‘Like Football Manager!’ – Neville slams chaotic Chelsea after Potter sacking

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 4 Apr 2023 00:37 BST
• 3 min read

Gary Neville has given a damning verdict of the state that Chelsea find themselves in presently after sacking Graham Potter, claiming that the club is being run like something from Football Manager.

The Sky Sports pundit pointed to the “flip-flopping” of the club’s transfer policy over the course of the season and the apparent uncertainty over which kind of manager they want.

MORE: Who is Bruno Saltor? Chelsea's new manager after Potter sacking

The Blues find themselves 11th in the Premier League after a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, which brought about Potter’s sudden sacking on Sunday.

“I described them as chaotic at the start of the season and I’m not changing my mind,” he told ‘Monday Night Football’. “It’s a bit like Football Manager. The kids are in the sweet shop and the fact of the matter is that they gave the manager too many sweets and he didn’t know which one to pick.

“It was a mess at the end.”

MORE: Aubameyang vs Potter & five Chelsea stars who fell out with their manager

Potter sack a surprise to Chelsea

Neville, meanwhile, believes that Chelsea did not plan to sack Potter at the weekend but says the decision became inevitable.

“When you go to sack a manager, it’s not based on the last result but a feeling over weeks and months. I’d have thought that if they were getting to that situation, they would have done that before the international break. That result on Saturday has shocked them. They’ve not expected it,” he added.

“It’s not a surprise. It didn’t look right. If you look at the ownership, it doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t look right and usually when those two things happen it’s not right.

“Potter’s record wasn’t great. What the owners talk about with a long term project, at the start of the season they had Thomas Tuchel and brought in Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, who were obviously more experienced players. Then they flip-flopped and went to a longer-term manager and brought in loads of young players on eight-year deals and spent £600 million.”

Chelsea play Liverpool on Tuesday in the Premier League and will have Bruno Saltor in temporary charge.