It's three hours since I wrote, At this point I struggle to see Graham Potter being Chelsea manager come the start of next season, but there is little rationale to jettisoning him now in the discussion of Brendan Rodgers sacking. There was a general caveat which said, I have a nagging suspicion that the riches generated by playing in the EPL and Champion's League may yet see another firing and that suspicion has been borne out by Chelsea parting ways with Graham Potter.
Chelsea are the second club to jettison two managers this season, after Southampton.
A statement on the club website reads:
Chelsea FC has announced that Graham Potter has departed the club. Graham has agreed to collaborate with the Club to facilitate a smooth transition. In his time with the club, Graham has taken us to the quarter final of the Champions League, where we will face Real Madrid. Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wish him well for the future.
Bruno Saltor will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach.
Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: 'On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.
'Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.'
Graham had been in charge of Chelsea for 31 games, having replaced Thomas Tuchel in early September. It has been reported it cost the club twenty-one million pounds to buy out his contract at Brighton where he had been manager for three seasons. He signed with Chelsea for a five year term.
In the most recent match, a 0-2 loss to Aston Villa, Chelsea had a majority of possession, 69% and by far the majority of shots, 27 to Villa's 5. Being unable to capitalise on that superiroty has cost the manager his job. But this is not a one match result firing. Under his stewardship the team have only won 12 of 31 games.
Still, unless the board have a significant managerial signing already lined up, this removal can only be considered as rash and desperate. Since last summer the club have spent over half-a-billion pounds signing 17 new players. Ten of those players were signed by Tuchel, and two of them arrived the week he was fired.
It is difficult to see how such a major squad reconstruction could have been expected to produce anything but inconsistency.
While Graham has struggled in his 31 games with Chelsea, despite getting of to a flying start, his managerial career up to now has been solid with promotion and cup success in Sweden with Östersund, followed by a solid season at newly relegated Swansea, and then a couple of years at Brighton and Hove Albion.
His style of play is open and fluid and he expects players to be able to perform different roles around the pitch at different times in the game. Moulding a team to do this effectively takes more than 31 games. And if the Chelsea board were not ready for that it shows poor decision making skills.
Previous Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel led his new club Bayern Munich, to a 4-2 victory against Borussia Dortmund, which elevated Bayern to the top of the Bundesliga. It is difficult to not wonder how he would have got on with the players he'd been allowed to spend nearly £300 million in buying.
Graham Potter will be snapped up. Leicester have an opening. Crystal Palace will be looking for a new manager come the end of the season.
As to other managers at risk, it's down to West Ham United and Liverpool for me. There have been thirteen managerial changes in the EPL this season, with Graham's departure from Brighton and Hove Albion the only one not to come at the wishes of the club.