Style of play don't make you win games and you can't use time as excuse, asserts Graham Potter

While Chelsea did start their 2022/23 season with a win, the Blues have since struggled to find consistency with the team failing to do well at either end of the pitch. That combined with other off-field issues saw Thomas Tuchel eventually lose his job as he became the second manager in the Premier League to be sacked. However, Chelsea’s appointment of Graham Potter has stunned quite a few critics and it has many fans excited for the future under the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss.

The Englishman signed a five-year contract as reports indicated that the Blues’ hierarchy believes that Potter can lead the team to great things in the long term. However, while Potter admitted that his long-term goal is to get the team to be a “tactically flexible, attacking, possession-based team”, his focus is to achieve both their long-term and short-term goals. Not only that, the new Chelsea boss added that “style of play doesn’t make you win games” and that he has to get the players on his side.

“I want a tactically flexible, attacking, possession-based team. Players that are brave, that aren’t afraid to make mistakes. They can get on the ball and show courage and really try to enjoy their football. If the players are enjoying their football, there’s a chance that the supporters will enjoy it as well. That’s how you grow and develop as a club,” Potter told Chelseafc.com.

“Styles of play don’t make you win games. The challenge is having players believe in it and how it works. In my position, you cannot use time as an excuse. You can talk philosophy, identity, all these nice words, but you have to think in the short term as well. We are in a results game and you have to try and do your best to win.”

The 47-year-old’s style of management has been praised over the course of his career with him succeeding in Sweden and also in both the Premier League and Championship. It saw Potter elaborate on his man-management style and he revealed that he “value relationships”, and wants to “create an environment” to help people improve and become their best self.

“I value people and I value relationships and I am as authentic as I can be. My job is to understand the person first and foremost and to help them improve. If we can create an environment where people genuinely think that we are trying to help them, trying to improve them and make them better, then maybe they will try a bit harder and do a bit better for the team and the club. I have to remind myself of that a lot, especially if we’ve got beat. It takes me probably 24-48 hours to come out of that darkness of defeat,” he added.