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Graham Potter press conference LIVE! New Chelsea manager discusses first game in charge and more
Graham Potter’s first Chelsea press conference – LIVE!
Little under a week after succeeding Thomas Tuchel and becoming the first managerial appointment of the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era, Graham Potter holds his first press conference as Chelsea manager. One of the most interesting managerial appointments made by a top six club in years, it will be fascinating to see how Potter takes charge of a squad supplemented by a record-breaking summer of spending at Stamford Bridge.
While the 47-year-old has certainly impressed in the Premier League – turning a previously fairly attritional Brighton side into one of the most pleasing teams to watch in English football – Potter simply has not had the kind of resources and subsequent pressures Chelsea offer before.
Still, what stands out most about the former Swansea boss is his ability to communicate. A deep thinker of the game, keep across his first press conference in charge below in our dedicated LIVE blog!
Chelsea latest news
Start time: 3pm BST
How to watch: Chelsea TV
First press conference done and dusted!
15:30 , Matt Verri
That is that for Potter in his first press conference.
Emphasis on wanting his team to be humble and connecting with the fans - he wants the supporters to understand how his side will be playing.
They’ll get their first look tomorrow night against RB Salzburg at Stamford Bridge.
A risk to take the jub?
15:26 , Matt Verri
“Life is abut risks. No one knows what will happen in the future. I left England when I was 30 years old and I went to a club that had sacked their manager every year for the last five years, in the fourth tier of Swedish football [Ostersunds]. I left a secure job and my wife’s business for an opportunity.
“I’ve taken careful steps in my career over the last 17 years, I’ve not just jumped t things. I’ve tried to understand what was involved and what the next challenge means. That is what life is.”
What would success be this season?
15:23 , Matt Verri
“All my thoughts are on tomorrow night, that’s the first thing.
“We need to compete here, that’s how it is. I have respect for the Premier League and the Champions League, but we are Chelsea.
“There are no guarantees, resources alone aren’t enough. It’s about connecting with our supporters, working every day at Cobham, getting that understanding of how we want to play football.
“Success is to see improvement and be competing to win.”
On working with big names
15:19 , Matt Verri
“I approach it as I’ve approached every job and every football club I’ve had. I know this is a different environment, but we’re still working with people as far as I know.
“It’s about treating them with respect, getting to know them... build relationships.
“There’s all sorts of narratives out there that top players are like this, like that. People are complicated, have egos. It’s the fascinating thing about this job that I really enjoy.”
Who did you ask before taking the job?
15:16 , Matt Verri
“My children are 12 and 7 - I didn’t bog them down too much with it!”
Team news
15:15 , Matt Verri
Potter confirms that both N’Golo Kante and Edouard Mendy will miss the match against RB Salzburg with injury.
Message to fans
15:14 , Matt Verri
“I’ll promise I’ll do my very best every single day. The team I would like to see is one that is balanced in attack and defence. A humble team, a respectful team.
“We want to create our own team, our identity. It’s recognising that we want supporters to see what we’re trying to do.”
Involved in wider club decisions?
15:12 , Matt Verri
“I am a head coach and my job is to help the football club. I’ve always taken that approach. In Sweden, I had the chance to build a football club and that became clear that the club was the most important thing.
“My main job is to help the guys here, help the players that are here, and put out a team on the pitch that the supporters are proud of.”
On his new squad
15:09 , Matt Verri
“A really honest group, a really responsible group. They’ve been positive around the training ground, they want to achieve and do well.
“I’m absolutely happy with the squad, the group has a lot of quality. I’m looking forward to over the next few days and weeks getting to know them better.”
Been a busy period for Potter...
15:07 , Matt Verri
“It feels like nine weeks, nine months. The beauty of life is things can happen very quickly.
“My first impressions have been really, really good and I’m looking forward to starting as you can imagine.”
On taking charge in Champions League for the first time
15:06 , Matt Verri
“I’ve had the experience watching the Champions League as a fan. I’ve had my Europa League experience with Ostersund and fantastic experiences winning against PAOK and Galatasaray.”
