Recently, Chelsea have been in a very difficult situation. The Blues are currently 10th in the Premier League, having lost three straight in all competitions, let alone the Champions League, before beating Crystal Palace in the 20th round. This is Ligue 1 fixtures. Chelsea look a lot like Manchester United, who were in the doldrums at the start of the season and have soared into the top three. And now the most uncomfortable, perhaps the Blues coach Potter.
There's an ironic detail here. At the halfway point of the Premier League season, Chelsea are 10th, while Brighton are seventh, well ahead of them on goals and goal difference. Potter arrived at Stamford Bridge from Brighton with less success than his old club. In the first meeting between the two sides this season, Chelsea suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat. It can be seen that Porter's steps toward the grand family, it seems to go smoothly.
In fact, Chelsea's interest in Potter is largely due to the fact that Brighton are playing well this season, and the feeling that Potter has automatically taken on a layer of aura. Chelsea have been bold in choosing him despite his lack of experience. And from the current situation, the situation is not optimistic. While the club has expressed support for Potter, it's no secret that the stakes are too high.
For Potter, moving from Brighton to Chelsea was definitely a turning point. It would be an overstatement to say that he has suddenly been given the chance to control a big club from obscurity, but his new status as Chelsea manager has certainly given him a layer of gold in advance. But for now, that layer of gold is starting to peel off. The point is, Porter is the type of manager who has no experience, is not a star, and this type of manager, inherent disadvantage.
Let's assume that Porter would be better off now if he were older and had a viable resume and several heavyweight titles on his books. After all, there is a certain amount of trust and fear in the past, like Klopp, who has laid a solid foundation here despite Liverpool's poor results, so there is a certain amount of respect for him. But Potter's previous managerial experience has been so mediocre that he has no advantage in terms of seniority, so if he fails to succeed at Chelsea, his chances of becoming a top-flight manager are virtually over.
Then again, Porter wasn't a superstar, or even a great player, before he retired. It also makes it impossible for him to coach at a big club as a famous guest. In European football, there are a lot of managers, not necessarily strong ability, but because they retired before the superstar, so they have a natural appeal and influence, this factor can also let them before the coach to gain a certain amount of trust. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
To some extent, Potter's type of manager, want to get to the top, is the most difficult. Because they have no advantages, if they want to succeed, they must seize the very little chance, quickly get the heavyweight championship, with the top performance halo wrapped themselves.
This non-superstar, no qualifications of the manager, in the European football world of nearly 20 or 30 years, the success of the case is not much, the most well-known, should be Mourinho.
Mourinho failed to make much of a mark as a player, then rose to prominence as a assistant to Robson at Barca and then in smaller teams. Mourinho's success at Porto helped him catch the eye of the big boys. Winning the Champions League with Porto was the reason Roman Abramovich brought him to Stamford Bridge. In this way, Mourinho officially opened the top club coaching road.
Although he failed to win the Champions League, Mourinho succeeded in establishing Chelsea as a Premier League Premier League leader during the era when Manchester United and Arsenal were competing against each other. It is fair to say that his time at Chelsea has brought him into the top ranks. This is behind the success of Inter Milan, Real Madrid.
But the whole process, how much luck it takes, how much frustration it takes, only Mourinho knows. One link is mishandled, or unlucky, and Mourinho cannot be made.
Chelsea are a far cry from what they were then. Potter's starting point is already much lower than Mourinho's. And from the current situation, he wants to copy the Mourinho model, it is too difficult. We seem to see a new man who is trying to enter the ranks of the famous handsome, has not yet entered the house, has already withered. It can be said that in the more and more eager to achieve immediate benefits of the present, leave this kind of non-superstar without qualifications of the manager's development space, less and less. Once they don't produce results in a short period of time, they may never recover.
Time is running out for Potter. Chelsea's next move will also be his attempt to break into the ranks of the top managers. Let's see how long he holds up.