Agbonlahor delivers Graham Potter verdict as new details emerge from Chelsea
Gabby Agbonlahor has backed “exciting” new Chelsea head coach Graham Potter to “get the best” out of the expensively-assembled side.
The former Aston Villa striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the Blues will be “popping teams” if he can bring his brand of football to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea moved quickly to secure a replacement for Thomas Tuchel after his sacking on Tuesday (6 September), confirming the appointment of Brighton boss Potter on Thursday (8 September).
According to The Athletic (9 September), the Stamford Bridge club have paid Brighton a £20million buyout clause in order to bring the former Swansea manager to the club.
Chelsea have also appointed Potter’s assistant manager Billy Reid, coaches Bjorn Hamberg, Bruno Saltor, and Ben Roberts – as well as recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay,
Potter led Brighton to a record-best ninth-place finish last term and started the new campaign with 13 points from a possible 18.
Agbonlahor insisted he will have been Chelsea’s first choice despite links to high-profile names like Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane.
He told Football Insider’s Connor Whitley: “Potter will bring a much better brand of football and get the best out of these players.
“I think he deserves this chance. He was their first choice – Pochettino hasn’t done anything to deserve the job, Zidane wouldn’t have wanted it.
“Potter is the most exciting English manager out there. If he can bring that style of play to Chelsea, with better players, they’ll be popping teams.
“They should be playing that way – not with the negative, five-at-the-back system we’ve seen.”
In other news, pundit claims Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may be frozen out under Potter at Chelsea.