Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel on Thursday, knows that the minimum requirement for the campaign to be considered a success would be a top-four finish in the Premier League, plus a decent run in the Champions League. Chelsea are sixth in the league after six games – three points behind Potter’s previous side Brighton in fourth – and lost their opening European game on Tuesday at Dinamo Zagreb in what turned out to be Tuchel’s last game. Under Chelsea’s previous owner, Roman Abramovich, it was often the case that a manager’s job prospects were inextricably linked to qualifying for the Champions League. But according to senior club sources, his successors do not want Potter to live or die by that criterion in his first season. Progress is key in the eyes of Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who moved for Potter at high speed after reaching the end of the line with Tuchel. It is understood that Boehly – part of a group that bought the LA Dodgers in 2012 – sees parallels between Potter and Andrew Friedman, whom the baseball franchise hired as president of sports operations in 2014. Friedman previously helped the Tampa Bay Rays to hit. punching above their weight in the highly competitive American League East Division. Like Potter, Friedman is seen as someone who makes the people around him perform better. Potter has been given a five-year contract and may remember how the Dodgers have stood by their only managerial appointment – Dave Roberts – since Boehly joined. Roberts was brought in for Don Mattingly in 2015. Start your evenings with the Guardian’s view of the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Chelsea’s ownership has a 10-year plan to boost revenue and hopes it will not be derailed by a season without the Champions League.
