'You're in the washing machine': Graham Potter compares Chelsea exit to grief

Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter compared his abrupt departure from the club 18 months ago to grief.

The 49-year-old man was removed in March 2023 after seven months in charge of the west London club with a 2-0 home defeat in Villa Aston proving to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

The defeat was his 11th in 31 games after leaving his position at Brighton to take over. Thomas Tuchel in September 2022.

His arrival coincided with the end of the transfer market in which Tuchel has given license to spend money on stars such as Raheem SterlingPierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella.

The German was sacked a week later and Potter was tasked with quickly finding the right formula with a star-studded but overcrowded team.

In the January window, Potter received more ammunition to work as Chelsea deals closed for Enzo Fernández, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke.

Potter was unable to find solutions to Chelsea's spiral of form, which saw him drop to 11th in the table and he was subsequently sacked by club bosses.

Reflecting on his departure from Chelsea, Potter revealed the unpleasant nature of his dismissal and admits the time away from the game has helped the healing process.

“It's a bit like a grieving process in a way, it gets better over time,” she said. The telegraph.

“You have to try not to beat yourself up, but you can't just blame everything on someone else. You have to find the right balance. “It's not likeable because of its high-profile nature.”

And he added: “It is a humiliation that it does not turn out well. I was sacked after seven months of a five-year contract after being released from Brighton, so there's all that on a human level that you have to deal with.

“The first six months were difficult because I worked very, very hard to get that kind of opportunity. I don't think it was the only opportunity I was going to get because I left Brighton in a really good place.

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“It was then about choosing the right opportunity. And I didn't choose wrong, it just didn't work. “I don't regret doing it, but at the same time, when someone loses their job, there is an element of frustration, anger and maybe bitterness at some point.”

Potter made no excuses for his unfortunate time at the club despite having to oversee a chaotic period, although he admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances.

“It was almost like the perfect storm,” Potter said.

“There were 14 games in six weeks before the World Cup. It was like you were in the washing machine, that's what we said within the staff, because the games kept coming and we didn't have time to prepare or anything.

“We lost Reece (James) and Wesley (Fofana) to injuries. “I think we had the most players in the World Cup and shortly after we lost Raheem (Sterling) and Christian Pulisic.”

Potter has had no shortage of offers during his sabbatical from the game. Lyon and Ajax expressed their interest being closer to home. city ​​of leicester She approached him this summer, but he rejected her advances.

Potter is yet to secure his next role but revealed he is now ready to return to management.

He was also touted as a credible candidate to take over as England head coach after the departure of Gareth Southgate.

Reports suggest Potter remains on FA radar to replace Southgate with interim boss Lee Carsley the current favorite to get the full-time job.