Former Premier League footballer Kieron Dyer has stated on the True Geordie podcast that some of the Chelsea squad prefer former boss Thomas Tuchel to Graham Potter.
Tuchel was sacked in early September by the club, with Potter named as his replacement not long after.
It’s been a very underwhelming season for the Blues, who sit in eighth in the league. Only seven clubs have scored fewer goals than Chelsea’s tally of 17 goals this season, while all of the ‘big six’ clubs have netted more times than Potter’s side.
Dyer claims that people he knows who played under both managers still have great admiration for Tuchel.
He stated: “I’m so happy that he [Potter] got his chance because he deserved it, but I’m thinking you do not sack Tuchel for Graham Potter. That’s just my opinion.
“I’ve spoken to people who have had Tuchel as a coach and they’ve had Potter as a coach – obviously, I’m not gonna name [anyone], and they’re just like, you cannot compare the two.
“They just said Tuchel was on a different planet. And my thing with Potter is, I think Chelsea are having problems [because] he’s always changing the team, it’s like he’s trying to keep all these superstars happy.”
TIF Thoughts on Dyer’s comments…
We believe it’s totally understandable that some Chelsea players would have a great admiration for Tuchel. The man has a successful European pedigree and showed this during his time at Stamford Bridge.
He won the Champions League and the Club World Cup during his stint at Chelsea – two competitions with plenty of top sides present throughout.
Furthermore, Tuchel was at the club for around 18 months, so it’s likely a number of players built a close relationship with him. Potter has only been with the Blues for around three months, so it’ll still take time for him to settle.
The ex-Brighton & Hove Albion boss could well be looked upon favourably by the time he parts ways. It’s hard to compare him and Tuchel as both have been at Chelsea for different lengths of time thus far.