Chelsea should have stuck with Graham Potter until the end of the season.
That is the view of former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore, who believes US billionaire owner Todd Boehly is now suffering the consequences of his poor decisions.
Potter, 47, took charge of the Blues last September and following a poor run of results that saw the Londoners fail in their efforts to qualify for next season’s Champions League, as well as mounting pressure from the fans, the 47-year-old was relieved of his position just six months into his tenure.
Making the snap decision to rehire former manager and club legend, Frank Lampard, Boehly opted to bring in a temporary boss until the end of the season while the club’s hierarchy searches for Potter’s long-term permanent successor.
Things haven’t quite gone to plan though. Lampard, although taking charge of just three games, has failed to pick up a win with the Blues’ most recent defeat coming against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
And with the Londoners now sitting well inside the Premier League’s bottom half, as well as being on the brink of exiting the Champions League, Collymore believes Boehly must take responsibility for the club’s disastrous campaign.
“This is what happens when an owner allows themselves to blink and be pushed into a corner,” the ex-pro said in an exclusive interview.
“Todd Boehly is the main man, he is the one who finances the entire club so he should have stuck to his guns and kept Graham Potter in place at least until the end of the season.
“I am sure that if Potter had stayed and seen out the rest of the campaign, Chelsea would be no worse off than what they are now that Frank Lampard has come in on a temporary basis.
“By the time a third manager comes in next season, whoever it is will still need to trim the squad, they’ll still need to find their best starting 11 and Chelsea could still find themselves way off the pace in the race for the title and that’ll be on Boehly, so he’s made his decisions and whatever comes of them is what he’ll have to live with.”