Potter explains decision to join club
15:04 , Matt Verri
“You have to look at the football club, tradition, size and quality of the club to compete at the top of the Premier League.
“It is a completely different challenge to what I have even though I had three fantastic years at Brighton.”
Graham Potter is in the building!
15:03 , Matt Verri
The new Chelsea boss has arrived for his first presser.
Nizaar Kinsella arrives
14:53 , Jonathan Gorrie
Arrived for Graham Potter's first press conference as the Chelsea head coach. #cfc #ucl pic.twitter.com/Qbugjzw8Zw
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) September 13, 2022
Potter pleads for forgiveness from Brighton fans after Chelsea move
14:43 , Jonathan Gorrie
Graham Potter has asked Brighton fans to forgive him for his sudden midweek move to become Chelsea manager.
The 47-year-old has enjoyed a significant rise to prominence in recent years, first impressing in Sweden with Ostersunds before Brighton took him off Swansea after just one year in Wales. The Blues last week quickly pounced after the shock sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
In an open letter written on Thursday and published on Brighton’s official website on Sunday, Potter said he would cherish “three wonderful years” at Brighton but accepted some fans would not be able to forgive him.
Potter said: “This has been three wonderful years with a club that has changed my life and I want to take a moment to say goodbye to all of you who have made it such a special period of my career.
Tuchel reveals hurt at Chelsea sacking as he gives first response
14:33 , Jonathan Gorrie
Thomas Tuchel has spoken for the first time since being sacked as Chelsea manager, revealing his hurt at the decision.
The German’s time in charge of the Blues came to an end following their 1-0 defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, the third time they had been beaten in seven matches this season.
His relationship with Todd Boehly had also become increasingly strained behind the scenes, with communication breaking down, and the decision was made by the new owners to part company with Tuchel.
Why Chelsea picked visionary Potter as project heralds new direction
14:19 , Jonathan Gorrie
Graham Potter is the chosen one for Chelsea’s new owners, but he would have been unlikely to top Roman Abramovich’s shortlist of replacements for Thomas Tuchel.
With the exception of Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s former owner appointed celebrated managers who were proven winners, but the only trophies to Potter’s name are the Swedish Cup and second- and third-division titles with Ostersund.
For all the talk that Tuchel’s sacking suggests Chelsea are continuing Abramovich’s hire-and-fire model, their choice of successor to the German points to a very different strategy.
Potter, who is expected to be appointed as Chelsea’s new manager before the weekend, is a ‘project’ coach, who prefers to work within a defined structure and will need time to tweak the culture and implement his style of play at Stamford Bridge.
He did not immediately win over Brighton fans, even considering the modest expectations on the south coast, but gradually built an attractive side in his own image, which has proved far greater than the sum of its parts.
Potter hails dawn of ‘exciting’ era at Chelsea after Boehy talks
14:07 , Jonathan Gorrie
Graham Potter says talks with Chelsea’s owners left him “excited” and “impressed” as he took the decision to leave Brighton.
The 47-year-old was appointed as Thomas Tuchel’s successor on Thursday, signing a five-year contract as the first managerial appointment of the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era.
While the decision to sack Tuchel in a face-to-face meeting at Cobham in the hours after a Champions League defeat away at Dinamo Zagreb came as a surprise to many, the German’s relationship with figures behind the scenes is understood to have strained in recent months.
After an indifferent start to the season, Potter was called upon to take charge of a team boosted by a record-breaking summer of spending at Stamford Bridge.
Potter is believed to have impressed co-chairman Boehly with his long-term vision, having rebuilt Brighton from a team battling to stay in the Premier League to one who now play some of the most eye-catching football in the division.
How to watch
14:02 , Jonathan Gorrie
The press conference will be streamed on Chelsea TV and you can keep across it in our LIVE blog.
Welcome
13:20 , Jonathan Gorrie
Good afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Graham Potter’s first press conference as Chelsea manager.
The scheduled start time at Stamford Bridge is 3pm BST.
