The inevitable finally happened. Graham Potter has left Chelsea Football Club.
The 47-year-old was sacked from his role on Sunday evening following the Blues' 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa 24 hours before. It's understood senior club officials held a meeting that lasted hours in the aftermath of the latest loss and decided on the night that Potter would be relieved from his duties the following day.
Despite the club insisting time and time again that Potter was the right man to spearhead the long-term project at Stamford Bridge, the ownership group changed its mind with the supporters growing increasingly frustrated with the situation. Chelsea now have the task of replacing Potter and making sure the next manager is the one they will be behind for years to come.
READ MORE: Next Chelsea manager LIVE: Julian Nagelsmann interest, Todd Boehly admission, Graham Potter reaction
It's absolutely imperative that they get it right and avoid what has been a mess over the past eight months. Potter never felt like the right man for the job. It never seemed to fit and his sacking was a matter of 'when not if'.
Whoever is appointed has to fit the criteria of the long-term project to an absolute tee. The process cannot be rushed. Candidates need to be extensively interviewed and examined to ensure the right person is picked and avoid a repeat of Potter.
Julian Nagelsmann has emerged as the early front-runner for the vacant head coach role in west London. football.london understands Nagelsmann is someone Chelsea are seriously looking at to replace Potter following his departure on Sunday evening. The 35-year-old German coach, who was recently sacked by Bayern Munich, has all of the attributes and the characteristics to be a success at Stamford Bridge, the club believe.
The former FC Augsburg and 1860 Munich centre-back is still very young for a manager but has made a name for himself across Europe as one of the continent's brightest up-and-coming coaches. Known for his high-pressing teams and micro-management of players, Nagelsmann has developed his own style of play in Germany and now has immense interest from elsewhere.
"As a player, you have different coaches at different clubs, each offering their own way of training," Nagelsmann told Bayern Munich's official website in January. "You take these influences away with you, but in general, it's important to develop your own philosophy.
"You have to work on creating your own ideas and setting your own rules. Towards the end of my playing career, I was injured a lot and had a lot of time to think about how I would do certain things as a coach. When I became a coach, I worked on my philosophy week by week.
"The basic framework has been in place since my first year as head coach at U19 level. The mantra is 'control the game by winning the ball high up the pitch and changing the tempo in possession'."
The German added: "I have certain principles I basically do not compromise on. They always apply, no matter what the score is, who the opponents are or who is playing.
"When you're dealing with people, you have to be flexible on certain points. That's quite normal. You have to approach people, be empathetic as a coach or leader and try to respond to the needs of your opposite number.
"There are certain things that should always apply. But there are also things in life where you can be a bit more laissez-faire [leaving things to take their own course]."
Nagelsmann has also admitted he studies Pep Guardiola and the way he coaches his teams but insisted he was not his "idol". He said: "He's a role model, but 'idol' is a term for people you know very well."
On the face of it, it certainly seems as if Nagelsmann ticks every box. He's so young, his way of thinking aligns with recent modern-day success in the sport, he's worked with the likes of Christopher Vivell on the Chelsea board. The list goes on.
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