Glen Johnson on Thomas Tuchel: “It didn’t warrant a sacking at all”

“I was as shocked as anybody to be honest. Obviously the owners had something in their mind whilst they were buying the club. It didn’t warrant a sacking at all. They were making progress and had made a few signings, so it’s a total shock and it could be a decision that comes back to bite them.”

“His stock wouldn’t have dropped at all. He would be on anybody’s shortlist. I’m not necessarily saying he would be everybody’s number one target, but he’d definitely be in the conversation. It was only 18 months ago when they won the Champions League.”

“Yes, they may be kicking themselves a little bit. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing isn’t it? If they knew he could be departing so suddenly then maybe they would have waited, but you can’t just sit there and wait. You need to do the deal that’s best for you at that time rather than waiting for somebody you want to become available. Manchester United are seemingly doing better under Erik ten Hag so perhaps they’re just as happy anyway.”

“It’s definitely risky. I’m impressed with what Graham Potter did at Brighton, and they played some great football, but it’s always risky when you haven’t worked with an elite cabire of players or managed in major European competitions. That side of it is risky. He obviously knows football inside out and if he can get Chelsea to play the style of football that Brighton were playing, with better players, then they’d be a bloody good side.”

“He’s certainly going to have a target on his back as he’s walked into one of the biggest jobs in football. He’s going to be under pressure but he’s going to know that. If he doesn’t get the results then of course Chelsea are going to sack him. They’ve been doing that for years haven’t they? It’s one of those awkward ones for Graham Potter as you can’t turn the opportunity down. If he said he wanted to stay at Brighton and then they went on and had a few poor months, then he could have been sacked from Brighton.”

“It’ll certainly be a bit of a concern for them. However, we know how the game works and we know that it’s not just the manager that signs the players. The players will be concerned, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing they can do about it. They have to get on with it and hope that Graham Potter rates their style of play as much as Thomas Tuchel did.”

“The title race certainly isn’t over already but in reality I believe Chelsea would bite your arm off to get into the top four by the time the season finishes. I don’t think they’ll compete for the title this season but I do expect them to be good enough to get in the top four.”

“The one player from Brighton that I’d have liked Graham Potter to have brought with him to Chelsea was Yves Bissouma, but he’s already departed for Tottenham. That’s no disrespect to Brighton because they’re a very good side, but I don’t believe anyone currently there is good enough to get in Chelsea’s team.”

“When Thomas Tuchel was sacked I thought it was obvious that Chelsea would move for Mauricio Pochettino, but obviously I got it wrong. He would have been the man for me. I know some people were saying it would have been a cheaper option to go for Graham Potter, but it doesn’t sound that way does it? They’ve had to pay many millions for the compensation and then pay a £10 million-a-year salary. You could have saved the £20 million it’s taken for Chelsea to get Potter and his backroom staff and got Pochettino instead.”

“Reece is right up there amongst the best right-backs in Europe. He’s super young and still improving and for me he’s the best right-back in the Premier League already. He’s a better all-round player than the others and is consistent.”

“Definitely. He needs to be scoring and creating goals because that’s what he’s good at. Mason was at the centre of everything that Chelsea did well last season, so he will be disappointed that he doesn’t have a goal and a couple assists already this season. You need to be playing well to play for England, that’s for sure. It can all change quickly and he can get a goal or assist from somewhere and end up with some pretty decent figures. To cement himself in England’s World Cup starting line-up, then he’s got to start getting himself some goals.” 

“He still has a lot to offer and Chelsea are a different side when he doesn’t play. I guess Chelsea have a certain criteria regarding how willing they are to extend your contract depending on what age you are. I don’t know what terms he’s asking for, but there are going to be a lot of club’s wanting him if he was to leave on a free. If he leaves on a free then he’s probably going to get a three-year contract somewhere else. Manchester United were linked with him in the summer and I’m sure they’d bite your arm off for a player like N’Golo Kante.”

“He’s obviously a fantastic player and he’d improve most midfields, but Chelsea have got a good enough midfield to achieve their targets this season. If Chelsea don’t sign him, then he’s going to go to another big club. If he’s available, then you sometimes need to stop your rivals purchasing the best players.”

“I can see him leaving on loan in January. He needs to play week in, week out and continue to develop as a player. Maybe playing week in, week out for Chelsea is perhaps a step too far for him at present. If he goes out on loan and proves himself again then he can come back for pre-season next summer and get his opportunity again.”

