacked by Bayern.
Yet, as per reports, despite Naglesmann's excellent track record, which included guiding Hoffenheim to third spot, RB Leizpig into the semi-finals of the Champions League, and ensuring that Bayern continued their reign as champions of Germany, there are apparently concerns about his suitability for the role.
At 35, Naglesmann is one of the youngest tacticians in the business. The former defender, who was forced to retire early due to injuries, became the youngest ever manager in the Bundesliga when he took over Hoffenheim in 2016. And it is this fact - his age - that apparently has given Boehly and his advisors pause when it comes to deciding whether he is the one that would be best served to try to get Chelsea back on track.
Other options apparently of interest to Boehly and his team include Mauricio Pochettino, as well as Luis Enrique and current Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti. For the time being, interim boss Bruno Saltor will be tasked with helping Chelsea find their footing once again when they face Liverpool on Tuesday evening.
