How Ratcliffe feels about Graham Potter’s Chelsea spell amid Manchester United link

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Graham Potter’s disastrous spell in charge of Chelsea is not a concern for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford with the former Brighton and Hove Albion coach a leading candidate to replace Erik ten Hag should he leave Manchester United.

One bad spell does not equal one bad manager, and it seems that is the view Ratcliffe and Brailsford hold with regards to Graham Potter’s ill-fated spell in charge of Stamford Bridge.

Potter lasted only seven months, winning just 12 of his 31 games as Chelsea manager. But, as Sky Sports explain, there is an acceptance behind the scenes at INEOS that Potter took over a Blues side in highly-challenging circumstances, Todd Boehly’s scattergun spending and a hodge-podge squad a clear contrast to that of Brighton, The Seagulls becoming something of a ‘model club’ under Potter’s stewardship.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe likes Graham Potter

Sky add that Ratcliffe, who is expected to complete his 25 per cent takeover of Manchester United imminently, believes the 48-year-old ‘has ‘the right calibre and mindset’ to lead a potential Red Devils rebuild.

Ratcliffe and close confidante Brailsford are long-time admirers. They tried to lure Potter across the Channel to Nice.

And while that Chelsea stint will concern Man United supporters, it should not be forgotten that Potter still boasts a superb track record when it comes to creating teams greater than the sum of their parts, improving individual players, and instilling a clear, coherent and entertaining brand of football.

It should be stressed, however, that there are no plans to remove Erik ten Hag from his post at present. Ratcliffe is an admirer of the embattled Dutchman.

And while this season has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster almost from day one, Ten Hag surely deserves the opportunity to show what he can do when operating under a solid sporting structure. Under a CEO like Jean-Claude Blanc, the brains behind the success at PSG and Juventus, and an elite sporting director such as Paul Mitchell.