Joe Cole has delivered his verdict on Chelsea appointing Graham Potter by claiming it signifies a change of direction from the club.
The Blues surprised most last week by sacking Thomas Tuchel, who exits Stamford Bridge a very popular man with supporters after winning the Champions League with them.
However, the fast-paced nature of football saw 47-year-old manager Potter leave Brighton to become the new Chelsea head coach.
The English coach has now got his opportunity to work at an elite club, which starts on Wednesday night with a Champions League groups stage match against Red Bull Salzburg. Incidentally, it’s a tie Pat Nevin claims the team are under big pressure to win.
Joe Cole on Graham Potter
Pundit and ex-Chelsea player Cole is “excited” to see Potter take charge at the Bridge.
He’s adamant this is a change of direction under the club’s new ownership, who are willing to invest time and trust into a manager over a longer period.
In contrast, the successful Roman Abramovich era was centred around a ruthless approach to sacking manager’s, which meant there was immense pressure to win trophies every year.
Joe Cole said: “To go with Potter, I’m actually quite excited about that because that suggests to me we are going in a different direction, stability.
“If you’re looking for instant success, I don’t think you go with Potter because there’s no track record of winning. It must be Chelsea are changing tack.”
The jury is out on the new ownership’s approach until Potter hits his first real tough patch in West London.
Hopefully, he can get off to the flyer with a new manager bounce and get the best from a talented squad of players.
However, there’s proof in the current group that they will be inconsistent and there’s someway still to catch the very best due to inconsistent performances.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
