Pundit digs at Chelsea ‘egos’ amid new Graham Potter claim
Noel Whelan has insisted the “biggest test” for Graham Potter will be to deal with the “egos” in the Chelsea dressing room.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, questioned the 47-year-old’s ability to “manage big players” after spells at Swansea and Brighton.
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).
The Blues have started the new campaign with just 10 points from a possible 18 despite a British-record summer outlay.
Chief among the summer additions is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – who was sold by Arsenal earlier this year after a high-profile fall-out with Mikel Arteta.
Whelan insisted the former Brighton boss will have to be prepared to drop top Blues stars if performances are unsatisfactory.
He told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “Potter is definitely deserving of this opportunity.
“He has done so well at Swansea and now at Brighton, under strict budgets at both clubs. He created a great environment and a great style of play at these clubs.
“And now we’ll see if he can do it with the superstars. That’ll be his biggest test – dealing with the egos.
“Can he manage big players? No disrespect to Swansea and Brighton, but this is a whole new level for him.
“He’ll have to drop players, deal with the man-management side of the game.
“But look, he’s a student of the game, he leaves no stone unturned, he’s a tactician – and he knows what he wants from his players.
“I hope it goes really well for him because he’s really deserved this step up.”
In other news, medical insider claims Chelsea braced to deal with Mateo Kovacic issue “all season”.