“Yes they will definitely be encouraged by the appointment of Graham Potter. For any players who have been on the fringes of the first-team, they now have a chance to impress the new manager. They will probably be more excited by the appointment of Potter than the summer signings will be.” 

“It will give them momentum. They have a lot of injuries so they’ll probably be desperate for a break. Winning games changes everything. It gives people confidence, the morale lifts up and everyone is happy around the training ground. They have a couple of weeks now where they can get a few people off the treatment table, so that’ll be positive and hopefully they can continue winning.”

“It’s a difficult one. You’d like to see a few more players come in that’s for sure, especially in the midfield area. But look, Liverpool have spent money. They’ve spent a lot of money over the years and we all know how they go about it. They don’t just get into the market and cherry-pick someone. They specifically target two or three players that might not be on the other club's radars and they do it very well. You wouldn’t want them to come away from that just to have a more active window. I do think they need some more players but I don’t know about a whole rebuild. I do think they need two or three big players.”

“No, I don't think so. To be honest, I’d expect them to get top four quite comfortably. Obviously, the games come thick and fast and you need to find some form. There’s always been some surprises, like Arsenal for example. I don’t think anyone would have predicted how well they’ve been playing. You have to be careful because the games come quick and fast, and if they don’t start picking up the points and get the momentum going soon, then it could be an issue.”

“I don’t think Virgil van Dijk has been anywhere near his best. I think there’s too many of them who are underperforming and I don’t think there’s one stand-out player that is specifically underperforming. I think they’re all just playing at a six out of ten and you can only do that when your other mates are playing at an eight or nine out of ten. When you’re all playing at a six out of ten then you’re going to struggle to win games. I don’t think anyone deserves to have the finger pointed at them specifically as I just think everyone is underperforming.”

“Again I don’t think there has been a major standout to be honest. I think there’s been occasional games where someone has played well, but I don’t think there’s a player there at the moment that you can put your finger on and say he is their best player. 

“However, Harvey Elliott is a proper footballer, isn’t he? The way he moves and the way he gets on the ball, he’s a clever player, he’s creative and he’s going to be fun to watch. Hopefully he’ll have a fantastic career. Fábio Carvalho looks great as well. He’s quick and loves going forward and both he and Elliott have really impressed me.”

“I’d definitely be looking to sign him. If it’s safer to secure it now and pay a small fee then I’d do that. I wouldn’t run the risk of allowing anyone else to have him for free. I think he’s the sort of player that could fit into any team relatively straightforwardly.”

“He’s another good player. Liverpool probably do need two or three players in the midfield and if you can snap these sorts of players up, that have Premier League experience, for relatively cheap or even better on a free, then it’s a no-brainer. We know their squad is quite light and they’re starting XI is hindered quite a lot when they have a couple of injuries. I definitely think they need a few more bodies in there.”

“I think the problem with them is not the ability to play, it’s the ability to stay fit. They’re on big wages and they don’t play, but any new club will be looking at that and thinking the same. It’s a difficult one for them. They need to get fit and they need to get match fit somehow which is almost impossible when you’re not playing, and impress someone else. Their careers haven’t worked at Liverpool as we’d have expected. I think they just need to get fit, get some games under their belt, and then they’ll have clubs that would love to sign them.”

“If it’s those five that are most interested in him, then I think it’ll be hard for him to not go to Real Madrid. It’s a super football club and they’re renowned for having the best players. They’ve just won the Champions League and he could be living in Madrid. He’s obviously not one of those that wants to stay local as he made a big jump and commitment going to Germany at an early age, so I don’t think living in Spain would upset him at all. I just think that if Real Madrid are in for him at the moment, then that will be his priority.”

“I’ll be very surprised if anyone can. Put it this way, I think whoever finishes in front of Manchester City this season, wins the league. Tottenham are a hell of a lot better than they were last season but I don’t think they have the squad to take on Manchester City, but stranger things have happened. I just think that Manchester City have the ability to win games when they’re playing at a six out of ten and not many other teams can do that.”

“I don’t think Manchester United will make the top four. The other of the ‘big six’ teams I expect to not qualify for the Champions League is Tottenham. Chelsea will get in there and I think Arsenal will do it too.”

“If he carries on performing the way he has been then I think he deserves a shot. It’s a big step up at a major tournament, but sometimes that can play in your favour. He wouldn’t know what to expect, he wouldn’t know how tough it is and he might go in there with the pressure off. If he can keep his form up then I’d give him a chance.”