Graham Potter set to be afforded time as Chelsea target long-term project

Potter has been set the target of a top four finish this season but it is not a ‘deal breaker’ for Chelsea’s new owners

Chelsea have set Graham Potter a target of finishing in the top four alongside a Champions League run for this campaign, although neither are “deal-breakers” as regards his job.

The most important requirement for his first season at Chelsea is an illustration of progress amid a longer-term plan under the club’s new ownership.

There is an acknowledgement of the fact Potter has been thrown into the situation just a week after the transfer window closed, with many of the new signings themselves at the club only a week.

That is compounded by the intense fixture schedule, although one consequence of the Premier League’s postponement from the solemn news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing is that Potter has suddenly been afforded five days of uninterrupted coaching time with his new squad.

It is still brief, and many club officials are conscious of how pre-season is the only real time to get so many players to gel.

As such, the main requirement is for Chelsea to illustrate signs of improvements in Potter’s fluid system, and all of that fitting with what is described as a “10-year project”.

The new owners are determined to give the 47-year-old time and space in the job that is unprecedented at Stamford Bridge, but completely fits with how they have run the LA Dodgers.

Dave Roberts has been in that role for six years, and represents the only coaching change the hierarchy have made.