After Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers were fired, Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, claimed that he felt like the “last man standing.”
After less than seven months in the position, Potter was fired on Sunday evening, bringing an end to his gloomy time as Chelsea’s manager.
The 47-year-old received much praise for his tenure at Brighton, but after a disastrous stint at Stamford Bridge, he will now need to restart his managerial career.
Only 12 of Potter’s 31 games as Chelsea’s manager ended in victories, and Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Aston Villa at home served as the straw of patience from Chelsea’s board.
Prior to Chelsea’s upcoming match, a Premier League contest against Liverpool on Tuesday, Bruno Saltor, a former Brighton teammate of Potter’s, has been appointed interim manager of the club.
Potter was not the first Premier League manager to be fired over the weekend; Brendan Rodgers was also fired by Leicester City after the Foxes fell into the relegation zone.
The Foxes struggled last season and fell to 18th after losing to Crystal Palace on Saturday. However, Leicester mostly excelled under Rodgers, finishing fifth twice, and earning their first FA Cup triumph in 2019.
The ‘elephant in the room,’ according to Klopp, is the fact that he has retained his position despite Liverpool’s troubles this season. Klopp has encouraged ‘great managers’ Potter and Rodgers to revive their management careers.
“What can I say in regards to that?” during the pre-game presser, Klopp remarked. “How am I still sitting here in this strange world is the topic at hand? The final survivor!
I’m at a loss for words; both clubs are not where they expected to be. They are both people I am familiar with, who I respect and who I like. They are both excellent supervisors and incredibly decent individuals.”
Since Liverpool has dropped out of the Champions League spots and is 30 points behind Premier League leader Arsenal, Klopp has been under fire for a significant portion of the season.
When the Reds travel to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, they will be looking to revive their waning chances of finishing in the top four after their crushing 4-1 loss to Manchester City on Saturday.
In response to a question on how Potter’s departure will impact Chelsea, Klopp said, “After a manager goes, I don’t know. There is no doubt that the coaching staff will remain. Chelsea will want to respond, I’m very certain of that. I’m not sure, but their system might vary in terms of the lineup. “
