John Terry has ruled Chelsea out of the Premier League title race, but the former Blues defender has been impressed by Graham Potter nonetheless. The west Londoners currently sit fifth in the table on 13 points and remain some way off Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Arsenal.
However, Chelsea have a game in hand over the top-three, granting the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss a lifeline in the race for silverware. The Blues face Wolves next in the Premier League, and after Potter picked up his first three points against Crystal Palace over the weekend, he'll be looking to build upon the momentum at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking on beIN Sports, as quoted by the Mail Online, Terry spoke on the 47-year-old's targets this season. Warning Todd Boehly not to get his hopes up, he said: "It's been five years since we won the Premier League. Is that going to change this year? No.
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"So you're looking at the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, European Cup… it's going to be tough," the former Blues skipper added. "So then all of your eggs are going to be in two baskets domestically, and actually you need to keep players fit, so do you rest and rotate players to make sure they get in the top four? What's the priority? Only Potter will know that."
Despite Chelsea's shaky displays recently, Terry defended Potter and insisted that he was well within his right to land the role at Stamford Bridge. The former Seagulls boss faced criticism for swapping the south coast for west London, with some pundits - and fans - claiming he would be out of his depth.
"I honestly don't think it is [too big for Potter]," Terry said. "I think what he did at Brighton was incredible, and their position in the league speaks for itself.
"When you speak to anyone within the training ground or around the place, what he's done on the field has spoken for itself: the way he plays, the formation. But also the way he is with the players. I think in this day and age if you're a young manager, you need to understand the players. And I think these young managers like him understand the players better than anybody and can relate to them.
'I think you get them onside by day one, everyone is going to be watching. That first meeting, the first training session: how does he conduct himself? How does he hold himself? Can he handle this big dressing room?"
Terry continued by likening Potter to Mourinho for the impact he's made in the early stages of his tenure. The 41-year-old said: "And if he's come in and put his marker down from day one, players, go 'Ooh hello'.
"Pretty much like we did when Mourinho came in. No one had really heard of him, and then he comes in and goes, 'I'm in charge'. If [Potter] has done a similar thing, both on the pitch and off the pitch, the players will respect that.
"But also they'll be looking at his sessions and tactically how he sets them up for games and that side of it. So you've got a two or three-day window where you can go and impress the players - and by all accounts, he's gone and done that. And listen, I hope he does well."
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