Graham Potter stronger for Chelsea nightmare as West Ham boss prepares for first return | OneFootball

Former Blues boss heads back to Stamford Bridge in a better place and with no ill feeling, though closure not on the cards

Graham Potter is a very optimistic person indeed. He returns to Stamford Bridge with a clear mind and without ill feeling towards Chelsea.

Chelsea were 11th in the Premier League table at the time and Potter was struggling to knit together anything remotely coherent or consistent with a squad hurriedly compiled with far more money than sense. In January 2023 alone, Chelsea spent £323million on players.

Though he has admitted he did not need a rest quite so long, Potter spent 20 months away from management. He returns to Stamford Bridge stronger for the turbulent, tumultuous experience he had there, and for his break.

Potter filled his days. He spoke to British troops in the Falklands, watched football at home to keep his mind sharp, watched games live in England and then, when that led to him being linked with the Crystal Palace job during Roy Hodgson’s struggles, flew regularly to Spain to watch matches there instead.

He met with England rugby chief Steve Borthwick to discuss coaching philosophies, took Spanish lessons, and did plenty more school runs than he’d been able to while commuting each day from the south coast to Cobham.

“I understood my position at the time and what the club was going through, and I did my best,” he said last week. “I conducted myself in a good way. I represented the club as well as I could. In the end, it wasn't meant to be.

The suggestion in his press conference last Thursday that Potter might be seeking ‘closure’ from his time at Chelsea when he and West Ham arrive at Stamford Bridge was as patronising a sentiment to nice-guy Graham as can be imagined.

“No, I don't think so,” he said, with a chuckle, when asked whether closure was on his wishlist.

“Of course, I would have wanted it to go better. Absolutely. I didn't want to lose my job. But at the same time, I look back now and maybe it's the best thing that happened to me and maybe the next 10–20 years are going to be great because of the experience I've had.

“Sometimes the experiences that are more traumatic and the more tougher and the more intense, they're the ones that can make the biggest difference in terms of growth and development.

“I've got no bad feelings towards Chelsea, still got a lot of good relationships with the people there. I wish them well, apart from when we play them.”

Chelsea would jump to fourth even if they draw on Monday; they are in an altogether different stage of their evolution, with better players, than when Potter was there.

If he could mastermind victory over his former club, it would mark the real lift-off moment of his West Ham tenure. However it goes, he will insist he is stronger for his time at Stamford Bridge. And whatever he is hoping for, closure isn’t it.